Creating the perfect post

Want to make sure your social media post is awesome? Answer the following questions. 

Is social media the best outlet for this content? 
Sometimes social media isn't the best place to post information. If it's information for a very specific group or just an internal audience, there may be other ways to disseminate that content. 

Is this written for the right audience? 
Think about the tone and content. Posts for faculty and staff should be different from those targeted at students.

Am I informing my audience or bothering them?
Make sure the content you post is worth posting. Your audience appreciates good posts. If you wouldn't click on your post, then you can probably bet your audience won't either. 

Am I submitting my posts at the right time? 
If you're posting about an event on campus, don't post too early or too late. A few days beforehand and a reminder on the day of the event will work. Also, look at Facebook and Instagram Insights, as well as Twitter Analytics to see when your audience is most engaged and looking at your account and post at that time. 

What do I want my audience to do? 
Whether it's clicking on a link, looking at a photo, answering a question, etc., you should have a reason for posting the content. 

Did I link where appropriate? 
Consider where you’re directing the audience. If a link is needed, make sure it takes them directly to where they need to be.

Can I integrate a photo or video? 
Posts with photos and videos are more likely to garner interaction, so include them in your posts when possible. Popular social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter even allow you to post videos without the help of YouTube, Vimeo, etc. 

Did I check the spelling and grammar? 
Sounds simple, but always check this at least once before you post. 

Did I mention the right official accounts and use the right hashtags?
Limit tags/hashtags to two or three per post, and please refer to our list of approved hashtags.