GUIDE SOCIAL MEDIA
OVERVIEW
Social media is an important facet of any marketing/communications strategy. In fact, it is becoming more important each year. Social media allows organizations, businesses, and brands alike to find their audiences and build communities of people for whom their products/services are beneficial or interesting. By incorporating social media into a marketing/communications plan, you are:
• Expanding your potential clientele by getting your brand/organization’s name in front of them,
• Reinforcing the relationship you have with current clientele by sharing information that pertains to them,
• And inviting previous clientele to use your products/services again by sharing things that remind them why you are so great.
Two of the most powerful things about social media are its ability to encourage interaction (specifically the capacity for engagement and community building), and the potential to go viral (the ease of sharing). Most importantly, social media marketers need to think about how to maximize these two aspects when planning and creating posts and stories.
Purpose: This document is designed to outline best practices for HWCOE representatives and marketers to utilize when designing, planning, and scheduling posts for social media.
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR POSTING
While social media can support communications and engagement goals, managing an account comes with significant responsibilities. All accounts must support the UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering vision to foster and provide world-class programs in engineering education, research, and service to enhance the economic and social well-being of the citizens of Florida, the nation, and the world.
PLATFORM SPECIFIC BEST PRACTICES
Facebook is the world’s largest social network, and the most-used platform by marketers with more than 3 billion monthly active users (as of July 2025). Users create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, incluwding status updates. Brands create pages, and Facebook users can “like” brands’ pages. One of its strengths is advertising as it allows a much greater range of options to reach specific audiences.
MAKE SURE YOUR PROFILE IS OPTIMIZED—WHO ARE YOU?
Optimize your business profile by adhering to your brand. Fully complete your profile with a branded profile picture, appropriately sized cover photo or video, and a call-to action button for your followers to take that extra step and learn more about your brand. Fill in the “About” section with a clear, concise description of your brand, including a club or group overview and mission.
• Include contact info, website, email, founding date, and anything that can be applied to your organization.
• Include links to your other social media profiles.
• Automate a message to greet anyone who messages you directly.
• Add events to your page that are applicable to you.
• Include a “Call to Action” if applicable to your content.
• Add your comment policy (see below) or guidelines. We recommend they be shared in the “Impressum” section accessible through the About Us page.
INCLUDE REQUIRED DISCLAIMER.
(From UF Central) All social networking accounts must include or link to the following disclaimer:
This {TYPE OF SOCIAL MEDIA} account and/or page is a resource of an organization affiliated with the University of Florida Department of XYZ. The Department of XYZ welcomes your comments on our social media posts and encourages interaction among Gator Engineers around the world. We also encourage our community to foster respectful and vibrant online connections. Before you post, please consider the UF Core Values and review these UF Community Commenting Guidelines (“Guidelines”).
We review all comments made and when necessary, we reserve the right to remove comments that are:
• Off-topic
• Containing links to third-party websites or content
• Made in violation of Florida or federal law
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE
Comments made by outside users are the authors’ opinion, not of the university’s. By posting a comment on our social media pages, you agree to follow the University of Florida Community Commenting Guidelines, host social media channel Terms of Service, Florida and federal law, and UF regulations and policies – including but not limited to the university’s Acceptable Use of Computing Resources Policy. Your comments may be removed if they are in violation of these Guidelines.
MEET THESE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR POSTING.
Login at least once per day to check on the page and monitor messages, tags, and comments; posting content 3-5 times each week is reasonable.
DO NOT CREATE A PERSONAL PROFILE FOR A CLUB OR GROUP, ORGANIZATION, OR OFFICE.
Profiles are designed for individuals only, and users may view inappropriate profiles as misleading. Creating a “personal account for anything other than an individual person” is a violation of Facebook’s Terms of Service and Facebook warns that violators are at risk of “permanently losing access to the account and all of its content.”
POSTING RELEVANT CONTENT
Content is one of the most important components of a successful Facebook presence. From the amount of content you post (no more than 1-2 times a day), to the time of day you post, content plays a factor in gaining the most engagement from your followers. Design a content calendar and develop themes to strategically cross-post content from colleges across campus to highlight the full breadth of Gator Engineering. Using compelling language and providing a call to action to followers are critical. Always include relevant links along with a video or photo to drive engagement.
CONTENT IDEAS
• Start a conversation and ask your audience a question
• Share behind the scenes with your audience
• Post about trending topics
• Tell a story
• Post video
• Share product information
• Educate your audience using infographics
• Contests and giveaways
• Post at optimal times
• Test content
AVOID POSTING THE SAME STATUS UPDATES ON BOTH FACEBOOK AND X.
Since X and Facebook are different mediums with different audiences, tone, frequency of posts, and strategy and goals, updates to each should be unique. If you want to post the same information on both channels, craft each status so that it makes the most of the style and tools of each platform.
PAY ATTENTION TO INSIGHTS.
Facebook Insights offers a lot of information on the people who like your page and what they are interested in. Your job is to understand what the Insights mean and use them to create posts that engage your fans, encourage interaction with the page, and attract new likes. Understanding how your audience engages online is key when
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE
developing a Facebook strategy. Insights give an in-depth look into the many ways your audiences are engaging with your posts.
BE VISUALLY PLEASING.
Visitors to your account are drawn to visually appealing layouts and posts. Highlight photos and other visual posts, remember to delete pasted links in status updates, and edit posts so they are not too lengthy. Do not post images with excessive flattened copy on it (i.e. a flyer). It’s not accessible on most social platforms. It is better to link out from the post or tweet to a webpage where the full statement is available as readable text.
TWITTER (X)
X allows groups and individuals to stay connected through the exchange of short status messages (280-character limit). X encourages frequent updates, engagement and retweeting content and gives its users the opportunity to talk about what is happening in real time all around the world. It is important to be a part of the conversations related to the Gator Engineering brand. X is a wonderful way to stay connected.
OPTIMIZE YOUR PROFILE—WHO ARE YOU?
Write a bio that includes keywords and your hashtag. Add your location and a link to your website, HWCOE’s website or another social media account. Optimize your business profile with a branded profile image, relevant appropriately sized cover image, and clear and concise bio with a link to your website.
Meet these minimum standards for posting. Account managers representing HWCOE should have enough content to post every day. Managers should login daily to check mentions and direct messages. Reposting relevant content is important as well.
POSTING RELEVANT CONTENT
X is an endless stream of content giving each tweet an 18-minute lifespan. With the constant flow of information, dedicating time to creating content that appeals to your audience is key. Use strong imagery, videos, and graphics along with compelling, on-brand captions and external links to clearly inform followers of the tweet’s content. Tag appropriate accounts, include branded hashtags, and pin tweets to help increase the reach of the tweet.
CONTENT IDEAS
• Start a conversation and ask your audience a question
• Post about industry topics
• Polls
• Post video
LISTEN AND RESPOND.
• Sharing a series of information
• Events
• Contests and giveaways
• Post at optimal times
• Test content
Do not simply monitor those posts that mention your handle directly but set up a search so you can keep an ear on what is happening when people do not tag you in their tweet. When it is appropriate, respond or repost.
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE
USE HASHTAGS AND MENTION OTHER USERS.
Hashtags allow users to join a greater conversation, so including one or two relevant hashtags in your posts will put your tweet in front of more than just your followers. Tagging other accounts in your post gives them credit for the material (for example crediting a link to @nytimes) and alerts them that they have been mentioned. This may prompt them to share or comment on your post.
PAY ATTENTION TO ANALYTICS.
Free X metrics are available at analytics.twitter.com and offer insight into the reach and popularity of your tweets. Understand the metrics and use them to create tweets that will engage fans, encourage retweets and favorites, and attract new followers.
FOLLOW THE MAIN HWCOE HANDLE.
It is good practice to follow other UF Engineering department handles and occasionally retweet relevant information.
FOLLOW BACK.
Following those who follow you back is a fantastic way to build relationships. Fostering relationships and encouraging interaction is key, so following back relevant, appropriate followers builds goodwill with our audiences.
