Facebook is the largest social networking site in the world with over 1.2 billion members. This social networking site lets friends and family stay connected and discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.
Audience focus
Primary audience: Alumni, parents, regional community
Secondary audience one: Current and incoming SDSU students
Secondary audience two: Prospective undergraduate high school juniors and seniors
Tone: Inform students and alumni about everything notable going on campus. Share videos about news and upcoming events.
Language: Informative, punctual, proper.
Purpose: Inform both current and past students about everything SDSU. Share news stories about campus, students and alumni. Share posts from other SDSU pages. Add events that everyone can attend.
Resources
- Creating a Facebook Account
- Creating a Facebook Page
- Managing a Page: Facebook Page Insights
- Growing Your Audience
Naming
Google's search engine is designed to pull up sites based on keyword relevance. Acceptable naming conventions include:
- South Dakota State University
- South Dakota State
When using these conventions, they should be followed with a dash and more specific information about the area. For example:
- South Dakota State University – College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
- South Dakota State University – Admissions
- South Dakota State University – Dairy Science
- South Dakota State University – Office of Research
Create a specific URL for the Facebook page to increase searchability. Consider including South Dakota State and then the specific entity information in the name. No underscores, numbers or periods should be used.
Twitter has over 328 million registered users that let users send short text messages called tweets. You are limited to 140 characters per tweet in this social networking, microblogging type platform.
Audience focus
Primary audience: Current and incoming SDSU students
Secondary audience one: Recent alumni
Secondary audience two: Regional community
Secondary audience three: Media
Secondary audience four: Prospective undergraduate high school juniors and seniors
Tone: Inform current students about current events happening on campus.
Language: Conversational
Purpose: Be the first to post about any events or current campus happenings and respond to student questions. Inform students about things they need to know. Make connections with any topical or current events. Reply to questions.
Resources
Examples of the types of content to post on Facebook and Twitter include:
- Sharing links to relevant industry-related articles
- Promoting events
- Job postings
- Honoring students for academic achievements
- Internship opportunities
- Photos and videos of events and student work
- Sharing scholarship opportunities
Naming
Twitter usernames must be fewer than 15 characters. Twitter does not allow spaces between words, which makes capitalization more important. Names should also focus on searchability, as Google and Twitter both have an in-house search engine that is designed to pull up sites based on keyword relevance. Twitter-acceptable naming conventions include:
- SDState
- SDSU
When using these conventions, they should be immediately followed with information about the specific area. It's preferred that "SDState" and "SDSU" be capitalized, and the first word of the additional information should be capitalized as well, unless an initialism or acronym is used to describe a department or college. It is then recommended that "SDState" be used prior to the initialism or acronym.
For example:
- @SDSUPharmacy
- @SDStateCAFES
- @SDStateEngineering
- @SDStateEHS
Each Twitter site has a URL automatically created for the account.
Instagram has around 600 million members. Instagram is a social networking site that allows you to share a series of pictures from your mobile phone. You can use filers to enhance your photo as well as take short videos. Examples of the types of content to post on Instagram include:
- Fun photos, videos and messages to engage students
- Industry-related trivia photos
- Throwback photos
- Photos honoring students' achievements
Audience focus
Primary audience: Current and incoming SDSU students
Secondary audience one: Prospective undergraduate high school juniors and seniors
Secondary audience two: Alumni
Tone: Highlight campus and students.
Language: Conversational, with the use of hashtags
Purpose: Share beautiful photos and videos of campus and students. Share photos and videos of campus landmarks. Share informative photos and videos about promotions going on.
Resources
- Creating an Instagram Account & Username
- Getting Started with Instagram
- Hashtag Best Practices
- Instagram for Business
NOTE: Instagram is developed mainly for use on mobile devices such as a tablet or smartphone. It is in your best interest to ensure you have access to a mobile device for uploading and monitoring your Instagram account.
Naming
Selecting an Instagram username should reflect your organization and how people will search for your organization. Instagram acceptable naming conventions include:
- SDState
- SDSU
When using these conventions, they should be followed by a very short name specific to your area. For example:
- SDStateAg
- SDStatePAC
- SDSUBio
- SDSUPharm
Each Instagram user has a URL automatically created for the account.
Snapchat
Snapchat currently has over 150 million active users and growing. Snapchat is a photo messaging mobile application that lets users take photos, videos and add text and drawings. Each snap is limited to a length of 1 to 10 seconds in which after it has been viewed it is erased. Examples of uses of Snapchat include:
- Quick reminders
- Fun ways to engage students with photos and videos
Audience focus
Primary audience: Current SDSU on campus students
Secondary audience one: Prospective undergraduate high school juniors and seniors
Tone: Fun and creative photo/video series
Language: Conversational, with the use of emojis
Purpose: Keep students entertained and wanting to come back for more. Share reoccurring video series. Record campus events. Capture candid moments.
Resources
LinkedIn is a professional social networking site with more than 250 million members. Through LinkedIn, professionals can search for careers, resources, people, news, and other pieces of information to help them become more productive and successful. Examples of the types of content to post on LinkedIn include:
- Job postings
- Links to relevant industry-related articles
- Departmental information specific to either current students and alumni
Resources
YouTube
YouTube has around 1 billion users with over 4 billion views per day. YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators. Examples of videos to post on YouTube include:
- Speaker events
- Student profiles
- Research
- Interviews
Resources
Flickr
Flickr has 92 million members. Flickr is an image and video hosting website. You can share photos and embed them in blogs and social media by using a central database for all of your photos and videos. Examples of photos to post on Flickr include:
- Photos from various events
- Classroom photos
- Photos of students working in their field
Resources
Pinterest has 70 million members. Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that people use to collect ideas for their different projects and interests. People create and share collections (called "boards") of visual bookmarks (called "Pins") that they use to do things like plan trips and projects, organize events or save articles and recipes. Examples of the types of content to post on Pinterest include:
- Images of campus
- Recipes for college students
- Achievements
- Study abroad destinations
Resources
Tumblr
Tumblr has more than 109 million active blogs. Tumblr is a microblogging platform and social networking website that allows users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. Users can follow other users' blogs, as well as make their blogs private. Examples of the types blogs to have on Tumblr include:
- Getting hired advice;
- What classes to take; and
- Recommendations for students.
Google+
Google+ is the second-largest social networking site after Facebook with over 540 million monthly active users. Google+ is a social networking and identity service that is also an authorship tool that associates web-content directly with its owner/author. It keeps people connected with social groups as well as the other services that Google provides. Examples of uses of Google+ include:
- Create circles to stay connected with students and various groups
- Use Hangouts to hold meetings, chat and host small lectures