The guidelines on this page are intended for administrators of university-affiliated social media accounts. For any questions, please contact Mary Leufstedt, Staff Associate of Web & Digital Communications, at mleufstedt@worcester.edu.
It is expected for the account manager to maintain the security of their account and follow best practices to avoid individuals hacking into accounts. Passwords and login information should only be shared with trusted sources. If sharing login information with an outside party for something such as a “social media takeover,” change the password immediately afterwards.
When setting up an account on behalf of your department or organization, create it with a shared departmental worcester.edu address and add yourself as an administrator (if applicable). If your department does not currently have a shared departmental email, requests for creation can be made through Information Technology.
Platforms which enable administrator positions:
Platforms which utilize shared logins:
All accounts should utilize two-factor verification when available. When enabling two-factor verification, choose your phone number wisely. If possible, provide a departmental phone number or a Google voice number.
If account security has been compromised, contact the university IT department immediately.
The content you publish on your university-affiliated account should be high quality and strategic to your goals, as well as the goals of the University as a whole. Types of content can include images, videos, contests, student-takeovers, polls and other interactive and engaging experiences.
Content that should not be posted includes any images, graphics, videos or text that:
Content should be uploaded to social platforms regularly. When planning your content, keep in mind the following best practices:
Posting quality content that is valuable to your audience is more important than simply meeting a posting quota. However, if you cannot post new content regularly, consider consolidating or deactivating your accounts, as unmonitored accounts are vulnerable to hackers who may post fraudulent content or access information.
Content Calendar:
The best way to manage your content is by using a social media content calendar. This tool helps you track all posts for the week, month, or year and allows you to plan a good mix of topics and streamline your process. For more information on developing a content calendar, including templates, visit our article, “How to Create a Social Media Content Calendar.”
Working with current students, alumni, faculty, and staff to create and publish content allows for the greatest authenticity and engagement with the Worcester State experience. Prospective students appreciate the genuineness of content coming from real people and experiences, while current students and alumni enjoy engaging with familiar content and experiences.
When sharing official university business, reach out to the Communications and Marketing Office for guidance. This will eliminate inconsistent messaging and unnecessary confusion. When sharing official news/updates, consider re-sharing posts from the official university social media account. Do not share sensitive or critical information, for example, school closings, until the Communications and Marketing Office has already posted it on official accounts.
Departments, offices, and/or organizations may also choose to collaborate together when working on shared events and initiatives. Creating unified visuals and messaging will enhance the user experience and strengthen your message. You may utilize social media features like Instagram collaborations and re-sharing posts as a tactic for this.
When collaborating, we encourage you to use shared design and word documents so individuals can most effectively collaborate. If you need ideas on how best to collaborate on an event/initiative, please contact Mary Leufstedt, Staff Associate of Web & Digital Communications, at mleufstedt@worcester.edu.
Messaging:
When crafting captions and messages for social media, always maintain a friendly and professional tone. Remember, you represent Worcester State University in all your correspondences on university-affiliated accounts. For details on how to respond to negative comments, visit our social media best practices. To learn more about writing effective captions, check out our article, “How to Write Captivating Social Media Captions.”
Ensuring your social media posts are accessible is highly important. Make sure to consider the following when composing posts and comments:
The marketing department manages a digital archive of campus photographs. If you are looking for a specific image or would like to search through available images, please reach out to marketing@worcester.edu. Use of any photo/video pulled from an internet search or copied from another source is prohibited unless it is marked as free use/public domain. Some images may require crediting the photographer, so always check the distribution guidelines set by the source. Posting images/videos from online sources that are not free to use can result in a copyright violation.
When possible, it is best to use images from Worcester State’s image library. If stock imagery must be used, there are many sites with a library of images that are free to use; these include Unsplash, Canva, Pexels, as well as others. When looking for music, YouTube and Canva have libraries of free music.
When taking photos/videos of individuals, consent is required. If hosting a public event, a clearly marked crowd photography notice should be posted in a visible spot. The notice should read, “Notice of Photography: Entry into the event constitutes implied consent to be photographed and for these photographs to be published by Worcester State University in promotional materials.” If participants indicate that they do not wish to have their photo taken and distributed, honor their request by working around them.
If taking photos outside of a public event, photo consent releases must be signed by everyone in the photo(s). Release forms can be found on MyWooState or can be requested from the marketing department.
Social media platforms should be monitored at all times and should never go without an active administrator/manager.
If the owner of a social media account is leaving the university or will no longer be responsible for an account, a new administrator should be identified immediately. Ownership should be transferred to that individual and any administrative access the former employee had should be removed. For platforms that enable administrator access (LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube), this required removing their profile as an administrator. Platforms that utilize shared logins (Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and X) require a change of password.
