Social Media Best Practices

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Crisis situations

• During an emergency or crisis situation, administrators of official Texas Wesleyan social media accounts may only share information provided by the main Texas Wesleyan University social media accounts (those which are administered by the Office of Marketing and Communications).
• All inquiries during a crisis or emergency should be directed to the main Texas Wesleyan Facebook page.
• Sharing information that is not approved by the Office of Marketing & Communications may jeopardize the University’s efforts in effectively managing the crisis.
• During an emergency or crisis, be sure to stop any previously scheduled posts.
• Pay attention to current world, national and local crisis events and do not post content that could be insensitive to current crisis events.

Brand consistency

• Familiarize yourself with Texas Wesleyan’s brand and message platform before posting. Contact the Office of Marketing and Communications for logos and brand images.
• If you are authorized by the Office of Marketing & Communications to create an official Texas Wesleyan social media account, have the Office of Marketing & Communications review your content and engagement strategy before launching.

Monitor and update regularly

• Schedule consistent posts with new, relevant and engaging content at least once a week (usually more).
• Appoint two (or more) administrators who will monitor posts, messages and notifications daily.
• Respond to all inquiries and questions in a timely manner. If you don’t know the answer, direct the inquiry to the appropriate department.
• If you are unsure about whether or not you should respond directly to an inquiry or need approval, ask your supervisor or the Office of Marketing & Communications.

Transparency

• Never hide or falsify your identity when promoting Texas Wesleyan on social websites.
• Be honest about your identity, but never disclose personal information that an identity thief could use, like your home address or personal phone number.

Accuracy

• Fact-check content before you post. Do not share false information or spread rumors.
• Cite your sources and include a link when possible.
• If you’re not sure if a topic is appropriate to comment on as a Texas Wesleyan employee, ask your supervisor or the Office of Marketing and Communication.
• Correct errors quickly.

Responsibility

• Be respectful of others, even if you don’t agree with their ideas or opinions.
• If you feel angry or heated about a topic, don’t post until you are composed and calm. Never make offensive remarks.
• As a faculty or staff member, it is your responsibility to adhere to the policies outlined in the official Faculty or Staff Handbooks.

Confidentiality

• Do not share confidential or proprietary information about Texas Wesleyan or its faculty, staff, students or alumni.
• Be aware of and do not violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Obtain permission before you publish someone else's content. This includes images and photographs.

When engaging on social networks for personal use:

• Avoid using Texas Wesleyan logos or images on personal social media pages. This implies that the account is an official Texas Wesleyan account.
• It is okay to share Texas Wesleyan news and events on your personal pages if you are linking to a news story or event posted on txwes.edu.
• Avoid using Texas Wesleyan’s name or logos to promote or endorse any product, cause, political party or candidate. 
• Do it on your own time.