One year ago I posted, "10 Social Media Best Practices in Higher Education" which has proven to be one of my most popular posts. This is not surprising, as many of my campus speaking engagements include covering such topics. This top 10 list includes: Implement a Social Media Strategy Produce Quality & Accurate Content Manage Platforms with Social Media Managers and Student Leaders Use an Authentic and Transparent Voice Represent the University/Division/Department Brand and University Resources Collaborate and Support other University Social Media Pages Respect Your Community Dive into Data Empower Influencers and Engage Audience Get Internal Buy-In Social media exists in the gray, so even these best practices could be scrutinized. Whatever your perspective, higher education needs more tools to aid in strategy development, especially since social media platforms change constantly.

2. By Josie Ahlquist
www.josieahlquist.com
@josieahlquist

3. Social Media Guidance For:
Universities, Colleges, Departments, Courses,
Programs & Staff/Faculty Professional Usage

4. Ten #SoMe Best Practices in #HigherEd
• Implement a Social Media Strategy
• Produce Quality & Accurate Content
• Use an Authentic & Transparent Voice
• Manage Platforms with Social Media Managers & Students
• Represent the University Brand & Campus Resources
• Collaborate & Support University Social Media Pages
• Empower Influencers and Engage Audience
• Respect Your Community
• Get Internal Buy-In
• Dive into Data

5. As you read
o Keep in mind your institution,
campus position & career goals.
o What practices are in place?
o Strengths & weaknesses?
o How does social media align
with your institution mission,
learning outcomes and/or
strategic plan?
o Who holds the power to
implement practices?
o How does social media relate to
your position responsibilities?
o Who else at your campus can
you rally around these best
practices?

6. Caution: Content Ahead
Due to teaching this content only through slides,
visuals are more text heavy than my typical presentations.

7. Ready? Let’s Roll!

8. #1
Implement a Social Media Strategy
Social media activity
without a strategy is just
busy work

9. Begin by Asking:
• What are your goals for using social media tools?
• Know your audience; who are you trying to reach?
• How much time can you commit to manage
platforms?
• Can you produce quality over quantity?
• Who on your campus can you collaborate with that
already has an established social media presence?
• Do we really need to be on (fill in the blank) social
media platform?

10. Produce Quality & Accurate Content
1. Be frequent, but not too frequent.
2. Bring value. Ask yourself, what
can users receive from your site
they can’t get anywhere else?
3. Do your research. Be knowledgeable
about what you put out.
4. Be responsible. Have awareness of
the consequences of actions online.
5. Be accurate. Mistakes happen, so if
you make an error, correct it quickly
and visibly. This will earn you respect
in the online community.
6. Think twice about everything you
post. Use your colleagues, students
and supervisors as your source for
feedback when in question.
#Two

11. Whatever social media
method(s) you choose,
Do it well & do it often.
Even if this is having
only ONE platform.
www.josieahlquist.com

12. Use an Authentic & Transparent Voice
#3

13. Find your
voice
Consider your voice online and how it
reflects your already established
campus identity. Are you clever,
compassionate, inspirational, silly,
straightforward?
Engage &
Interact
Engagement and interaction is more
important than the number of subscribers,
followers or fans. Communication cues
such as likes, comments, RT, shares and
mentions are stronger than total
community members.
Be REAL Social Media needs to
be authentic. Especially if your target is
students, this audience can tell when posts
are automated or not personal. No robots
allowed.

14. Be clear &
own your
content
Don’t promote something that you
personally or the university wouldn’t
endorse.
Build an
interactive
online
community
For example, Facebook pages should
be kept open so dialogue with your
community can be two-way.
Responding
to negative
comments
Having thoughtful discussions on
important topics is a great to way to
build your community and is a very
important aspect of having a successful
social media site.

15. Seeking Help:
Social Media Control Issues
Accept the following:
1. People will post negatively about
your campus.
1. Do not delete negative comments.
1. You do not have complete control
of the message/brand online.
1. Get ahead of the ‘news’ by paying
attention and ‘listening’ online.
1. Be so active on social media that
your community will correct
negative/misinformation.

16. Social Media Best Practices in
Higher Education
Invest in &
empower
social media staff,
both professionals
and students.

