Tips and Best Practices
Strategy
A good strategy is important to the success and lifespan of the social media platform you create. What are you trying to do? Who are you trying to reach? What types of items will be posted? Who will maintain it? Who will be the secondary maintainer? What would the measure of success be?
Which platforms are right for you? 1, 2, 3 [UPDATED 2021]
| Platform | Purpose | Rough Age Range | Optimal Posting Habits | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short thoughts, discussions, news, or events | 18-29 | 2-5 per day | Limited Characters | |
| Relationship driven place for News, Discussions, events | 25-54 | 1 per day | Limited Reach | |
| Youtube | Videos | All | 1-2 week | Resource Intensive |
| Images & video | 18-29 | 1-2 day | Images Only | |
| Instagram Story | Images & video; temporary (24 hrs) | 18-34? | 1 per day / week | Images Only |
| Business/Partnership building | 30-49 | 1 per day / week | Limited Interactions |
Scheduling
HootSuite (free version)
(Or available thru ECOM) HootSuite allows you to connect multiple social media platforms and schedule posts at certain times. Only way to schedule LinkedIn, but doesn't allow tagging of accounts when scheduling.
TweetDeck
(Free if you have a Twitter account) Specifically for Twitter, this platform allows you to schedule tweets to go out at optimal times.
Facebook/Instagram Creator Studio
In Facebook - Specifically for Facebook and Instagram, this platform allows you to schedule Facebook and Instagram to go out at optimal times.
Later.com [NEW]
Experimenting now, lets you schedule and edit drafts.
(Some) Best Practices
- Always crop your photos specifically for your platform. (See Photo Sizes for Social Media - revised draft.)
- Write engaging copy using active tense verbs - not academic verbiage! For Twitter, space counts, so think of writing your copy similarly to how you'd write a headline - grab audience's attention, use active verbs, put the main facts in but don't overdo it.
- Limit hashtags so your posts don't look cluttered.
- Create a bit.ly for each link to shorten your copy, and use that bit.ly for one specific story/post across all your platforms. Engineering Communications has a free account you may use: https://app.bitly.com/
- Tag relevant units - faculty, schools, collaborators, funders, and associated Purdue units.
- In Twitter's limited character count (280 per Tweet), don't waste time on tags - attach them to the image instead (limit 10 per Tweet).
- Proofread, proofread, proofread before posting! You can edit LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram posts after publishing, but it's not a good idea. Instagram's algorithm actually can count that against you and make your post appear less. You can't edit a Twitter post, so you'd have to delete, revise and retweet it.
- Check your posts after posting - for accuracy, to check the photo, to "like" it, to see how engagement is growing, and to respond to comments as necessary.
- Keep track of your analytics monthly, review them yearly, and make editorial and strategy decisions based on them. Learn from how your social media is working.
Other helpful info:
19 Social Media Marketing Myths to Leave Behind in 2021
75 Essential Social Media Marketing Statistics for 2021
Best times to post on LinkedIn
How the Facebook Algorithm Works in 2021 and How to Make it Work for You
23 Strategies to Increase Your Twitter Engagement
How the Twitter Timeline Works (and 6 Simple Tactics to Increase Your Reach)
26 Twitter tips for beginners that you’ll wish you knew sooner
18 Twitter Marketing Tips That Actually Work 2021
How Do Instagram Algorithms Work in 2021?
How the Instagram Algorithm Works in 2021: Everything You Need to Know
YouTube Marketing A Complete Guide to Creating, Promoting, and Optimizing Your Video Content
Reporting
Download HubSpot's Monthly Marketing Reporting Template (Excel)
Social Media Audit
Periodically you should do a social media audit to detail your organization's social media usage and see what's working well or not. Try using Sprout Social's Social Media Audit Template
Follow the Pros: Learn, Learn, Learn!
HubSpot, Sprout Social, Buffer and other communications businesses offer social media management tools. Sign up for emails for free articles and/or follow them on social media to learn updated expert tips.
Crisis Communications
Crisis Communication should, first and foremost, not exceed or overcome the crisis communication of the University or College as a whole. Be aware that during a crisis, any public post or comment could be seen as a press release or an official statement from the University.
Also be sure that all scheduled posts during a time of crisis are respectful and appropriate to the situation.
Comment Policy
Open discussions and comments on social media posts are encouraged. However, all comments should maintain basic respectability. We reserve the right to remove / block comments/commenters based on inappropriate content. Inappropriate content is defined by, but not limited too:
- Discrimination against a sex, race, religion, etc.
- Profanity or obscenity
- Promotion or suggestion of illegal activity
- Spam or Solicitations
1 Choosing the right social media platform [infographic]
2 How Often To Post On Social Media: 2021 Success Guide
3 100 Social Media Statistics You Must Know In 2021 [+Infographic]