Social Media Playbook

Content Themes

The following content themes should be used to drive your content creation across the various social media platforms.

University news and informational updates

Focus on positive news, sharing success in a way that helps tell your story rather than simply act as a news service. Focus on people wherever possible. Follow the content best practices set out in these guidelines and share as visual content wherever possible.

Campus sites and landmarks

Highlight green space and seasonal changes, and campus art and natural beauty.

Buildings and facilities

Show off your great learning environment and modern technology. 

Your programs

Demonstrate quality of learning, focus on what makes your program unique and focus on the unexpected.

Shocker and department traditions

Focus on telling WSU’s story, building pride, connecting alumni and current students with those researching WSU, showing traditions and the excitement around them through photo and video that captures emotion.

Shocker for life

Encourage or solicit content that imparts the lifelong pride WSU alumni feel toward the university.

Campus life

Illustrate how people spend their days on campus, using visual content about positive experiences, diversity and acceptance, and highlighting the many social and recreational activities students can participate in.

Wichita

Remember that students won’t spend all their time on campus. If WSU wants to draw students from outside the area, prospective students want to know the city itself will be a great place to live.

Athletics

Recognize athletics as an important part of WSU’s content mix, but make sure that it does not dominate any of your other messaging. Not all students will want to attend WSU based on our athletic program and not every alumni has this as their primary focus.

Current students and recent grads

Capture and create content that helps prospective students feel connected to current students. They want to learn from peer insights, experiences and recommendations, and you need to deliver. Focus on photo and video content and quick “sound bites” rather than in-depth or overproduced content.

Fun stuff

Use contextual humor that just makes people smile or laugh. It helps demonstrate your department’s personality in a positive way

User submitted content

Encourage users to either submit photos / videos or share / retweet / repost user-generated content.

Shareable content

Post content designed specifically to be shared. For example, use themed Facebook cover photos that include Wichita State University branding and are not only used on your own Facebook page but are designed to be taken and used by your audience on their personal pages.

Access and Conversation

Considering the nature of the medium and the audience WSU is targeting, you should adopt a less formal tone of voice. You want to be seen as friendly, approachable, having a sense of fun, but always professional. Avoid acronyms or slang.

Remember, social media is conversational medium, not a broadcast medium. We have specific guidelines for response and engagement and they must be top of mind. When content is posted, you must be ready to both acknowledge and respond to your audience.

Social Media Channels and Strategy

For more information on social media channels not covered here, contact: 

Lainie Mazzullo, director of news and media relations • lainie.mazzullo@wichita.edu 

Content Calendar

Content planning, creation, distribution and measurement should follow the guidelines set out in the Content Calendar Development section.

Optimizing Content for Each Channel

When sharing across multiple channels, take time to optimize content for each of those individual channels using the guidelines that follow. Do not automatically cross-post content.

Tracking Tools

Please note, specific instructions / information in the Tracking Tools section may be outdated. This section will be updated during the next phase.

Each designated channel manager must proactively monitor for comments or questions directed to your department, and for comments made about your department.

For monitoring and engagement, you may want to use the following tools. All email notifications should be directed to one designated email account for automatic group distribution.

There is some duplication between search and monitoring functionality in your toolset. This is intentional to combine real-time and summary alerts, to provide additional assurance all mentions are being caught, and to provide redundancy in your toolset in the event of any key areas of functionality being lost or going offline.

Google Alerts

Set email notifications for “As-it-happens” to monitor new web mentions of keywords and phrases

Mention

https://mention.com/en/Set email notifications to “Daily,” install desktop and mobile apps, and enable push notifications to monitor and provide consolidated daily reports of both direct and indirect social mentions (comments made about you but not specifically directed to you), as well as to monitor keywords and phrases on photo and video sharing sites, blogs, forums and across the web.

It can serve as the hub of your monitoring efforts, providing backup to your real-time monitoring, aggregated and easy to review daily reports and short-term archives.

Note: At this point Mention is not pulling from Instagram unless the content is shared via X or Facebook pages.

Hootsuite Pro

https://hootsuite.com/Hootsuite is a browser-based tool on desktop but has a mobile app that allows you to enable push notifications and schedule posts.

This tool can be used to manage X and Instagram accounts.

• For X, it will be used to monitor and respond to direct @mentions of your username, indirect mentions of your name and variations of your name and any relevant hashtags you are monitoring.
• For Instagram, it will be used to monitor and respond to both direct and indirect mentions and any relevant hashtags.

Sprout Social

https://sproutsocial.com/Sprout Social is a paid tool that offers listening, publishing and analytics features for Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Its analytics suite can help you identify trends in responsiveness and engagement

Facebook Admin

The Page Admin responsible for accounts should enable email notifications and “On Facebook” notifications, both located in Settings. Page Admin responsible for accounts should also install the Facebook app on his or her smartphone.

