Social Media Guidelines and Tips for Student Groups

Kent State Ashtabula Official Social Media Outlets
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SOCIAL MEDIA SITES: KNOW THE RULES!

• Social media sites will hold individuals liable for any content or material posted to their site. Social media site users should be familiar with the Terms of Service for the social media outlet they choose to use and respect general copyright and Fair Use policies.
• Be sensitive to posting confidential information. Do not post student information, (including phone numbers, e-mail addresses, or student identification numbers) without student permission.
• The KSU Foundation is the only agency authorized to seek gift support using the university's name. Consistent with university policy regarding fundraising, all solicitations, by any method, including through any social media sites, must be coordinated with and approved by the KSU Foundation through the Associate Director of Advancement for Kent State Ashtabula (440-964-4312).

GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

• Consider creating a Facebook “group,” instead of a “business” or “personal” page.  A group allows all group members to see posts, add content, and maintain their privacy.  A group allows members greater privacy, and still uses the administrator function to add or remove group members.  
• Student clubs and organizations are strongly encouraged to have their faculty advisor as an administrator on their social media page.  If club leaders change or graduate, the club advisor can still grant access to new club officers and members.  
• Every effort should be made to pass along login information and administrator privileges from one club president to the next so that new pages do not have to be created each academic year.  This reduces confusion among club members as to which club page is the “official” or “correct” page for the club.
• Post contact information for the student club when possible.  If your page is used to recruit new members, they need to know how to get in touch with the group.
• Student clubs and organizations are considered “unofficial” social media pages and should not use the Kent State Ashtabula or Kent State University logo.  These sites are also encouraged to post a statement in their profile announcing that they are not an officially recognized KSUA or KSU social media page and all postings reflect their own personal opinions or their organization’s opinions.  An example of this statement is provided below:

 The views expressed on this (Facebook page, Twitter feed, etc.) are those of the (Insert Club Name) and are not endorsed by Kent State Ashtabula nor do they constitute any official communication from Kent State Ashtabula.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES

Best practices for social media accounts should be considered. Best practices consist of widely recognized guidelines, ethical considerations, and conventions for creating successful social media campaigns and accounts. 

Be Authentic

• Be open about your identity and professional affiliations.
• Keep deletions to a minimum; only remove content that is clearly offensive or spam.
• Admit mistakes and be upfront and prompt with corrections.
• Never post information that you do not have first-hand knowledge of.  Post a link directly to the source of the information.  For example, post a link to the National Weather Service for a weather alert.

Be Sensible

• When creating a username be prepared to stick with it. Some sites won’t let you change a username once it is set.
• Check for accuracy before posting. Make sure you have proper permissions to post written content, images, and videos. Be careful not to post confidential information.
• Use proper etiquette – be constructive and respectful, don’t speak poorly of other clubs, organizations, universities, or institutions.
• Be thoughtful about controversial or volatile topics. Many times it may be best to leave them out of the conversation.

Be Vigilant

• Questions and concerns (as well as compliments) should receive quick responses: an appropriate goal is to respond within 24-36 hours, with shorter response times being even more desirable.
• Keep social media profiles/pages updated with fresh content. A good goal is at least one new post per week.  If you are no longer able to maintain and monitor the page, assign the task to another club member or delete the profile/page.

Be Available

•  All club profiles/pages should include a contact e-mail address.

Be Interesting

• Use a natural and conversational tone.
• Post a variety of content using multiple media (text, photo, video, poll questions, etc.).

For any additional social media needs or for questions about guidelines or best practices, please contact the Communications and Marketing department at ksuaccm@kent.edu or 440-964-4567.