17. Invest in & empower social media staff,
both professionals and students.
• At minimum, assign at least one administrator who can
regularly monitor postings and update content.
• Regular, consistent postings and updates, at least once a
week and, depending on the platform, more frequently.
• When practical and appropriate, hire, train and supervise
student leaders to co-manage social media pages.
• Continually seek input and insight into your social media
efforts, especially if current students are your target
audience.

18. #5
Love & Respect
the Brand
you are with

19. Consistent use of logos and branding. This includes
colors, images, mascots, fronts and another other university/department
graphics.
Copyright and trademark materials. Don't steal another
persons work. Always ask for permission and/or give credit.
Maintain confidentiality. Do not post confidential information
about the campus, students, alumni or fellow employees. Use ethical
judgment and follow university policies and federal requirements.
Be aware of liability. You are legally liable for what you post
on your own site and on the sites of others. Never speak
negatively/poorly about your university/employer.
Respect University time and property. University
computers and your work time are to be used for University-related
educational and business purposes.

20. Social Media Best Practices
in Higher Education
Collaborate &
Support
University Social
Media Pages

21. Collaboration is a priority and value of
higher education, seen in countless
programs, events and committees.
Do the same online.

22. Show Some Campus
Social Media <3
 Follow other university related accounts
 Twitter: ‘RT’ & ‘Like’
 Create a Twitter list for all university accounts
 Actively contribute to positive campus hashtags
 Facebook: ‘Share’ ‘Like’ ‘Comment’ ‘Recommend’
 Instagram: 'heart’ 'comment’ or 3rd party ‘regram’
 Like and share campus YouTube Videos

23. Empower Influencers

24. LOOK
for your campus
Influencers
• Look around your campus and consider what it is known for.
• What are prominent campus celebrations, traditions, events,
departments, people &/or buildings?
• Are there ‘popular’ faculty, senior leaders, administrators or
student leader positions that could be showcased?

25. Empower and give action
to your audience
Collaborative strategies that use
influencers’ user-generated content have
the ability to reach further into the
influencers’ community.
People trust people, not brands.

26. Respect Your Audience
Social media
content lives
forever…
Make it positive
#8

27. R E S P E C T
• Abide by an online code of ethics to guide
behavior and goal setting for your entire strategy.
• Only post when you are calm & level-headed.
• Pace posts. Don’t flood followers news feeds or
event invites.
• Remember: There’s no such thing as a “private”
social media site.
Anything you post lives on…somewhere.

28. Always BE POSITIVE on Social
Media

29. Get Campus Buy-In
#9

30. Buy-In through
Value Added Approach
Informally share videos, articles &
social media research.
Educate current & future social media campus influencers.
Implement professional development on & off campus:
workshops, speakers, conferences and webinars.
Ask advanced social media users on your own campus to be
trainers and strategy builders.
Meet staff where they are, from those without accounts or
exploring newbies up to expert content creators.

31. Preach & educate “the gospel” of
social media communication tools.
Even one person at a time.

32. Higher Ed Social Media
Best Practice #10
DiveintoData

33. Backing up campus social media
efforts with measurement tools.
Use analytics. There are a number of indicators available
through analytics and analysis measures through social media.
Assess your social media strategy. Social
media strategy should include setting goals and learning
outcomes. Use these for data collection/analysis.
More platforms = more data = more time.
The more platforms you are attempting to manage, the more work
it will take to track.
“Listen” year-round: Follow campus hashtags and
digital convos to assess the pulse of campus.

34. Will your social media strategy produce data
that helps tell your story?

35. Helpful
Higher Ed
Hashtags
#casesmc
#hesm
#satech
#SoMe
#edtech
#edtechchat
#digcit
#heweb
#hemktg
#strategycar

36. #HigherEd #SoMe
Bloggers
Adam Gismondi
Courtney O’Connell
Ed Cabellon
Eric Stoller
Kristin Abell
Laura Pasquini
Liz Gross
Jason Meriwether
Joe Sabado
Ma'ayan Plaut
Paul Brown
Paul Eaton
Rey Junco
Sheri Lehman
Tony Doody
Theresa Walker

37. The keys to
success in social
media are being
real, being
thoughtful, and
respecting the
purpose of each
digital
community.
www.josieahlquist.com

38. Josie
Ahlquist
www.josieahlquist.com
@josieahlquist
Higher Ed Doc Student | Digital Leadership
Researcher & Social Media Explorer | Blogger-
Speaker-Author | Proud @theEpicLloyd Wifey |
Booking Contact Bass/Schuler Entertainment