virginia tech social media guidelinespersonal social media accounts, but are prohibited from using...
TRANSCRIPT
Revised7/18/17
SocialMediaGuidelinesReasonforguidelines 2
Definitions 2
Responsibilities 3
PrinciplesOverview 4
Procedures 7
RelatedVirginiaTechPolicies 8
Contacts 9
RepresentingVirginiaTech 9
VirginiaTechbrandingandstylerequirements 10
Startinganewaccount 11
Socialmediaplatforms 12
Tipsoncontentcreation 14
Usingsubmittedcontent 14
UsingHashtags 15
Comment/conversationmoderation 15
Removingpoststhathavebecomecontroversial 16
Communicationsduringcampusemergencies 16
Measuringsuccess(analytics/metrics) 17
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ReasonforguidelinesVirginiaTechauthorizesthecreationanduseofuniversitysocialmediaaccounts,providedtheiruseisprofessional,protectsthereputationandbrandoftheuniversity,andcomplieswithVirginiaTechpoliciesandapplicablestateandfederallawsandregulations.
TheuniversityrecognizesthevalueofsocialmediaplatformsforarangeofgoalsandmustbalanceitssupportofsocialmediawiththepreservationofVirginiaTech’sbrandidentity,integrity,andreputation.
EntitiesaffectedbytheseguidelinesAllunitsoftheuniversityincluding,butnotlimitedto,colleges,schools,institutes,departments,studentorganizationsandclubs,andgoverningorganizations.
WhoshouldreadtheseguidelinesAllfaculty,staffmembers,andstudentswhomanagesocialmediaasauniversity-affiliatedadministratororasanindividualforpersonaluse.
● Seealso:RelatedVirginiaTechpolicies,p.7● Seealso:Businessandpersonaluseofsocialmedia,p.4
Guidelinesavailableonline
● Website:branding.unirel.vt.edu/brand/social-media-guidelines
DefinitionsThesedefinitionsapplytotermsastheyareusedintheseguidelines.
AccountAdministrator AVirginiaTechfacultymember,staffmember,orstudentwhoadministersorauthorscontentforanyuniversitysocialmediaaccount.
CommunicationsProfessionalattheUnitLevel
Auniversitystaffmemberwithinaunitchargedwithcommunicationsoversightattheunitlevel.
SocialMedia AwebsiteorapplicationexternaltoVirginiaTechthatpermitssharingofinformationbetweenpeople.Thisincludesinternet-basedsocialnetworkingapplications,blogs,forums/chatrooms,collaborativeinformationandpublishingsystems(Wikis),video-andphoto-sharingwebsites(i.e.Facebook,Twitter,YouTube,etc.),andotherwebsiteswithuser-generatedcontent.
HouseRules Communitycommentingguidelinesbywhichtheaccountadministratorcanmoderateconversationsthatresideontheaccount.Seep.5
Unit Acollege,school,institute,department,studentorganizationorclub,researchcenter,office,serviceortransactioncenter,oranyotheroperatingVirginiaTech-affiliatedgroup.
UniversitySocialMediaAccount
Anyaccountadministeredbyanofficialuniversityunitonanysocialnetworkusedinsupportofthefunctionsorneedsofthatunit.
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Typically,theseaccountsincludethenameofVirginiaTechandthenameoftheunit(i.e.VirginiaTechCollegeofAgricultureandLifeSciences).Note:Accountsadministeredbyanyothergroupsorindividualsareconsiderednon-sponsoredaccounts,andtheuniversityisnotresponsibleforthecontentsharedontheseaccounts.
User Apersonwhoplacespostings,commentary,orothercontentonauniversitysocialmediaaccountorspace.
Influencer AnindividualorinstitutionthathasalargesocialmediafollowingandastrongaffinityforVirginiaTech.Asocialally.
ResponsibilitiesThemajorresponsibilitieseachpartyhasinconnectionwiththeseguidelines.
AccountAdministrator Accountadministratorsareexpectedto:● ConsulttheBestPracticesGuidelinesbelowand/orconsult
withyourunit’scommunicationsprofessionalforguidanceoncompliancewiththeseguidelines,aswellaswiththeuniversity’sbrandguidebeforelaunchingasocialmediaaccount.(Pleasenote:Thebrandingguidelineswillbeupdatedinsummer2017).
o Website:branding.unirel.vt.edu/brando SocialMediaGuidelines:
branding.unirel.vt.edu/brand/social-media-guidelines
● Correctormodifyuniversitysocialmediaaccountsundertheadministrator’scontrol,asdirectedbyUniversityRelations.
● Terminateanyuniversitysocialmediaaccountsthatcannotbemadecompliantwiththeseguidelines.
● Deactivateobsoleteaccounts.● Publishandenforceset“houserules”forcodeofconductby
followersoftheaccount.CommunicationsProfessionalattheUnitLevel
Communicationsprofessionalsareexpectedto:● WorkcollaborativelywithUniversityRelationstoreviewand
approvenewuniversitysocialmediaaccounts.● Provideguidanceandsupportfornewaccount
administratorsinrespectiveunits.● Documenttheuniversitysocialmediaaccountsinrespective
units.Individual Individualsareexpectedto:
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● Refrainfromusingorpostingtouniversitysocialmediaaccountsinviolationoftheseguidelines.
