The Office of University Marketing & Communications maintains a directory of all college-affiliated social media accounts representing departments, clubs, programs, or other college entities. Our experts are available to consult with you regarding strategy, goals, messaging and best practices for social media use. All social media accounts should be managed in compliance with the policies at the University.
To request a new college-affiliated social media account or register an existing account, please read the following guidelines and submit the form at the bottom of the page.
Considerations before starting a new social media account
A successful social media strategy requires clearly defined goals, research, a dedicated time commitment and creative ideas. Please consider the following factors before deciding if social media is needed.
- Who is your audience? Knowing your audience is key to understanding which social media channels will best help you reach your goals.
- What are your goals with the account? Make sure you have a clear picture in mind of what you hope to achieve with your social media presence and how the account will benefit your intended audience.
- Do you have the resources to launch and maintain a successful account? Building an audience takes time and dedication. Can you commit to the ongoing planning, posting, monitoring, response and measurement tasks? Or, rather than starting a new account, are there established accounts within the University that you could partner with to share your message? Working with an established account may help you better achieve your goals.
- Who will be responsible for actively managing the account? Account management may be assigned to a single person or shared by several team members. Who is the best person(s) to dedicate time and effort to the account? What is your transition plan if that person(s) leaves the organization?
- How will you plan content and develop it? Drafting a content calendar of future social media posts will help strategize your efforts. Please prepare at least 1-2 months’ worth of content ideas before getting started. Remember, high-quality visuals are required to engage on social media, especially Instagram and Facebook so allow time to gather or create appropriate assets.