Responding to Comments and Mentions

Responsibility for managing each of your social channels does not simply include sharing content and growing your audience, but includes critical responsibilities of listening and (where appropriate) responding to what others are saying to or about you.

When and How to Respond

Never ignore questions or comments directed to one of your social channels, unless the question or comment is abusive or clearly does not merit a response.

This includes both posts and comments on your Facebook page, tweets and responses to content posted on Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn and YouTube.

• Treat every question as an opportunity. 
• Questions received during business hours should ideally be responded to within two hours. 
• Questions received outside of business hours should ideally be responded to within two hours of start of next business day. 
• If appropriate, include a link to additional resources or an invitation to connect via a more private forum such as phone or email. 

Positive comments

Every positive comment posted on or directed to one of your social media channels should be acknowledged. If a user has taken time to leave a comment, you want them to know their feedback is valued.

• A text response will not typically be required. In most instances a simple “Like” (Facebook or Instagram) or “Favorite” (X) will be sufficient.

Negative comments

When people are unhappy, you will receive negative comments posted on your Facebook page, most likely in the comments on a post, and across your other social media platforms. Because the institution name is on the channel, people—especially students—are prone to express more vitriol than they might in a face-to-face meeting.

Here are some tips for handling the situation:

• If the comment is made in good faith, do not delete the comment unless it is abusive, offensive or spam. (This is specific to Facebook and Instagram as you can delete comments, but you cannot delete someone’s tweet on X.) Remember that anger is not, in and of itself, abusive. Responding is always the preferred option and deleting should always be a last resort. Hiding a post on Facebook may be an option for posts that forward misinformation, are off-subject or are poor, but not offensive, attempts at humor. Hiding keeps the post visible in the thread for the user and the user’s friends, but will not be visible to the public.

• Recognize that a response might not always be appropriate. Use discretion as to whether a response might help alleviate the situation. But never engage in any argument or discussion; simply acknowledge the comment and offer a redirect to a more private communication channel. That may mean stepping from behind the institutional veil to engage the user through a private message or email. At some point, contact from an administrator may be the only remedy.

• If a comment or question concerns specific Wichita State University policy, or you are not confident of giving an accurate response on behalf of the organization, reply with an acknowledgment that a more detailed response will follow, and refer to Lainie Mazzullo for clarification and further instruction.

• If a thread on Facebook becomes negative, make sure that you post or share one or two items within a few hours that will push that thread lower on the page.

• Identify opportunities. In addition to questions or comments directed to you, if your monitoring process identifies indirect questions or comments about your department or identifies a potential prospect, review whether proactive engagement is appropriate.

In instances of indirect mentions about your department or organization, respond using the same process (response or acknowledgment), but also consider context. Consider the comment or question and whether a response would be beneficial or may instead come across as “creepy” and off-putting, and engage tactfully. For example:

• A comment such as “I wonder what the Geology program is like at Wichita State?” might not be directed specifically to us but could be positively responded to with “We noticed your comment and thought this link might help” or “We noticed your comment and want to know how we can help you.”

In instances where a mention appears to be from a prospective student or parent, review the user's account before responding to check for context.

• If a response is appropriate, be mindful that unsolicited contact can be intrusive. Engage the user with a short message.

If appropriate, include a URL linking to additional information. Alternately, ask if they would be interested in speaking with someone at WSU. For example:

• “We noticed your comment about XX. Here’s some information from WSU that might be of interest: [LINK]” or “We noticed your comment about XX. WSU would be a great fit. Can we get you info?”

To be effective, content should be optimized for each social and digital channel. Always create and optimize content with a view to it being shared, not merely consumed.

We recommend that departments create a content calendar to help plan upcoming posts. Your content calendar will ensure that:

• All key business goals and objectives are clearly identified and content themes are built around that primary objective, which will form the core of your content calendar.

• Additional content opportunities that meet approved strategy and suggested themes are identified in advance and used to build out a calendar that both directly and indirectly supports your primary objective. Then content frequency requirements can be met in a way that delivers value and interest to your target audiences.

• Creative support (photos, graphics, etc.) and any other resources should be properly identified, and budgets and responsibilities properly allocated.

The content calendar is an important document in ensuring that activity aligns with goals and strategy, and that you are properly serving the needs of both the university and your target audiences.

It is imperative that consistent brand standards are maintained across all social and digital channels. 

On any new or existing social media or digital channel where color schemes and visual branding can be customized, apply the established Visual Identity Standards published in October 2011. These can be viewed online at wichita.edu/visualstandards.

In particular, colors used should match the black and yellow color scheme. The preferred color for yellow on the web is HEX: ffc217; RGB 255/194/23. 

Social Media Avatars

The WSU mark (without any name in text) is the primary option for social media avatars to help users more easily identify official WSU channels. It must be used so that it is clear and identifiable, not cropped, altered or distorted. If the WSU mark is not used, photos, such as a building or event shots may be used. 

