Permanent link for Small updates to your social media that can make a big difference on October 21, 2021

We’re just over two months away from 2022, crazy, right? If you’re working on your to-do list for the rest of the year, we’d encourage you to consider auditing your GVSU social media presence to see what can be improved!

Here are some pointers for what you can look out for to whip your social media platforms into top shape. 

Utilize the right visuals

The text, images and links used in social media posts should always accurately represent what you are trying to post. Make sure you have permission to use the images you are considering using.

We recommend only using photos from the Widen database. Please check the tags on the photo before using it if you are unsure if it properly relates to what you are using it for. 

If you are using a photo outside of Widen, please confirm that you have permission to use that photo from whoever took the image. If you do not have explicit permission, do not use it. 

If you do not see any photos in Widen that would work for your needs, please submit a photo request form. 

Follow the right accounts

As a GVSU affiliated account, we encourage you to only follow accounts that are relevant to the university community. Feel free to follow any other GVSU account, as well as community-based accounts that relate to your work. This can include local news, community leadership and other organizations. 

Refrain from following personal accounts, particularly of current or former students. Unless they are a public figure that relates to content you might post, following students is not necessary. The general public can view a GVSU account following an individual as an endorsement, and if that individual is posting things that do not align with our policies and values, this can cause issues. 

Send users to the right place

Most social media platforms allow you to put a URL in your bio, and this can be a great resource to direct traffic to your website. 

If you would like to link to multiple websites, consider using a tool such as tap.bio or Linktree that will allow you to share several URLs all in one place. 

You can easily include website links in posts on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and we encourage you to do so when appropriate. Do not put links in Instagram or TikTok posts. Links in the copy of posts on these two platforms will not be clickable so they are not useful to your followers.  

Stay active

Post frequently on all of your accounts. Frequency can vary platform to platform, but generally you should share valuable content at least a few times a month to stay engaged with your followers. 

If you find you don’t have content to post very often, consider deactivating the account, as it may not be the right fit for your social media presence. Never leave unused accounts active, always deactivate the account.

Be secure

Create login information for the account that cannot be easily guessed by potential hackers. Always use a general department GVSU email address as the associated email for the account. Do not use an email that is tied to a single employee. Using an individual’s email can lead to losing account access in the event of that individual leaving the university. 

Use two-factor authentication on all social media accounts, and make sure you also use a general departmental phone number, not a personal phone number. 

Be sure more than one person in the office knows the login information to the account and it is shared and stored safely if it needs to be accessed. Also, keep University Communications updated with who is the primary manager of your social media accounts. Email [email protected] if you make any changes to account management. 

Need help auditing your social media? We’re here to help! Contact us at [email protected] .

Categories: best practices
Posted by Anna Young on Permanent link for Small updates to your social media that can make a big difference on October 21, 2021.