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UCA Social Media Best Practices Guide

Cross posting

  • Not every post should be included on every platform. For example, a post that is targeted at students may not be the best content for Facebook or Twitter. Think about creating separate content calendars for each platform to make the most of your digital presence.

Emojis

  • Use emojis sparingly and thoughtfully, for both style and accessibility.
  • The use of emojis should match the account’s voice and the post’s content.

Hashtags

  • Use UCA-specific hashtags when possible. Examples include: #UCABears, #BearClawsUp, #UCAGrad, #UCADayOfGiving and #UCAHomecoming.
  • Avoid using hashtags that do not have a clear purpose. Avoid vague hashtags such as #Fall, #College, #Beautiful.
  • For clarity and accessibility for screen readers, always CamelCase hashtags with capital letters for each word, i.e.: #CamelCaseHashtags.

Imagery

  • Use high-resolution photos or videos for posts.
  • Place photo credit, if needed, at the end of the post.
  • Logo usage and color variations should be consistent with the guidelines outlined in the UCA Identity Guidelines in the Communications Toolkit.

Links

Memes

  • While enjoyable, content should remain UCA-centric.

Mentions

  • When active UCA-related accounts are related to the subject of a post, reference those accounts when possible.
  • Give credit to submitted photos.

Mobile use

  • Be mindful when creating posts from your phone. To avoid typos and errors, review your post carefully and, if possible, have it reviewed by another person.

Point of view

  • To make content more engaging, use the “we” perspective as often as possible. (Example: Congratulations to our graduates! We honor your accomplishments.)

Post Frequency

  • Best practices dictate being consistent. Post regularly on each platform but prioritize quality over quantity.

Punctuation

  • Limit the use of exclamation points. Use an exclamation point to express excitement and friendliness.
  • Only capitalize the first word after a colon if what follows the colon is a full sentence.

QR Codes

  • Do not post QR codes. QR codes are not an effective tool for social media. Most users viewing your content are on mobile devices and cannot scan it. Use links instead.

Reposts

  • We encourage you to follow other UCA accounts and repost their content when possible.
  • Prior to sharing posts from students, employees, alumni and staff, examine the account to ensure it’s appropriate.

Scheduling

  • Schedule posts no more than two weeks in advance. Be prepared to remove scheduled posts at the first sign of crisis.

Trending topics and holidays

  • This can be an effective tool to drive engagement, but be sure to keep your content UCA-centric.
  • Think about what your audience needs to see from your page. Avoid random gimmick holidays that don’t relate to your mission.

Platform-Specific Best Practices

Facebook

  • Use photos, videos or other visual content when able to make posts more engaging.
  • Use clear, high-quality images and video
  • Delete the URL text from a post if displaying a link preview.
  • Keep post captions clear and easy to read. Use line breaks to separate longer captions of information.
  • Avoid using hashtags unless they serve a specific purpose, such as supporting a UCA campaign or event.
  • Tag relevant UCA pages and organizations when appropriate.
  • Review link previews, images and other aspects of a post before publishing to ensure they display correctly.

Instagram

  • Prioritize the use of high-quality images and videos that authentically represent UCA, its community and the campus experience.
  • Keep captions clear and purposeful, placing the most important information and the call to action at the beginning when possible.
  • Do not use links in Instagram captions. Instead, post the information as a story and include a link or use the caption to direct users to a link in the profile’s bio.
  • Do not use images that appear unnatural, and do not edit images to appear unnatural.
  • Be informative and concise in captions.
  • Avoid using text-heavy graphics that are overcrowded and busy. Important information should also be included in the caption or the user should be directed to a webpage.
  • Use relevant hashtags when they promote visibility, a university campaign, or are established hashtags connected to UCA (e.g., UCABears, UCAGrad).
  • Tag or mention relevant university accounts when appropriate.

X (Twitter)

  • Keep posts concise and place the most important information being shared early in the message.
  • Use @mentions when they are relevant to the content. Do not add a period before an @mention.
  • Use threads when additional context, information or updates cannot be communicated effectively within a single post.
  • Use photos, video or links when they add value to the message being shared.
  • Repost or quote content from university accounts when the content is relevant to your audience.
  • Only use relevant hashtags, and avoid overusing unrelated ones just to increase visibility.

LinkedIn

  • Focus content on professional and institutional storytelling, including academic programs, career outcomes, research, faculty and staff expertise, alumni accomplishments, partnerships and other topics relevant to UCA’s professional audiences.
  • Keep post copy clear and purposeful, placing the most important information early in the post.
  • Use high-quality photos, videos or other visual content when appropriate. Avoid relying exclusively on text-only posts.
  • Tag relevant UCA pages, partner organizations or individuals when appropriate.
  • Use a small number of relevant hashtags when they help identify the topic, campaign or conversation. Avoid excessive or unrelated hashtags.
  • Engage with relevant posts and respond to comments as the university account when appropriate.

TikTok

  • Use high-quality, vertical video in a 9:16 format whenever possible, and keep important subjects, text and graphics within the platform’s visible safe area.
  • Capture the viewer’s attention early and communicate a clear idea or story throughout the video.
  • Prioritize authentic content featuring real UCA students, faculty, staff, spaces and experiences. Content should feel natural to the platform while remaining appropriate for an official university account.
  • Use audio, voiceovers or music when they strengthen the content. Only use music and audio that UCA has the appropriate rights to use. TikTok’s Commercial Music Library should be used when appropriate for university content.
  • Include accurate captions for spoken content and review automatically generated captions before publishing.
  • Use on-screen text when it helps communicate or reinforce key information, but avoid overcrowding the video with text or placing text where it may be covered by platform controls.
  • Participate in trends, sounds, formats or challenges only when they have a clear connection to UCA and can be adapted appropriately for the university’s audience and brand.
  • Use relevant hashtags when they support discovery or connect the content to an established UCA topic, campaign or community. Avoid adding unrelated trending hashtags solely to increase reach.

YouTube

  • Create a clear and accurate title that communicates what the video is about.
  • Use a custom thumbnail that is clear and recognizable, and accurately represents what the video is about.
  • Include a video description that provides relevant context, links and other relevant information that may help the audience.
  • When appropriate, organize related videos into playlists that make it easier for viewers to find and navigate.
  • Use tags only when useful. YouTube prioritizes the title, thumbnail and description for discovery.
  • Always review the title, thumbnail, description, caption, video and links before publishing to ensure they are accurate and consistent.