● Surrenderaccesstouniversitysocialmediaaccounts,asappropriate,whenuniversityemployeeorstudentstatuschanges.
UniversityRelations Universityrelationsisexpectedto:● OverseeVirginiaTech’sinstitutionalpresenceonsocial
networkingplatforms.● Determinewhethertoallowuniversitysocialmediaaccounts
onnewplatformsastheybecomeavailable.Authorizetheseaccountsasappropriate.
● Reviewsocialmediaaccountsthatrepresenttheuniversityforcompliancewiththeseguidelines.
● Instructaccountadministratorstocorrect,modify,orterminateuniversitysocialmediaaccountsthatarenotincompliancewiththeseguidelines.
PrinciplesOverview
VirginiaTechPrinciplesofCommunityEverythingwedoatVirginiaTechshouldbefirstandforemostguidedbytheVirginiaTechPrinciplesofCommunity.Ourinteractionsonsocialmediaarenoexception.InclusivityandrespectatVirginiaTechareeveryone’sresponsibility.
● Website:inclusive.vt.edu/vtpoc0
AcceptableuseofinformationsystemsatVirginiaTechAccesstocomputersystemsandnetworksownedoroperatedbyVirginiaTechimposescertainresponsibilitiesandobligationsandisgrantedsubjecttouniversitypolicies,andlocal,state,andfederallaws.
SocialmediaaccountadministratorsareexpectedtobefamiliarwithVirginiaTech’spolicyonappropriateuseofcomputersystemsandnetworksownedoroperatedbytheuniversity.
• Website:vt.edu/about/acceptable-use
Theuniversityrecognizesthevalueofsocialmediaplatformsforarangeofgoals,including,butnotlimitedto,reachingnewaudiencesandbuildingrelationshipswithstakeholders.ThisdocumentsupplementsexistingacceptableusepoliciesasoutlinedintheVirginiaTechfacultyandstaffhandbooksandincludes:
● AcceptableUseofInformationSystemsatVirginiaTech:vt.edu/about/acceptable-use
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● VirginiaTechIdentityStandardsandStyleGuide:branding.unirel.vt.edu/brand● BusinessConductStandards:cafm.vt.edu/businesspractices/conductstand● Non-discriminationstatement:vt.edu/about/equal-opportunity● FreedomofInformationAct:policies.vt.edu/FOIAa.php
UniversitysocialmediaaccountsAuniversitysocialmediaaccountisanyregisteredaccountadministeredbyanofficialuniversityunitonanysocialnetworkusedinsupportofthefunctionorneedsofthatunit.Typically,theseaccountsincludethenameofVirginiaTechandthenameoftheunit.
Useofsocialmediaaccountsmustbeconductedinamannerthatisprofessional,protectsthereputationandbrandofVirginiaTech,andisincompliancewithuniversitypolicies.
● BusinessConductStandards:cafm.vt.edu/businesspractices/conductstandProhibitedconductincludesuseofsocialmediainawaythatconstituteslibel,falseadvertising,copyrightortrademarkinfringement,harassment,professionalmisconduct,oraviolationofprivacyorotherrightsprotectedunderthelaw.Theuniversityisnotresponsibleforcontentsharedorgeneratedbynon-universitysocialmediaaccountsadministeredbygroupsorindividualsnotsponsoredbytheuniversity.
RegisteringanofficialuniversitysocialmediaaccountExistingandnewuniversitysocialmediaaccountsarerequestedtoberegisteredwiththeuniversity.Thepurposeofthisistokeepanupdateddirectoryforvisitorstotheuniversity’swebsitesandtoallowforperiodicqualitycontrolcheckstooccur.Registrationinformationincludes:
● Fullaccountname● Twobestcontacts(VirginiaTechemployees)withemailaddresses● Registrationsurvey:bit.ly/2i6MoRc
BusinessandpersonaluseofsocialmediaVirginiaTechemployeesmaybeauthorizedtousesocialmediaatworktopromotetheVirginiaTechbrandandencourageactiveengagementwiththeuniversitycommunity.TheseindividualsmustmaintainVirginiaTech’sbrandidentity,integrity,andreputation,whileminimizingpotentiallegalrisks.
Theseguidelinesdonotseektolimitpersonaluseofsocialmediabyfaculty,staff,orstudents.VirginiaTechemployeesandstudentsmaymentiontheiruniversityaffiliationinthebiooraboutsectionsofpersonalsocialmediaaccounts,butareprohibitedfromusinguniversitybrandelementsonthoseaccountsinwaysthatviolatebrandingguidelinesandtheVirginiaTechPrinciplesofCommunity.
Notethat,evenifyouareusingsocialmediapersonally,youmaystillbeseenasarepresentativeofyourcollege,unit,ortheoveralluniversity.Therefore,youareexpectedtoactresponsiblyassuch.
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● BrandGuide:branding.unirel.vt.edu/brand● PrinciplesofCommunity:inclusive.vt.edu/vtpoc0● Seealso:RepresentingVirginiaTechbranding.unirel.vt.edu/brand/social-media-
guidelines.html#best-practices
UsersmustadheretothetermsandconditionsspecifictoeachsocialnetworkplatformandfollowpoliciesfortheuseofpersonallyowneddevicesintheworkplaceatVirginiaTech.
● MobileCommunicationsDevicesPolicy:policies.vt.edu/3960.pdf
AccountAdministrators Accountadministratorsareexpectedto:● PostonVirginiaTech-affiliatedsocialmediaplatformsonly
usingtheaccountnameofhisorherdepartmentorunit.● MaintaintheprivacyofadministratorsofVirginiaTechsocial
mediaandalsopreserveconsistencyoftheunits’institutionalvoice.
Individuals IndividualswithaccesstoauniversitysocialmediaaccountareexpectedtoNOT:● Usesocialmediaforpersonalpurposesthatmight
reasonablycreatetheimpressionthecontentisauthorizedorcontrolledbyVirginiaTech,unlessusingasocialmediaapplication’ssharingfeaturetosharecontentfromanofficialuniversitysource.
● Postcontentthatisdiscriminatory,threatening,orunlawful.Usersareresponsiblefortheirconductwhenusingsocialmediaforpersonalorbusinesspurposes
SocialmediahouserulesVirginiaTechencouragessocialmediauserstointeractwiththeuniversityandeachotherbutisnotresponsibleforcommentsorpostsmadebyfollowersoforvisitorstoVirginiaTechaccounts.Commentspostedbytheseindividualsmaynotreflecttheofficialviewsorpoliciesoftheuniversity.Inaccordancewiththis,universitysocialmediaaccountsshouldincludeaversionofcommunityguidelinesintheaccounts’aboutsections.
Note:Beforeremovingnon-Englishcomments,usetranslationtoolstoverifyifthecommentindeedviolatestheotherstandardsaslisted.
ExampleofhouserulesFromVirginiaTech'sFacebookpage
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VirginiaTechwelcomesyourcommentsonourFacebookpageandencouragesinteractionamongHokiesaroundtheworld.WeaskthatyouusetheVirginiaTechPrinciplesofCommunity(inclusive.vt.edu/vtpoc0)asguidanceinyourpostsandremaintruetothespiritofUtProsim(ThatIMayServe).
Wereviewallcommentsmade.Commentswillberemovediftheyareoff-topic,offensive,insultorattack,containillegalsuggestions,usefoullanguage,orcontainunauthorizedcommercialsolicitation.Wereservetherighttoterminateaccesstothepagebyrepeatoffenders.
Pleaseemailusatsocialmedia-g@vt.eduwithanyconcernsaboutthecontentonthissite.Commentsmadetothispagearetheopinionsoftheauthors,notoftheuniversity.
Procedures
LaunchingorassumingresponsibilityforuniversitysocialmediaaccountsAccountAdministrator Accountadministratorsareexpectedto:
● Contacttheirunit’scommunicationsprofessionaltoestablishauniversitysocialmediaaccount.Ifyourunitdoesnothaveacommunicationsprofessional,contactUniversityAdvancement.
● FamiliarizethemselveswiththisdocumentandtheuniversityBrandGuidewhenlaunchingnewuniversitysocialmediaaccountsorassumingresponsibilityforexistingones.
● Correctormodifyuniversitysocialmediaaccountsundertheircontrol,asdirectedbyUniversityAdvancementand/ortheunit’scommunicationsprofessional.
● Terminateanyuniversitysocialmediaaccountsthatcannotbemadecompliantwiththeseguidelines.
CommunicationsProfessionalattheUnitLevel
Unitcommunicationsprofessionalsareexpectedto:● Overseecreationofnewsocialmediaaccountsintheirunits
toensurecompliancewithbestpractices.● Maintainalistofsocialmediaaccountsintheirunitsand
encourageregistrationtotheuniversityregister.● Trainaccountadministratorsintheirunitsabouttheirroles
andresponsibilitiesundertheseguidelines.● Familiarizethemselveswiththeseguidelinesandthe
universitybrandguide.● Beaccountableforensuringthatcontentpostedtotheir
accountsmeetsuniversityguidelines.● BeresponsibleforensuringcentralUniversityRelationsis
informedinmattersofissuesorcrisismanagement.
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Requiredactionsuponchangeinanindividual'suniversitystatusIndividual Whenthestatusofanindividualwithaccesstoauniversitysocial
mediaaccountchanges(i.e.rolechangewithinunit,transfertoanotherunit,orseparationfromtheuniversity),theindividualisexpectedto:● Surrenderthataccess.Theaccountadministratorwill
transferthataccess,asappropriatetoanotherstaffmember.AccountAdministrator Accountadministratorsareexpectedto:
● Reviewindividuals’accesstoallsocialmediaplatforms,socialmediatoolsandrevokewhereappropriate.
