A tweet should be action oriented, engaging and detailed without going over the character limit. This is more art than science, so look at some popular Twitter handles and see what they do to make their tweets stand out.
Post consistently.
Always include a clear call to action and link for more information if space allows.
Give context to every tweet, assume this is the first time someone is seeing you tweet about an event or story. If you’re tweeting about an event, include a hashtag and link to the time, date and location.
Use hashtags when appropriate. These should be relevant topics of interest. Start new hashtags only if you have thought through a strategy for use, and if you have checked to make sure they have not been used widely for something that would reflect poorly on the University. Avoid putting years in a hashtag for a recurring event: #WFUGrad vs #WFUGrad17. Try to include #WFU if your tweet concerns the University.
Tag handles (other accounts, i.e. @WakeForest) when appropriate. You can tag a photo in your tweet with up to 10 handles.
Tweets with links are more likely to be retweeted. Consider creating a bitly.com account to shorten links, which allows you to track how many clicks your links get.
Tweets with images are more likely to be clicked on & retweeted. Add appropriate images or a video when available.
There are always special circumstances when it comes to frequency of posts. Below is a general guideline to follow when posting on Twitter:
One topic: once a day every other day
Maximum amount of posts on a particular day: 10-50 posts a day
Retweet, Reply and Like tweets from other related WFU accounts and campus organizations to get more engagement. Create a community!
Re-share evergreen posts (tweets that are not time-sensitive) every 10 days
Re-share the best or most important tweets over the weekend. You can preface a recycled tweet with ICYMI: (in case you missed it)
When tweeting about a story or event more than once, try to change the wording so that it doesn’t look repetitive.
Check your account’s analytics at analytics.twitter.com on a regular basis to see what works and what doesn’t.
Use an app like Hootsuite (free), Buffer (free) or Sprout Social to schedule tweets in advance.
Cross promote your social media accounts. For example, tweet a reminder to follow your account on Instagram.
Instagram
Create an Instagram account if you only if feel you have the energy & content to sustain it and post consistently.
Fill out your profile information and keep it current. Be sure to include a link to your website.
Post the highest quality photo available. If the photo is low quality, do not use it. You can email or text yourself photos and graphics you create on your computer. Just download them to your camera roll and upload to Instagram.
Links in the caption / description of an Instagram post will not be clickable. If you have a link, put it in your bio and let people know they can click the link in your bio for more information.
Use 1-5 relevant hashtags. #WFU is the primary hashtag for the University. Be sure to check any hashtag before using it to make sure any associated photos will reflect positively on your account and the University. Be consistent with that hashtags you use.
Keep captions short and snappy.
Use emojis (sparingly) if it suits the tone of your post.
Add a location to your posts.
Frequency: there are special circumstances and events, but you should generally post most no more than once per day. Stay consistent. Use Instagram stories if you are posting live from an event.
Regrams are wonderful ways to engage with your audience. Try to limit regramming to one post per week.
Go behind the scenes, but remember to protect privacy and confidentiality.
Keep a balance of different types of original photos mingled with your promotional images.
Facebook
Give context to every post, assume this is the first time someone is seeing you post about an event or story.
Keep the description character limit to 100-400 characters. It can be longer, but you run the risk of the message being truncated with a “More” link added to read the rest of the message.
When posting photos from an event, post them promptly, ideally within 24 hours.
Create Facebook events if your group is the organizer or sponsor of the campus event. Invite your network and encourage others to do the same.
To get more comments and engagement, add a question or ask people to share their impressions, memories or experiences.
When sharing something more than once, try to change how it is presented (description, image, title, caption) so that it doesn’t look repetitive.
Re-share evergreen posts every 1-3 months
Monitor comments on your posts. Delete spam or abusive comments quickly.
Answer questions asked in messages or comments promptly, or refer them to someone who can answer.
Click the arrow next to Publish to schedule your post for a later date and time.
Monitor your page’s Insights to figure out what the optimal time of day is to post and to see how your audience is engaging with your posts. https://www.facebook.com/yourpagename/insights/