Department naming units should not be used, because the secondary and tertiary text for most will not be legible at most display sizes.

University approved social media avatars are available at wichita.edu/templates. 

The WuShock logo is acceptable for athletic-related accounts. But bear in mind that the WuShock logo represents athletics programs, not academic programs, at WSU. For additional information regarding the use of WuShock, please contact WSU Athletics Director of Marketing & Fan Engagement Connor Phelps at cphelps@goshockers.com. 

Custom Cover Photos

Facebook, X, YouTube and LinkedIn each provide space for users to upload a custom cover photo to personalize their account.

This is an opportunity for individual schools and departments to express personality and customize their online presence, and we encourage you to take advantage of that. Photographs, collages or other created images may be used at the discretion of the individual account manager, provided that:

• The image is a proper reflection of WSU and has context to the specific school or department.
• Does not use copyrighted material WSU does not own.
• Does not include an altered or unapproved version of the WSU logo or other university branding

Account Naming Conventions

No individual school or department should use the name WichitaState on its own; it is intended for universitywide representation only. Usernames should, however, include either WSU or WichitaState at the start of every username selected, if possible. (Underscores may be used to avoid conflicts with existing accounts at other WSU schools.)

Protecting Account

While we are actively and enthusiastically embracing the use of social media, we must maintain a strategic approach to back each new account with sufficient resources to keep it active both under the proposed admin, and in the event of that person leaving and the account having to be transitioned internally.

• For any account you manage or create, make sure that URLs, usernames and passwords (and any subsequent changes) are centrally recorded so that no one person has control of this information.
• Any new account should be properly branded, following the visual standards set out in this playbook. Any “about” information should be fully completed and proper contact information included (URL, email, phone etc., as applicable).

Beyond sharing links and promoting content, your social channels give a unique opportunity to stand apart by communicating with personality, being helpful and supportive, being encouraging, serving as a trusted resource, and fostering conversation about your department – capturing the passion of current and former students, and amplifying that passion to prospective students, their families and other key audiences.

Your social brand voice should: 

• Be confident, proud and positive, but never arrogant or aloof.
• Be conversational, engaging and approachable, never sounding like you are simply there to market a message or don’t have a real personality behind your accounts.
• Be helpful, encouraging and supportive.
• Focus on building relationships, not simply broadcasting information.
• Have a sense of fun at appropriate times.
• Always be professional. Even though social media is an informal medium, you are still representing Wichita State University and need to engage at a level that commands trust and respect. Always spell check.
• Always be authentic and consistent.
• Never engage in any online argument or dispute.

Important Reminders

• Whatever you post online is public and permanent. “Delete” is not an effective option.
• Social media makes you a frontline ambassador for Wichita State University, and what you post and how you engage with the online audience can heavily impact perceptions of our entire brand.
• While the typical social media and marketing references are to “users, audience and prospects,” you must always think beyond that in terms of “individuals.”
• Creating effective engagement is a key to success, but should never come at the expense of authenticity and commitment to brand values or identity.

Use of Mobile Apps

Many brands have suffered embarrassing public relations issues as a result of personal updates being accidentally posted on brand accounts.

Typically this has been the individual user accidentally selecting the wrong account on a touch-screen smart phone, which is very easy to do.

Always check that you are on the correct account before publishing content.

It is crucial that your accounts are actively promoted in offline and traditional marketing avenues, in personal offline interactions and at university events.

• If a single account is being promoted, refer to it by the specific username.
• In print, do not include the full URL. Include the relevant social network avatar followed by the username. Or if no avatar is used, a shortened URL such as x.com/wsugeology.
• It is especially important that you clearly highlight your social channels to prospective students and new students.
• Where possible, avoid giving a command such us “Like Us” or “Follow Us.” Instead, extend an invitation and communicate a benefit. For example: “Join our community” or “Learn more about daily life on campus – join us on Facebook.”
• For key events such as the start of school year or graduation, consider how you can integrate social media into offline events – creating a hashtag to foster and aggregate conversation and ensuring that hashtag is communicated in any related print material and onsite signage. Often, an offline prompt is valuable in driving an online interaction that leads to a greater connection and conversation.

For the social media initiatives outlined in this playbook to be effective in the long term, they must regularly be reviewed and updated.

• As individuals we must also strive to educate ourselves on the latest trends and technologies impacting us as professionals and impacting our key audiences.
• Strategic Communications is committed to supporting channel managers with ongoing education on relevant subject matter. However, we must also take an individual responsibility to stay informed and to identify specific training or education needs to be met for us to be able to meet these playbook objectives.
• Recognizing that our brand’s social media representation extends beyond Strategic Communications, we are also committed to facilitating structured collaboration and empowerment so that Wichita State University is represented in the most effective way possible not just at a university level, but at an individual school and department level.