● Reviewandmodifypasswordsforallaccountstopreventunauthorizedaccesswhenappropriate.
● Reviewsocialmediapolicy,strategy,andbrandguidelineswithUniversityAdvancementandthecommunicationsprofessionalattheunitlevel.
CommunicationsProfessionalattheUnitLevel
Unitcommunicationsprofessionalsareexpectedto:● Reviewsocialmediaguidelines,strategy,andbrand
guidelineswithnewaccountadministrators.● Updatethelistofuniversitysocialmediaaccountsintheir
unitsandencourageregistrationintheuniversitysocialmediaregister.
RelatedVirginiaTechPoliciesPolicy WebsiteAcceptableUseofInformationSystemsatVirginiaTech
vt.edu/about/acceptable-use
AdministrativeDataManagementandAccessPolicies
policies.vt.edu/7100.pdf
BusinessConductStandards cafm.vt.edu/businesspractices/conductstandEqualOpportunity/AffirmativeActionStatement vt.edu/about/equal-opportunityFreedomofInformationAct policies.vt.edu/FOIAa.phpMobileCommunicationsDevices policies.vt.edu/3960.pdfStudentPrivacy/FERPA registrar.vt.edu/contact/FERPAVirginiaTechFacultyHandbook provost.vt.edu/faculty_affairs/faculty_handbookVirginiaTechIdentityStandardsandStyleGuide branding.unirel.vt.edu/brandVirginiaTechPolicies policies.vt.edu/index.phpVirginiaTechSales,Solicitation,andAdvertisingonCampus
policies.vt.edu/5215.pdf
VirginiaTechStaffHandbook hr.vt.edu/resources/current-employees/policies-handbooks
VirginiaTechStudentHandbook hokiehandbook.vt.edu
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ContactsSubject Contact Telephone Email/WebAddressGuidelinesclarificationandinterpretation
UniversityRelations 540-231-0946 [email protected]
Establishinganewuniversitysocialmediaaccount
UniversityRelations 540-231-0946 [email protected]/UnitCommunicationsProfessional
Unit-specific Unit-specific
Socialmediacommunityguidelines
UniversityRelations 540-231-0946 [email protected]
Resources/trainingopportunities
UniversityRelations 540-231-0946 [email protected]
SocialMediaBestPracticesThepeopleofVirginiaTechandHokieNationmakeexcitingandmeaningfulconnectionseveryday—throughresearch,publicservice,alumniconnections,dailyinteractionsoncampus,andmore.
Socialnetworkshelpustoadvancetheseconnectionswhilefurtheringrelationships,cultivatingHokiepride,andactingasgoodstewardsoftheVirginiaTechbrand.SocialmediaoffersVirginiaTechanditsunitsandprogramsopportunitiestoengagespecificaudiences,includingprospectiveandcurrentstudents,parents,alumni,facultyandstaff,donors,media,andopinionleaders.OuroverarchinggoalistoraiseawarenessofVirginiaTech.
Thesebestpracticescanbeappliedwhetheryou’reastaffmembermanagingadepartmentFacebookaccount,afacultymemberoperatingyourownprofessionalTwitteraccount,orastudentgrouprunningauniversity-affiliatedInstagramaccount.
RepresentingVirginiaTechByhavingasocialmediaaccountthatindicatesyouworkatorattendVirginiaTech,orifyourunanaccountforyourunit,youmaybeperceivedasbeingaspokespersonforVirginiaTech.ItisessentialthatyoudonotspeakforVirginiaTech,theinstitution,butthatyourepresentyourunit.Inthatrole,youshouldconsideryourselfaspokesperson.Tomitigateanypotentialissues,bemindfulofthefollowing:
● Sticktoyourareaofprofessionalexpertise.● Confirminformationbeforeposting/sharingtoensureitiscorrect.Whenindoubt,don’tpost.● Usegoodjudgmentwhenrespondingtocomments.Reviewthedecisiontreeattheendofthis
documentforreference.● Questions/commentsthatarerelatedtoanewsstoryorpressreleaseshouldbereferredto
@vtnewsonTwitterand/ortheMediaRelationsDirectorinUniversityRelations.○ Website:vtnews.vt.edu/contact○ Twitter:twitter.com/vtnews
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● KeeppersonalaccountsseparatefromyourroleatVirginiaTechwhenpossible.Ifthereisoverlap,ensureyourpersonalviewsarenotviewedasofficialCommonwealthofVirginiacommunications.
○ YoumayincludeadisclaimerinyourAboutsection(fromPolicy:1.75–UseofElectronicCommunicationsAndSocialMedia),suchas:“Theviewsexpressedonthis(website,blog,socialmediasite)aremyownanddonotreflecttheviewsofmyemployeroroftheCommonwealthofVirginia.”
VirginiaTechbrandingandstylerequirementsToavoidconfusiononwhatconstitutesanofficialVirginiaTechsocialmediaaccount,affiliatedaccountsmustadheretotheVirginiaTechBrandGuidetoensureconsistencyacrossplatforms.
OfficiallogosOfficialVirginiaTechlogosareavailabletodownloadtohelpyoucreateprofilephotosandcoverphotosastheplatformallows.OfficialuniversityprimaryandsecondarycolorsareavailableintheBrandGuideforreferencewhencreatingpageidentityimages.
● Logodownloadwebsite(PIDrequired):secure.hosting.vt.edu/www.downloads.branding.unirel.vt.edu
● BrandGuide(PDF,page10):branding.unirel.vt.edu/content/dam/branding_unirel_vt_edu/2015-brand-guide.pdf
ProfilerequirementsPage/usernames ● Full,officialnameofyourunit.
● Typicallybeginswith“VirginiaTech”(i.e.VirginiaTechCollegeofAgricultureandLifeSciences);butmaynotcontain“VirginiaTech”ifitholdsadonor’sname—inthatcase,ensureVirginiaTechisintheaboutinformation,asdescribedbelow.
● Ifspaceislimitedintheplatform,“VT”isanacceptablealternativeto“VirginiaTech”(i.e.@VT_Football)
Contactinformation ● Officialwebsitelink.● Asspaceallows,includeothercontactinformation
suchas:o Addresso Telephonenumber(s)o Emailaddress(es)o Otherwebsites
“About”information ● Asspaceallows,filloutascompletelyaspossibletheaboutsectionofyourprofile.
● Thisincludesmission,descriptions,founding
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information,etc.● Include“VirginiaTech”hereifyourunit’sofficial
namedoesnotcontainit(i.e.thenamecomesfromadonor).
Profilepicture ● Mustrepresentyourunitinaclearmanner.● Donotuseprohibitedsecondarylogos(seeBrand
Guide,page12).● Mustbereadableatsmall,thumbnailsizeandbe
highenoughresolutionforlargerexpandedsizes.● Ifunsureaboutappropriateness,contactUniversity
Relationsforhelp([email protected])Otherphotos,coverphoto ● Ifavailable,chooseaphotothatworkswellinthe
horizontalareaatthetopofmanysocialmediaplatformpages.
● Itshouldrepresentyourunitand/ordirectlycomplementyourprofilepicture.
● Swapthisphotoregularlytorefreshthelookofyourpage.
StartinganewaccountBeforestartinganewsocialmediaaccount,considerafewkeyquestions:
Whoistheaudience? ● Determinewhoyou’retryingtoreachandwherethataudienceis,socialmediaplatform-wise(fordescriptionsonthedifferentplatforms,seetheSocialmediacommunicationsplansectionbelow).
● Determinehowyourmessageswillbetargeted(i.e.promotedpoststoaspecificaudience,differentplatformsfordifferentaudiences,etc.)
Whyareyoustartingthisaccount? ● Definethepurposeforthenewaccount.● Determinewhatthegoalisandhowtomeasure
success.Doyouhavetheresources? ● Determinewhetheryouhavetheresourcesto
manageauniversity-affiliatedsocialmediapresence,whichrequiresfrequentandconsistentattention.Ifyoudon’thavethetimetodevoteyoumaybequicklyoverwhelmed.
Whatmakesyouraccountunique? ● Determinewhatyouraccountoffersthatothersdon't,particularlyinyourunit.
Areyouduplicatingmessages? ● Definemessagingframeworkforyourtarget
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audienceanddetermineifitoverlapswithanotherVirginiaTechaccount.
● Determineifpartneringwithanotheraccountcanstrengthenyourmessage.
Howcanaccountadministratorsbecontacted?
● Considercreatingagenericemailaddresstominimizetheeffortrequiredfortransitioningtoanewaccountadminifadmins(suchasstudents)changefrequently.
Whatareyourpeerinstitutionsdoingonsocialmedia?
● Followandanalyzecontentonsocialmediafromyourpeersasastartingpointforyouinplanningreachingthoseaudiences.
Note:Ifyouwishtodothisforatime-boundevent(likeaconference),askyourselfifyouhavetimetobuildupanaudience.Ifnot,donotcreateanewaccountandinsteadutilizeanestablishedaccountwithanevent-specifichashtag.
Troubleshooting&AccountVerificationWhenstartinganewaccount,youmayrunintoyourpreferredusernamebeingusedbyanotheraccount.Eachsocialmediaplatformhastheirownwayofreportingunofficialaccounts,sothebestrouteistostartwiththeHelpsections.Forexample,Twitterhasaprocedureifyouencounterunauthorizedaccountsusingyourunit’sofficialname:support.twitter.com/articles/18367
Tomitigatecopyrightissues,youcanalsoapplytogetyouraccountverified.ThisalsovariesbyplatformandcanusuallybefoundintheHelpsection.
● Facebookverification:facebook.com/help/100168986860974● Twitterverification:support.twitter.com/articles/20174631
SocialmediaplatformsYourcommunicationsplanforyoursocialmediaaccountswilldependontheplatformandtheintendedaudiences.University-wide,VirginiaTechhasmorethan130socialmediaaccounts.ThefollowingareaccountsthatVirginiaTechcurrentlyusesonthecentraluniversitylevel:
Twitter ● Audienceskewsmale,age18-29,collegegraduates,andtypicallyliveinurbanenvironments.
● Micro-bloggingplatformthatutilizesmessageswith140charactersorless.
● Useshashtagstotapintoconversationsand/oraggregategroupsofpostseasily.
● Easyto“talk”toindividualsandgroupsviareplies,retweets,andquoteretweets.
● Usefulforliveupdatesfromevents,conferences,etc.● Usefulfordrivingaudiencestoacall-to-actionand
creatingawareness.
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● Poststhatincludephotoshavehigherratesofengagementthanthosewithout.
● Beganthelivevideotrendbutisusedlesscommonlytodayoutsideofnewscoverage.
● User-friendlyanalyticsanddemographics;downloadabletoaspreadsheet.
Facebook ● Audienceskewsfemale,age18-49*;allotherdemographicsarerelativelyequal.
● Platformthatallowsindividualstofolloworbecome“fans”ofbusinessandinstitutionpagesinadditiontopersonallyconnectingwithotherindividuals.
● Poststhatincludenativephotosandvideos(notlinkedtofromanoutsidesource,likeYouTube)havehigherratesofengagementthanthosewithout.
● Shoulddriveaudiencestoacall-to-action.● Emergingtrendoflivevideosontheplatform.● User-friendlyanalyticswithsomedemographic
informationavailable;downloadabletoaspreadsheet.
Snapchat ● Audienceskewsage18-24.● Photo-andvideo-sharingplatformthatutilizes
decorativefilters.● Imagesandvideosareonlyavailableforalimited
amountoftimeafterviewing.● Utilizesstoriestocraftavisualnarrative.● Emergingplatformforreachingprospectiveand
currentstudentsandyoungalumni.● Metricsarelimited;cannotaccuratelydetermine
numberoffollowers.● Metricsarelimitedandarenotdownloadabletoa
spreadsheet.● Postsmustbemadefromamobiledeviceortablet.
Pinterest ● Audienceskewsfemale,age30-49,higherincome,andsuburban/rural
● Users“pin”itemsfoundonlinetocustomizedboards,muchlikeavirtualbulletinboardforideas,crafts,fashion,recipes,etc.
● Userswill“repin”itemsfoundonPinteresttotheirownboards.
● Needsgoodvisualsforsuccessbecausethealgorithm
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reliesonimagestocreateposts.LinkedIn ● Audienceisnearlyevensplitwithmaleandfemale
users,age30-64,collegegraduates,higherincome,andurban.
● Usedfornetworkingwithothersinyourfieldofbusinessandrecruitingpotentialemployees.
● Personalprofileisanonlineresume.● Companypagescanbeusedtoaggregateand
connectalumniandstudentswitheachotherandwiththeinstitution.
o Cangetdemographicinformationtoinformstrategicalumnianddevelopmentdecisions.
● Areatofeaturenews,links,andupdates.Google+ ● Audienceistypicallymale,age25-44,higherincome,
andinternational.● Hasn’treachedthenumberofactiveusersasother
socialmediaplatforms,buthasemergedasanicheplatform.
● Morepopularincertaininternationalmarkets.● Usefulforconnectingandsharingwithnon-profits,
NGOs,andinternationalcompanies.Slack ● Chatforum
● Usedtosendgroupmessagesanddirectmessages● Adoptedbybusinessesasawaytostreamline
collaborationandtakeconversationsoutofemailInformationupdatedJune2017
*HighestnumberofusersperagegrouponFacebookis18-29,butages30-49havehigherratesofengagementwithposts.
TipsoncontentcreationTheever-evolvinglandscapeofsocialmediameansthatyou’llhavetostayabreastofemergingtechnologyandplatformdevelopments.Taketimetoassessnewcontentfeaturesandiftheycanhelpyouachieveyourgoals.Somesitesofferinformationonimagesizesforeachplatform:
● ConstantContact:blogs.constantcontact.com/social-media-image-sizes● MarketingTech:marketingtechblog.com/social-media-image-dimensions
UsingsubmittedcontentTohelpmaintaingoodrelationshipswithstudentsandalumniandtogiveyoumorecontentforyourposts,youcansolicitsubmissionsforphotosandothercontentfromyourfollowers.Ifyoureceivesubmissionsthatyouintendtopostfromyouraccount,ensureyouhavepermissionfromtheuseras
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wellasthephotographer(ifadifferentperson)beforesharing.Collectthefollowinginformationandgiveproperattribution:
● Name● Hometown(ifstudent)● Major● Graduationyear
ToolsforInstagram,suchastheRepostapp,willaddanattributionboxtotheimage.Youshouldstilltagthesubmitter’susernameinthecommentboxwiththeotherpertinentinformation.
