- The voice and tone used in your social-media channels should be professional and consistent. If numerous people manage the channels, everyone must use the same voice and tone in all posts and tweets.
- It’s okay to have some fun while keeping a professional tone. Be friendly and helpful. Go ahead and wish people a Happy Friday, or congratulate someone who was just accepted to SFU.
- Keep your tweets to 120 characters or less. That way, others can retweet your tweets without shortening them to fit Twitter’s 140-character limit.
- Avoid using more than two hashtags in one tweet. And only use hashtags relevant to the tweet that people might conceivably search for via Twitter.
- When referencing other SFU units or people, use their Twitter account names so they know you’re talking about them. For example, to promote a Surrey campus event, use @sfusurrey instead SFU’s Surrey campus to identify the location.
- Include the #SFU hashtag whenever possible to make it easier for others to find university-related tweets.
- Think of a tweet as a teaser if you want people to click on a link. Craft tweets like you would write an interesting newspaper headline. Clever wording can sometimes generate more interest. For example, instead of “#SFU job postings: http://www.link.ca” try something like “Want to work for @SFU? We’re hiring! Job postings: http://www.link.ca”
- Drive traffic to your websites by including links to more information. For example, instead of trying to include all details of an event in a tweet, write a short tweet that includes a link to an event or registration page.
- Try to limit your Facebook posts to 35 words or less. Studies indicate shorter is better. If you have more to share, include a link to a website with more details.
- Social-media users love multi-media so posts with photos and videos get the most clicks. Upload a photo of the event you’re trying to promote, or post a gallery of photos after the event.
- When referencing other SFU units or people, tag them with their Facebook page or personal account. Type an “@” before their name or Facebook page in your post and suggestions will pop up for you to choose.
- Include the #SFU hashtag whenever possible to make it easier for others to find university-related Facebook posts.
