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Best practices and guidelines

Now that you have established your channels, check out some of the best practices for posting your messages on social media.

  • Twitter
    • A micro-blogging platform limited to 280 characters that offers short bursts of information.
    • A great research tool that provides a way to connect with influencers, find breaking news and extend customer service.
    • Excellent event asset as live tweeting can be done at meetings/conferences/events.
    • Posts must be kept short and convey the university’s brand and tone to engage with followers.
    • Try to use images and multimedia wherever you can:
      • Images appear in a 2:1 ratio on the platform. This means the minimum instream size will be 440 x 220 pixels, but can expand up to 1024 x 512 pixels.
      • Try to avoid vertical or square shots, as you can lose a great deal of the detail from your image when it appears in the stream.
      • Upload video in the stream for better engagement.
      • Use GIFs where appropriate.
    • Use hashtags (the pound or number sign prior to a word or group of words that turns it them into a searchable link, allowing you to organize content, reach a specific audience and track discussion topics based on those keywords) in your posts. Don’t go overboard; instead, consider your audience and choose one or two to three hashtags that are relevant to your content. For example, location-based hashtags can be beneficial to reach a local audience (e.g. #Oshawa, #DurhamRegion, etc.).
    • Tweet often, and keep your account up-to-date and the conversation going. 
  • Facebook
    • Facebook users want to connect with content from friends and family and be 'in the know' about current events.
    • Page posts should be lifestyle-friendly, engaging and designed to entertain and educate.
    • Post one to two times per day with three hours between posts.
    • Start your posts with questions like 'what' or 'would' as these types of posts encourage responses and perform 40 per cent better than posts based on statements.
    • Use images and videos in posts as they receive up to 40 per cent higher engagement.
      • The optimal image size is 1,200 x 630 pixels.
    • Be aware that Facebook has an algorithm that highly favours engagement (likes, etc.); videos uploaded organically (not through YouTube and then shared, but directly on Facebook); new content/breaking news; tagging other brands; and length of time people look at posts.
    • Hashtags are not necessary on this platform but can be used to reinforce campaigns on other channels.
    • Consider creating and posting Facebook Live videos at events or for Q&A sessions.
    • Facebook also gives you the opportunity to create groups associated with your page, which is a great way to encourage discussions and interactions with your students and alumni.  
      • This will increase awareness and denote a group's official status.
  • Instagram
    • Instagram is a mobile app for sharing and finding visual content. Posts include photos and short videos, use filters and effects to further stylize them, and publish directly to Instagram or to other social media sites.
      • Photos are usually square (1080 x 1080 pixels), but you do have the option to post their original size (they will be cropped on your profile page to square).
      • Carousel option available to post up to 10 images/videos in one post.
      • Videos can be no more than 60 seconds in length
    • Instagram stories are a series of 15-second videos and/or photos posted by a user available for only 24 hours.
      • Videos and photos are vertical orientation.
      • You can add text, icons, drawings, polls and questions to them.
      • Visuals posted to an Instagram story appear at the top of a user’s main screen and on the icon on a user’s profile.
      • Be mindful in scheduling these posts as they do live for 24 hours. It could overlap on other campaigns if there isn't enough space.
      • Try to keep panels of a story under 20.
      • Swipe ups and calls to action are limited to verified accounts or those with follower counts over 10,000.
    • Instagram also has IGTV, an integrated platform for longer-format videos.
      • Uses vertical orientation videos.
      • Videos can be up to an hour long.
      • Includes swipe ups and calls to action.
    • Be active. Try to post daily.
    • Use stories to drive engagement to your page, and include posts to drive traffic to your stories.
    • Focus on quality over quantity. Take the time to do it right, or don’t post at all. It’s better to post fewer high-quality visuals than many not-so-great ones.
      • Make sure your images are authentic and not stock photos.
      • Use engaging photos and try to refrain from text-heavy images.
    • Be brief. Keep your captions to 125 characters or less to avoid being truncated.
    • Use #hashtags.
  • LinkedIn
    • LinkedIn groups are a great way to keep in touch and host conversations based on interest or affiliation.
    • In creating your group:
      • Clearly state its purpose in the summary and description.
      • Reference to the university in your group name and description so we can track and share it on the university’s official page.
      • Provide some ground rules for the group about the appropriate type of content.
    • Post two to three times a week and create engaging conversation by asking open-ended questions, sharing timely and relevant content, and asking members for updates and feedback.
    • Ensure you keep on top of member requests and moderation of content to maintain its professional nature.
    • Highlight important conversations by featuring them.
    • Close announcements and mark questions as answered.
  • Other channels
    Please contact Communications and Marketing for details on creating and maintaining Snapchat and YouTube channels.