Get social with our policy and best practices.
Already a social media guru? Or are you preparing to pursue social success for a university department, program or group?
Whatever your social media profile, this policy and these best practices are for you.
Introduction
Social media has become ubiquitous in our personal lives, and it can be an invaluable tool in our professional lives, helping us spread the word about groundbreaking research, exciting university news and upcoming events.
But it’s also constantly changing. What’s effective one day may not work the next based on the latest algorithms; what was once your most-visited platform now gets far less traffic, even though your tactics haven’t changed.
We’re here to help—well, as much as we can. We can’t, for example, make Facebook stop changing its algorithms. But we can help you unlock the puzzle of what’s good to post, what’s ineffective and what may be downright illegal.
What follows is a roundup of social media strategies, policies and best practices for members of the Case Western Reserve community, for their personal accounts and the ones they manage for the university.
There’s a difference between your personal and professional use of social media, of course. We’ve laid out guidelines for both, but two rules exist no matter your role:
- Think before you tweet (or post, or snap, or pin). Social media is a public forum—no matter how secure your privacy settings or what platform you use. Someone can take a screen shot of your posts (or otherwise share them) in a matter of seconds. Even if you delete the post, the damage already could be done. Be 100 percent certain you are comfortable with your post—and that you would be OK with colleagues, prospective employers or even your parents seeing it. Because, trust us, they can.
- If in doubt, leave it out. Wondering if something is too private to share? If you have to question it, don’t post it. Never share confidential, personal or proprietary information about Case Western Reserve University, its administration, students, employees, alumni or donors on social media. (Even on your personal account, don’t post anyone’s private information without his or her permission.) That includes photos of people whose permission you have not received to post publicly. Use your best judgment and follow university policies and federal requirements.
Ready for more?
Navigate this section to find: