Best Practices on Social Media

Engage your community. Don’t forget to be social on social media! Establish a regular routine for monitoring and responding to comments and messages from your followers. Do not hesitate to email socialmedia@kennesaw.edu if you are unsure whether or how to respond to a social media comment or message.

Think before you post. Your social media posts should be relevant, add value, and foster a sense of community. Anything that is considered inappropriate offline is likely inappropriate online, too.

Tag it. Tag other University accounts or use a branded hashtag to amplify your message. Hashtags recognized by the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing include: #FindYourWings, #KennesawState, #GoKSUOwls and #HootyHoo.

Proofread. Kennesaw State University is an institution of higher learning. Mistakes happen, but correct them as quickly as possible.

Include a visual. Posts with photos, videos or graphics receive more engagement, but be sure to follow our brand guidelines when creating and posting content.

Amplify emergency communications. It is important for all of KSU’s social channels to work in unison to amplify emergency communications. During inclement weather or a campus crisis, please share only those messages coming from KSU’s main social media accounts or the Office of Emergency Management (@ksuoem).

Track your data. Document and review follower growth, post impressions and engagement data on a regular basis to optimize your social media content over time.

Stay informed. Stay informed. Social media technologies and tools are changing every day. Stay on top of these trends so that you can use each platform to its full potential. All social media administrators as well as those interested in managing a social media presence are invited to join KSU’s Social Media Community Teams chat. To join, email socialmedia@kennesaw.edu.

Obtain permission. If your photos or videos will be used for a paid marketing or advertisement campaign, you should obtain written permission from the subjects. If your photos or videos will be posted on social media platforms in an editorial or informational capacity, you may not need a signed waiver. Below are some guidelines:

• A waiver is typically not required for candid photos/videos in public spaces (e.g., outside, in the student center, at a sporting event) where specific people are not the main focus and are not identified in the caption.
  
  
• If students are the focus of the photo/video, obtain a verbal agreement. Explain who you are and that you are taking photos/videos for a social media post.

For any questions or concerns, please email socialmedia@kennesaw.edu