Social Media

Determine what your message is, the best way to communicate it, and what action you desire you viewers to take when others receive the message. 
 

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Description:

Social media has been approved as an acceptable form of communication for the University. All social media pages must include the Official BYU-Idaho Logo.

• You must first determine whether or not using social media fits into your department marketing strategy.
• Plan your social media content with the intent to converse with your audience, not to entertain them.
• Use your official website as the primary source of information, and your social media platform as a secondary source.
• Use other channels in tandem with social media campaigns if you feel doing so is appropriate.

Strengths:

• Can be used for updates and emergency announcements about an event.
• Allows for direct communication between departments and the public.
• Creates a unified presence for BYU-Idaho (when implemented correctly).
• Helps others understand more about the University and have better experiences with it.

Challenges:

• Your message must be appropriate for social media.
• You must be mindful of your audience. Some messages might be taken the wrong way and could reflect badly upon the University.
• Your traffic is usually smaller than the official BYU-Idaho website for your department.
• It takes a lot of effort and energy to build up traffic and even more effort to maintain it.
• Social media is a platform that can be viewed worldwide. You must ensure that your message is well understood by audiences both inside and outside the BYU-Idaho community.
• Can be costly in terms of time and effort.

Refer to the University Mission and Guideline Library when creating your media in order to inspire, inform, or invite others.

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Content must fit these four criteria:
 

• Be Authentic and Consistent
• Edify and Uplift
• Respect Intellectual Property
• Be Wise and Vigilant

Follow these guidelines:

• All social media pages should start with "BYU-Idaho" and then follow with the organization name (i.e., BYU-Idaho Service Activities or BYU-Idaho Scroll).
• All University-related social media pages must use the required profile picture (the official BYU-Idaho logo in white on a black background).
• You may differentiate your page from other University-affiliated social media pages through: cover photos, use of university approved fonts and colors, and through your choice of university appropriate messages.

Acquire University approval and the verification stamp (if needed) before publishing.

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All social media accounts need to be registered with University Relations using the Social Media Registration Form. Once your social media account is registered, the full-time employee will receive an approval email within two business days.

Registration will include the following:

• Purpose
• Department
• Faculty Supervisor
• Student Supervisor
• Update Schedule
• Exit Strategy (what will happen to the site when it is no longer needed)

Print or export your media, and distribute your message through official BYU-Idaho marketing channels.

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Once the approval email is received, you may use the social media account for your marketing needs. A full-time employee must be responsible for all content posted and check it regularly to make sure it represents University standards.