Social Media Best Practices
At Coastal Carolina University, we are committed to providing you with the best social media experience possible, whether you are a student, staff/faculty member, parent, alumnus, or simply a fan of the University. One way we can provide this experience is through continued social media education and advice.
Here are our top tips on how to improve your social media presence and ensure you meet your goals.
#1: Keep up with the trends
Social media trends, topics, and even platforms change daily. We encourage you to do your research and stay on top of popular trends and new features. Continue to ask yourself how these concepts may improve our brand and reach our desired audiences.
#2: Think about your target audience
Social media has grown so much in the past decade that each platform now consists of different users and content styles. When creating and distributing content, it is important to keep your target audience in mind to receive the desired results. Ask yourself:
- What is my goal?
- Who is my target audience for this goal?
- Where/how can I best reach my audience?
#3: Diversify your content across platforms
Social media goes beyond Facebook. Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube have all made a huge impact. If you have a presence on multiple platforms, think about the content creation and distribution on each of these separately. You want followers on all your accounts, not just one, so make sure to post different messages, graphics, and photos to ensure each of your platforms is unique.
#4: Utilize your resources
The best part about working at a university is that there are multiple resources to help you plan, create, and distribute your social media content. University Marketing and Communication is here to help with photography, video production, creative services, print services, website, media communication, and more. Please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help tell the CCU story.
#5: Proofread to prevent errors
As a university, it is imperative that we continue to brand and display our institution with the highest standards. When making posts on social media, please ensure that all language, spelling, and grammar is correct before publishing or scheduling. Keep in mind that Twitter does not let you edit or update content once published.
#6: Utilize Stories feature to reach audiences quickly
A feature that has become widely popular for Instagram and Facebook users is Stories. Similar to Snapchat, Stories feature photos or videos posted to your platform that will expire after 24 hours. Stories have now made their way to the top of both the Facebook and Instagram platforms, with the intent to capture user attention first. Therefore, Stories are the best strategy to reach your audience quickly. Stories are a great feature to take advantage of if the content you are pushing is something that will expire, such as a one-time event. This is the best route for immediate action from your audience.
#7: Create interactive content
The best content is content to which your audience can relate and respond. Interaction is a way to increase engagement across all platforms. Among the best ways to do this include asking questions and creating polls.