Social Media Posting Guidelines

When posting to any form of social media, be it Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or anything else that comes along take these items into consideration. As a public face of the University we need to be professional and approachable with the goal of growing the community and letting members interact with each other.

• Profile picture should be on brand

• an approved logo or an appropriate photo, which can be one of your own from the Image Library that is engaging.
  • The University logo is available for download at http://www.mnsu.edu/standards/logos/download.html
  • The University logo can not be modified in any way, placed on a busy background, or used for unofficial social media accounts.

• Assign a person or persons to the task so there is accountability. Make it part of their daily/weekly routine.

• Post frequently. The definition of frequently is up to you, but remember to keep growing and to cultivate engagement, an active site is best.

• What to post:

• Events – where are you going to be (Will you be at a college fair? Which schools are you visiting?)
• Answers to questions that you get frequently. This may reduce phone calls with questions. (Are there volunteer opportunities? I want to learn more do I start? Who do I contact?)
• Links. Start a conversation by linking to your webpage, another web page, or a news story.
• Any item that may be of interest to your particular audience – news and events going on around campus, or students in the news, alums in the news, major donations, conferences that students or faculty are attending, etc.
• Photos and videos. Visuals stand out more than words and drive engagement.
• Fun stuff. Remember that your audiences are on social media for fun. Including the occasional fun fact, link, or random question can increase engagement.
• Encourage your fans to post pictures, links, and content that may be of interest to your entire audience.

• Check page often so that you can:

• Answer questions promptly
• Delete inappropriate or spam posts as quickly as possible

• Keep the tone professional yet casual and inject fun.

• Keep the posts up-beat as this is a recruitment and retention tool. Occasionally bad news happens and it will need to be addressed appropriately.
• Always remember your audience!