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Content Best Practices

A Simple Guide to Social Media

Your roadmap for social media success at DeSales University

The challenge: Feedback from students and other audiences is that there are too many DeSales social media accounts. This is confusing, obfuscates important messaging, and dilutes the brand.

Background: Accounts are experiencing scope-creep — many accounts are trying to “help” by curating and creating information from all aspects of the University on multiple accounts. This results in the same work is being done multiple times with DeSales paying handfuls of people to share the same message in different styles and tones.

The Solution: Please follow these simple guidelines to create the best experience for our audiences.

Stick with your mission and know your audience.

  • Keep your content specific to your own area and audience — people follow specific accounts to see information about your area. Remember, your job is “to cross the swamp, not kill all the alligators.”
  • DON’T create new posts to promote events, news, or activities for areas outside of your specific area. If your account is for the Marshmallow department, don’t create a new post for a Bubblegum department activity.
  • DO share posts from the Institution and other DeSales accounts (properly credit & tag) IF your audience would benefit from the info. (Marshmallow’s account could share a Bubblegum department post about an activity.)

Special note about communicating in times of crisis:

  • Cabinet makes the ultimate decisions on messaging —check in with your chain of command before posting anything.
  • Alert the Web Communications Team if you notice a crisis is brewing anywhere on social media.

If something is promoting DeSales as a whole, it should involve the whole institution.

  • Content about the University should come from the University — institutional accounts have verified credibility and the largest overall reach.
  • DO share posts that come from the Institutional accounts
  • DO contact the Marcomm department if the Institution hasn’t yet created content for what you’re trying to share
  • DO contact the Marcomm department if you have an idea for a campaign for DeSales, like sunset contests, campus scavenger hunts, etc. to collaborate.
  • DO let Marcomm know about the coolest things going on in your areas and your most successful posts so we can expand their reach or promote them in additional ways. If you have content that’s done really well for your audience, let the Marketing department know so we can share with a wider audience, turn them into stories for publications, or use them in advertising.

If it’s a DeSales-related and run account, it should reinforce the DeSales Brand.

  • It’s fun to get creative on social media, but it’s far more effective if you stay on brand.
  • DO use the established colors, fonts, and styles of the University. See desales.edu/style
  • DO use the Bulldog Branding toolkit — it gives you access to the elements you’ll need to create effective, on-brand content. (This is in progress, stay tuned for details.)
  • DON’T create your own logos, modify DeSales logos, or create a new “look” for the University

Remember that social media is subject to regulations and laws.

  • If something you post causes a legal or controversial issue for the University, you will be held personally accountable.
  • Most social media is promotional in nature and DOES NOT fall under academic freedom.
  • DO adhere to all regulations outlined on our social media waiver.
  • DO make sure all posts follow accessibility regulations: include alt text, subtitles, and capitalize the first letter of each word in hashtags. #BeThatWell #SocialSolidarity
  • DON’T post or share “found” images, videos, or wording unless you know the source and you’re positive you have permission to do so — copyright laws apply to your posts.
  • DON’T run any kind of contest without consulting rules and regulations of the platform, the University, and all other governing bodies.
  • DO stay informed on regulations.

download social media waiver

Please send completed Social Media Waivers to the Marcom Department, Brisson Hall. 

Account creation requires careful strategy

Before you create a new social media account for an area of DeSales University, please contact the director of web communications at kristin.laudenslager@desales.edu.

Questions?

Please contact Jordan.Gruber@desales.edu

Official Institutional Social Media Accounts:

Approved April 9, 2020



Contact Us

Web Communications
Brisson 2nd Floor
610-282-1100 x2068