Instagram photo and video sharing app allows users to apply digital filters, frames and special effects to their photos and share them on a variety of social networking sites. The strategy behind growing your Instagram account goes beyond posting nice photos. To get the best results, we recommend following these Instagram essential must-dos when it comes to the content you are posting to this highly visual social media platform. Be a storyteller with your content by captivating your audience with photo and video content that is user-generated, stays ahead of trends, and adheres to your brand standards.
MEET THESE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR POSTING.
Account managers should have enough content to post at least a few times each week. Managers should login each day to like and comment on users’ photos and monitor comments and tags.
OPTIMIZE YOUR PROFILE—WHO ARE YOU?
Write a bio to include keywords and your hashtag. Add your location and a link to your website, or create a free LinkTree account so you can take your audience to a place for more information.
CREATE RELEVANT CONTENT
• Maintain a constant feed of high-quality visuals
• Tell visual stories
• Reduce the amount of text in the photos)
• Use the click on the #LinkInBio to engage readers to click on your bio to read more
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE
USE HASHTAGS.
Tagging your photos means that more people may see them since they may be searching for that tag. This can boost your content. But be careful, too many tags can be seen as spammy.
INTERACT WITH OTHERS.
Search for photos that may be relevant to your club or group. Interact with others by liking and commenting on photos that are relevant.
TAG LOCATIONS.
Tagging the location where the photo was taken gives some context to the image.
CONSIDER STORIES.
Instagram stories are special photos and videos that are seen by followers for just 24 hours. They appear at the top of the Instagram feed. Instagram Stories provide the opportunity for your followers to view ephemeral content that is separate from the traditional feed. Instagram stories have grown into a phenomenon by incorporating features like boomerang, music, and hands-free recording. You can also create polls or ask followers to respond with their own pictures. Create Highlights to store your Story features for historical record.
LinkedIn focuses on professional networking and career development, and allows us to engage with our students, graduates, and business communities. The HWCOE has a primary account, and we encourage you to work with the College to share relevant content you want posted on this platform.
YOUTUBE
YouTube is a video hosting and watching website that displays user-generated content. Videos can be shared on other social sites or taken from the platform and embedded directly on a user’s blog or website. HWCOE has a primary YouTube account to host promotional videos and events. Please consult with the MarCom Department to post or livestream videos on this primary channel.
PLATFORM DESIRED AUDIENCE
Alumni, parents (typically age 35-44)
OBJECTIVE TYPES OF POSTS OVERALL TONE / HEADLINE / SUBJECT LINE CALL TO ACTION
Keep parents and alumni up to date on things going on college wide. Share major events/research while still making a point to highlight student achievements and the students themselves.
Reels (<90-second video clips), stagnant photos, graphics, text only (links, articles, etc.).
Engaging and fun but focused more on achievements and “big” events. Slightly more formal language than Instagram, but not as formal as LinkedIn. Facebook, like LinkedIn, should be a bit of a “bragging” platform while also incorporating “fun,” student-oriented posts.
Share, comment, react (like, love, etc.)
Twitter (X)
Students, student orgs, prospective students (typically age 16-25)
Mixed audience (staff, students, researchers, etc.) (typically ages 18 and up—students, industry professionals, etc.)
Make your college/department seem fun, modern, and top-notch.
Reels (<90-second video clips), stagnant photos, graphics.
Engaging, student focused. Fun. Reposting on stories. Students are more likely to engage when you are posting things that they deem “important.” Highlight student events, feature students in pictures/ videos, share student organization posts, etc. Your number one goal is to make it relevant/fun to students!
Comment below, visit the link in our bio
Focus on opinions and opinion statements to get people to engage and respond. Post thought leadership statements and opinions.
Short videos, stagnant photos, graphics, text only (links, articles, etc.).
Somewhere between Facebook and Instagram. There are lots of academics on Twitter who interact with HWCOE content, but lots of students as well. BE MINDFUL to stay away from controversial remarks that may “trigger” unwanted responses. For instance, use “climate ready” instead of “climate change.” Talk about “inclusivity” and “idea-rich” as opposed to “diversity” and “divergence.”
Staff, company connections, researchers, and students (typically ages 20 and up—academics, business professionals, researchers, etc.)
