Guide for Social Media Managers

Platform Evaluation: Each college, school and unit should assess which social media channels are appropriate for their communication needs and goals. Remember that each account is an extension of the University of San Diego and should be managed thoughtfully and purposefully.

Find Your Audience: Social media content is not a one size fits all approach. Your content will be determined by your target audience. For example, “students” may be too broad of a category. Try to focus on your goals and define your audience based on the most important groups you hope to reach.

Voice and Tone: Voice and tone are essential elements of your department’s brand. Voice ensures a consistent writing style, making your content recognizable and distinctive. Tone, however, adapts based on the specific content and context.

• Voice
  Your department's voice can be defined by its personality, rhythm and vocabulary:
  Personality: How your department's communication is perceived (e.g., straightforward, personal, witty).
  Rhythm: The flow of your content (e.g., short and sharp, slow and musical).
  Vocabulary: The choice of words to convey your message (e.g., simple, elaborate, poetic).
• Tone
  Tone should be tailored to the content, but always maintain politeness and respect. When determining the appropriate tone for a piece of content, consider your audience's current feelings and how you want to influence those feelings. For instance, a frustrated or angry audience may not appreciate humor and would be better addressed with a serious tone.
• University of San Diego Tone and Voice Example
  Personality: Warm, inclusive, and supportive. We aim to come across as approachable, caring, and knowledgeable.
  Rhythm: Balanced and engaging. Our content should read smoothly, with a natural flow that keeps the reader interested and informed.
  Vocabulary: Clear, concise, and impactful. We use language that is easy to understand while being thoughtful and evocative.

Consistency: Avoid gaps in the frequency of your posts by sticking to a schedule. Define the minimum and maximum posts per platform per day or week. Use visuals that align with the University of San Diego’s visual brand guidelines.

Engagement: Connect with your audience and maintain your presence across your social media channels by:

• Liking, replying, reposting;
• Tagging/collaborating with relevant departments, people;
• Use location tagging for increased visibility;
• Share content from other departments across campus that may be relevant to your audience;
• Follow up with users who have questions or expressed concerns to connect them with answers and/or additional resource;s
• Ignore inflammatory/profane comments that cannot be addressed or have no connection to the university.

To reiterate: Share negative feedback to appropriate supervisors/managers. Profanity, threats of any kind, self-harm, etc. MUST be reported to a supervisor/manager, and escalated to the Department of Public Safety or the appropriate authorities if warranted.

Measurement: Continuously monitor analytics to ensure the success of your social media channels. Define measurable goals and objectives based on these analytics.

Collaboration and Influencer Identification: Collaborate with other units to create content that resonates with your audiences. Identify key influencers (students, staff, etc.) who can connect with your audience and share valuable information. Social media managers must approve any content created by a student or outside university partner prior to posting on social media to ensure the content aligns with USD brand guidelines.

New Platform Consideration: Before launching a new social media platform, ensure it aligns with your unit’s overall communication plan and strategy. Obtain approval from your supervisor/manager prior to posting content. Designate a social media manager within the unit to oversee and manage the platform, and ensure that at least one USD employee has complete access to any accounts that are maintained by students. All new accounts must submit an application to the Digital Communications Coordinator via socialmedia@sandiego.edu.

Official Status and Branding: Social media sites representing the University of San Diego should be marked official, for example, in an Instagram bio or Facebook “About” section. Always adhere to the university’s brand and visual guidelines. Provide correct website URLs linking back to the university’s web pages and correct email addresses for contact where applicable.

Again, before starting any new social media accounts, confirm that you have someone on your team who is able to manage your department’s social media presence 24/7, 365 days a year.

This person must have the capacity to:

• Respond to crises 24/7
• Regularly monitor social media on weekdays, weekends, evenings AND holidays
• Have a backup person for when the typical social media manager is out of office
• Have content created by students approved by a supervisor/manager prior to posting

Security and Privacy: Prioritize security and privacy on all USD-managed social media channels. Limit the number of administrative publishers on each account and establish rules for managing login credentials. Do not share your social media platform credentials around the workplace. Students should NEVER have social media applications for USD official use on their phones.

Endorsements: USD-managed social media sites should not endorse other brands, businesses, or products without appropriate approval from Digital Communications.

New Accounts: All new accounts must submit an application to the Digital Communications Coordinator via socialmedia@sandiego.edu.