Social Media
Social media helps us share ideas and events and talk to people all over the world. It gives you new opportunities to connect with current and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and friends. With fewer barriers to sharing comes a need to know exactly what to share, with whom and where.
We all play a part in how FSU tells its story
We all have the chance to be ambassadors for FSU every time we communicate online. We've developed a variety of resources to help you use social media to communicate and market FSU departments, programs and divisions online.
You have very few chances to make a first impression, so make sure your audience isn't disappointed.
By creating a social media account, you're inviting viewers to get to know you better with the hope that they want to be part of your program or event.
Before you begin
- All social media accounts must be registered with the Office of Marketing and Communications.
- All accounts must have two admins; students are NOT allowed to be admins of any accounts.
- Try to use the name "Frostburg" in your account name (there are many FSU's).
- Make sure your website is up-to-date
- Check links
- Review contact information
- Review information
- Think about your menus. Do they help users find what they need?
Creating Social Media Posts
Our media-driven world is filled with content. Follow these guidelines so your social media isn't viewed as "junk mail" on users' newsfeeds.
- Use everyday language. Social media isn't a conference presentation. It's casual. Use language that everyone can understand.
- Drive users to your website with links to newsfeeds, pages, etc.
- Be inclusive of all users making sure to follow federal ADA guidelines for accessibility.
- Limit text on images
- Include descriptive text called "alt text" for images
- Put as much info in the post as possible rather than in an image which can't be read by assistive devices
- The main FSU accounts can only share posts that meet ADA guidelines
- Keep it coming. Create weekly posts.
- Follow your competitors and observe when/why they get attention from users.
- Show users how your program/event is different than your competitors.
Social Media Marketing
Create information that attracts attention so that others talk about you on their own social networks (shares, retweets, etc.). When a third party brags about your programs, people trust it more than when you talk about yourself.
Create relationships with third parties and share their posts if they are relevant to your audience. In turn, they will hopefully share your posts increasing your reach to their followers.