UsingHashtagsWhenusingorcreatingotherhashtags,doyourresearchbeforeyoutweet.ThisincludesgoingtoTwitterandInstagramandperformingasearchfortheintendedhashtag.Takenoteofthepostsassociatedwiththehashtaganduseyourbestjudgmentaboutusingthathashtagwithyourownpromotions.
VirginiaTechusescertainhashtagsfortweetsandothersocialmediaposts.Theyare:
• #VirginiaTech• #UtProsim• #Hokies• #HokieLove• #HokieGrad(for
commencement)
• #HokieFacts• #WhyVT• #VT4L• #VTFirstDays• #HokiePets• #HokieBaby
• #HokieNation• #HokiesAbroad• #TravelingHokies
Comment/conversationmoderationIfyouareunsureabouthowtobestresolveasituationregardingcomment/conversationmoderation,contactSusanGill,DirectorofNewMedia,[email protected].
● Commentingdecisiontree:branding.unirel.vt.edu/brand/social-media-guidelines/how-to-moderate
Socialmediaadministratorsshouldrespondtocommenterswhoexpressconcernsandattempttoaddressthemdirectlyorreferthemtoapersonordepartmentwhocan.
ThestructureofyourresponsewillvarybasedonthenatureofthesocialnetworkingplatformbutitshouldalwaysbefriendlyandrepresentativeofVirginiaTech’scultureandvalues.
Noteverycritiqueneedsaresponse;somepeoplearejustventingfrustrations,ortheyare“trolls”—thosewhoengageinoff-topicorinflammatorypostsinanattempttoprovokeothers.
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Commentsthatareinappropriate,offensive,insultorattack,containillegalsuggestions,orusefoullanguageshouldberemovedasallowedbythatparticularsocialmediaplatform,asshouldthosethatareintentionallyrepetitive(spam).Keepalogofanycommentsremoved,andmostimportantly,beconsistentwiththetreatmentofallcommenters.
RemovingpoststhathavebecomecontroversialOccasionally,youmayfindthatsomethingyou’vepostedtoyourpagehastakenalifeofitsowninthecommentssection.Ifyouraudienceisstayingon-topicandremainingcivilasperyourcommunitycommentingguidelines,itisadvisabletoletthecommenterskeepeachotherincheck.Ifneeded,remindcommentersaboutyourcommentingguidelines.
However,iftheconversationseemstobeslidingtowardonlyonepointofviewinamannerthatiscontrarytothespiritofyourpost,youmayneedtomakeamoderatordecision.PleasecontactSusanGill,540-231-0946,todiscussthebestcourseofaction.
CommunicationsduringcampusemergenciesInanemergencyoranotherincident,university-affiliatedaccountsshouldnotpostinformationorcommentwitharesponsethathasnotbeenapprovedfordisseminationfromapprovedsourcesorspokespeople.Ifyouwishtodisseminatetheinformation,youshouldsharepostsfromtheofficialchannelslistedbelow.ContactSusanGill,DirectorofNewMedia,[email protected]
Socialmediaisanincreasinglyvitalpartofhowweasasocietycommunicate,andthat’sespeciallytrueintimesofheightenedawareness.Rumorsquicklyspreadintheabsenceofreliable,verifiedinformation.
TheUniversityStatuswebsitecontainsinformationonoperatingstatusesatVirginiaTechcampuses.Pleaserefertothispageforgeneralandcontactinformation:vt.edu/status
Officialmessagesduringemergenciesandotherincidentswillcomefromthefollowingsocialmediaaccounts:
● VirginiaTech○ Twitter:twitter.com/virginia_tech○ Facebook:facebook.com/virginiatech
● VTAlerts○ Twitter:twitter.com/vtalerts
● VirginiaTechPolice○ Twitter:twitter.com/vatechpolice○ Facebook:facebook.com/VirginiaTechPolice
● VirginiaTechOfficeofEmergencyManagement○ Twitter:twitter.com/behokieready○ Facebook:facebook.com/BeHokieReady
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Inanemergencyoranotherincident,university-affiliatedaccountsshouldnotpostinformationthathasnotbeenapprovedfordisseminationfromapprovedsourcesorspokespeople.Ifyouwishtodisseminatetheinformation,youshouldsharepostsfromtheofficialchannelslistedabove.
CollegecommunicatorswhoreceivequestionsduringemergenciesorotherincidentsshouldreferthemtotheSeniorAssociateVicePresidentforUniversityRelations,AssistantVicePresidentofUniversityRelations,orMediaRelationsDirector,asappropriate.
ThreatsreceivedviasocialmediaIfyoubecomeawareofapotentialthreatviayourroleasasocialmediaadministrator,reportitimmediately.Ifthenatureofthethreatisanemergency,call911.YoucanalsoreferasituationofconcerntotheuniversityThreatAssessmentTeamatThreatAssessment@vt.eduortoVirginiaTechPoliceat540-231-6411.Additionally,[email protected],ornotifySusanGillat540-231-0946afteryouhavenotifiedemergencypersonnel.
● Website:threatassessment.vt.eduIncludeasmuchinformationaspossible;includingtheusernameoftheindividualinvolved,ascreenshotofthemessage,whoorwhatisinvolved,whenthemessagewasreceived,andotherpertinentinformation.
Measuringsuccess(analytics/metrics)Itisimportanttobeabletosetgoalsandmeasuresuccessagainstthosegoalsforsocialmedia.Thiswillinformoverallcommunicationsstrategyandhelpyouassesswhethercertainplatformsworkbetterforyourintendedaudiencesthanothers.
LearningtoolsManysocialmediacompanieshaveblogswithhow-tos.Toeducateyourselfonhowandwhattomeasure,looktotheexperts.Herearesomesuggestionsonwheretostart:
● RazorSocial:razorsocial.com/social-media-analytics-tools● SocialMediaExaminer:socialmediaexaminer.com/5-tools-to-measure-social-media-roi● HootSuiteBlog:blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-metrics● Buffer:blog.bufferapp.com/definitive-guide-social-media-metrics-stats● SimplyMeasuredBlog:bit.ly/2hDXNe7
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DefinitionsDashboard Aplacetoconsolidateandquicklyanalyzedata;spreadsheetsare
commonlyused,andthereareavarietyofbrowser-basedanddownloadablesoftwareoptions,typicallyforafee.
Engagement Ametricusedtodescribetheamountofinteraction—likes,shares,comments—apieceofcontentreceives.
EngagementRate Ametricusedtodescribetheamountofengagementascomparedtothenumberofuserswhosawthecontent.
Follower Referstoapersonwhosubscribestoyouraccountinordertoreceiveyourupdates.
Impressions Ametricusedtoshowthenumberoftimescontentassociatedwithyourpageisdisplayed.
Reach Ametricusedtoshowthenumberofpeoplewhosawyourcontent.Includespeoplewhohavechosentofollowyouraccountandthosewhohavenot.
Measurementsteps
BaselinedataforexistingaccountsIfyouaresettingupameasurementplanforthefirsttime,orifyouhaveinheritedanexistingsocialmediaaccount,youshoulddetermineabaselineforyouraccount(s)tohaveabasisformeasurement.
1. Collectdataasfarbackaspossible,butaminimumofayearisideal2. Addthedatatoadashboardforeasyanalysis(Excelisoneexampleofaplacetocollectdata)3. MakenoteofFollowergrowthrateandaverageReach/ImpressionsandEngagementRate
SetgoalsDeterminewhatyourgoalsareforthenextyear,quarter,etc.Doyouwantto:
● Increasethenumberoffollowersbyacertainpercentage?● Drivemoretraffictoyourwebsiteusingsocialmedia?● Increasedonationstoyourprogramorunit?● Haveconversationswithyourfollowers?
Tobestaccomplishtheseandothergoals,createcalls-to-action.Forexample:
● Increasefollowers=“Sharewithyourfriends”or“Likeandfollow”● Drivemoretraffic=“Clickhere”withwebURL● Increasedonations=“Donatenow”buttonorwebURLlinkwithappeal● Haveconversations=askquestionsandrespondtoanswers
CreateandexecuteaplanPlanoutthepromotionsyouwanttodoaroundspecificeventsandthroughouttheyear.Besuretoincludethecalls-to-actionyou’vedeterminedandcraftmessagingtoreflectthoseactions.Payingforpromotedpostsmayhelpwithyourreachifyoudon’thaveagreatnumberoffollowers.
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MeasureeffectivenessAfterthepromotionsrun,collectthestatisticsandaddthemtoyourdashboard.Determinewhetheryoumetorexceededyourdeterminedgoal.Ifyoudidnotdoeither,adjustyourgoals,expectations,ormessagingforthenextpromotion.
WheretofindyourdataPlatform LocationFacebook ● LogintoFacebookandnavigatetoyourpage.
● VisittheInsightstabtoseeyourdata.● Datacanbeexportedforfurtheranalysis.
Twitter ● LogintoyourTwitteraccount.● Navigatetoanalytics.twitter.com● Analyticsareturnedoffbedefaultonmost
accountsandmustbeactivatedtobegincollecting.
● ViewyouroverviewontheHometab.● Datacanbeexportedforfurtheranalysisinthe
Tweetstab.Instagram ● Onyourmobiledevice,signintoyouraccount.
● Ensurethatyourprofileissetupasa“business”account.(Seefacebook.com/business/e/getting-started-with-instagram-for-businessforinstructions.)
● Youcanviewbasicinformationaboutpostsupto2years.
● Nodataexportfeaturecurrentlyexistsontheplatform.
● Togetdeeperinformation,considera3rd-partyapplication,suchasIconosquare,SproutSocial,andothers.
Pinterest ● LogintoyourPinterestaccount.● Navigatetoanalytics.pinterest.com● Fullanalyticstrackingmayneedtobesetupon
yourwebsite.● YoucanalsotracktrafficfromPinteresttoyour
websiteusingGoogleAnalytics.