Make connections with leadership and focus on achievements. Highlight thought-provoking research, major accomplishments and do not be afraid to “brag.”
Longer-form videos, links, articles, photos, graphics, text only.
A more formal tone that focuses on showing people what our students, faculty, and staff are capable of or being celebrated for.
Research highlights, college-wide announcements, student profiles, etc.
Let us know (reply), repost, quote tweet, love.
Repost, comment, repost with thoughts
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Do not use copyrighted material. Any music or sound effects that you include must be royalty-free, or you must contact the owner or publisher to use a copyrighted piece.
• Use proper credits. If you are creating video content for HWCOE, include a credits slide at the end with the HWCOE logo.
• Include “HWCOE” in your file name. Including HWCOE in the name and description of your video file will help enhance your search engine optimization.
• Make your content accessible. All HWCOE videos must have captions. Read more about how to create captions and subtitles on YouTube.
• Brand Voice (based off UF Brand Voice)
• Momentum
• Collaboration
• Innovative
• Bold
• Original
• Inclusive
• Protect our institutional voice and reputation. Social media posts must be factually accurate and reflect taste and judgment appropriate to university communications. Posts including unprotected speech such as threats, fighting words, obscenity, child pornography, or language that imminently incites illegal activity will not be permitted and may result in disciplinary action. While online, staff, volunteers and students should always be mindful that they are representatives of the university.
• Maintain confidentiality. Do not post confidential or proprietary information about HWCOE, students, employees, or alumni. Internet postings should respect copyright, privacy, fair use, financial disclosure, and other applicable laws. Be vigilant and aware of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act privacy requirements.
• Be discreet, respectful and accurate. Verify facts, use proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar. If you are unsure about the content of a post, see the HWCOE Brand & Style Guide or contact a member of the MarCom team for assistance.
• Commit to minimum standards for frequency of posts. There are minimum standards for frequency of posts on each platform to ensure that you keep your audience engaged. See details in the Platform-Specific Best Practices section below. Use an editorial calendar to schedule content creation (and subsequent publication) more efficiently. Do not hoard content and post it all at once. HWCOE social media accounts will be audited twice each year and any account not meeting acceptable standards for frequency of posts will be deactivated.
• Review analytics to ensure your account is effective. Measurement and analytics are key to assessing your success on social media. Study the data provided by the analytics functions in Facebook (Insights), X (analytics.twitter.com), YouTube (Insights), LinkedIn (Analytics), and Instagram (Insights). Determine relevant statistics and track them over time. Compare analytics information against content and engagement to determine what caused certain results and use this information to better inform content decisions.
• Be mindful of time. As a HWCOE social media account administrator/manager, you are permitted to post comments, monitor data, view related social media sites, and respond to comments.
• Responding to negative comments/removing content. The HWCOE does not censor. Rather than deleting negative comments or complaints, assist (in a non-defensive tone) the person who has posted the comment and move the conversation elsewhere. Always consult with the department in which the criticism is directed for a quick and appropriate response. Censoring or ignoring negative comments brings into question an organization’s responsiveness or integrity to the disgruntled poster and followers.
• Link back to content on HWCOE website where possible. If you are unsure how to do this, please contact the MarCom Department.
RESOURCES
HWCOE CHANNELS
PLATFORM VOICE
momentum, collaboration, bold, cutting edge, original
Instagram vibrant, original, inclusive
TYPES OF CONTENT
News | Stories | Engaging alum | Recognition/ Celebration | Promotions | Sports
Fun | Campus | Promotions | Sports
Twitter (X)
collaboration, bold, cutting edge, original
LinkedIn collaboration, celebration
Facebook/ Instagram Stories
News | Recognition/Celebration | Promotions | Sports
News | Stories | Recognition/Celebration
Fun | Polls | Recognition/Celebration | Campus
TICKETING SYSTEM
Use this form to contact the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Marketing & Communications team about any project you’d like to request our assistance with.
Our typical start time for projects is 2-3 weeks from when you submit your request, sometimes longer. We do make exceptions for urgent items and submissions are assessed on a case-by-case basis, but please consider this timeline when submitting your request.