Tips

 

Facebook

Pages

  • Pages offer flexibility, are easier to brand, and support a greater number of features than groups, including appearing on Facebook homepage newsfeeds.
  • Pages are specifically designed for outward facing organizations, and should be used as such to represent OWU.
  • Best practices call for no more than eight posts a month on Facebook. The success of social media depends on engaging – and not annoying – your user community.

Open and Closed Groups

  • Groups are best used for academic departments and clubs to communicate internal news.
  • OWU expects that students, faculty, and staff understand the difference between closed and open groups in social networking sites as they post information.
  • Closed groups often require approval from the "owner" or "manager" of the group for members to receive or post information. Managers are responsible for keeping the member list current for closed groups. Though groups may be closed, the same rules for appropriateness, copyright, etc., apply.

Best Uses

  • Customer communication. Facebook is great to reach people who want to share their opinions and otherwise participate in the OWU community.
  • Brand exposure: Facebook lets you get your brand out in the marketplace, use an identifying avatar (profile photo), and develop a voice for your group.

Disclaimer

Each Ohio Wesleyan Facebook site must contain the following disclaimer in the “About” section:

We abide by Facebook’s Terms and Conditions for commenting, and we ask others to do the same. Per those guidelines, please do not "post unauthorized commercial communications (such as spam)"; "bully, intimidate, or harass any user"; "post content that: is hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence "; or "do anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory" on any Ohio Wesleyan-affiliated Facebook Page.

Comments on posts ("User Content") do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the University. Account Administrators reserve the right to remove comments that contain profanity or commercial solicitations, are factually erroneous/libelous, are wholly off-topic, or otherwise violate Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.

Instagram

  • Instagram is used to document life, share memorable moments, and tell a vibrant story.
  • Do not copycat. Your posts should be your own content. It's not polite (or entirely legal) to take a screen shot of another person's photo, change the filter, and post it as your own.
  • Beware of rapid-fire posting. Don’t suddenly “spam” your followers with 14 uploads in a matter of minutes.
  • Do not beg for followers. It is considered bad form to type "please follow me!" in the comments box of pictures and throughout your "About Me" section.
  • A good photo really is worth a thousand words. Avoid using text and extra graphics on social media images.
  • Pull the brand into your social media with the type of photography you share and with engaging captions. If you really want to use a printed graphic, be sure it’s purpose is clear.
  • Best practices call for no more than eight posts a month on Instagram. The success of social media depends on engaging – and not annoying – your user community.

X

  • X is used to share news, promote other OWU accounts, interact with your audience, and foster conversation.
  • Any X account should incorporate a short bio, daily (or nearly daily) updates, and active links. Tweets should point back to other content whenever possible to foster even more engagement.
  • Tweets cannot exceed 280 characters.
  • It is acceptable to use abbreviations such as ampersands or numerals.
  • When you reply to a Tweet, only you, the recipient, and mutual followers will see the reply. If you would like all of your followers to see the reply, use an unassuming character, such as a period (i.e., .@ohiowesleyan).
  • Always search a hashtag before including it in a Tweet, as it could already be used for something you do not want to be associated with Ohio Wesleyan and/or your particular account. (Such as DiGiorno Pizza’s use of #WhyIStayed – a hashtag used by victims of domestic abuse but unknowingly used by DiGiorno’s to promote its frozen food.)
  • Read X’s basics on how to use X.
  • Read X’s detailed strategy information.

LinkedIn

  • LinkedIn is used to connect with alumni and current students interested in sharing accomplishments and industry-specific news.
  • Individuals use LinkedIn to build their professional background and resumes online.
  • Used mostly for recruiting efforts, LinkedIn is most effective in helping to establish thought leadership and share accomplishment stories of faculty, staff, students, and alumni.