Social Media Guidelines & Best Practices

Marketing & Communications

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Advantages of Social Media for University Units

• Audience reach: Leverage social media’s wide reach to increase awareness
• Multimedia engagement: Use photos, videos, and stories to communicate messages more effectively than traditional emails or flyers.
• Transparency: Social media offers a more open and informal way to communicate, helping us appear approachable, honest, and accessible.
• Targeted messaging: Different platforms attract different demographics—choose the right ones to effectively reach your target audience.
• Real-time updates: Share news, events, deadlines, or alerts instantly.
• Drive website traffic: Encourage clicks to web pages, event registrations, news, etc.
• Quick support: Provide fast answers to questions via direct messages or comments.
• Build reputation: inform external perception and enhance credibility and trust.
• Showcase work: highlight the achievements, activities, research, projects, awards, and successes.
• Show the human side of the institution: Amplifying the faces & stories of current students, faculty, staff and accomplished alumni helps the audience connect and engage

Social Media Audiences

BANDWIDTH

Do I have the time and capacity to consistently update and monitor the account?

CONTENT

Do I have enough content to consistently post?

PLATFORM

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Who are you trying to reach, and are they active on the platform?

AUDIENCE

Which platform would be best suited to reach your desired audience?

SHOULD I START A SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT?

PRIMARY AGE RANGE

POST LIFESPAN

POPULAR AMONG

CONTENT THAT PERFORMS WELL

45+

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~6 hours

• Faculty/staff
• Friends & family

• Events
• Student stories
• Research updates

PLATFORM

GUIDELINES:

FACEBOOK

Example of High-Performing Facebook Posts

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Why these posts perform well on Facebook:

• Trendy content
• Student-focused
• Call-to-action
• Broad related hashtags

PRIMARY AGE RANGE

POST LIFESPAN

POPULAR AMONG

18-45+

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~24 hours or up to weeks later if viral

• Industry
• Faculty & staff
• Students

• Awards/recognition
• Events
• Big announcements
• Industry expertise
• Longer, in-depth posts

PLATFORM

GUIDELINES:

LINKEDIN

CONTENT THAT PERFORMS WELL

Examples of High-Performing LinkedIn Posts

Why these posts perform well on LinkedIn:

• Long, storytelling caption
• Recognizing success or a big accomplishment

PRIMARY AGE RANGE

POST LIFESPAN

POPULAR AMONG

25-40

~15-18 minutes

• Faculty
• Industry
• Students

• Breaking news
• Research
• Trending/specific topics
• Live-posts
• Event promotion

PLATFORM

GUIDELINES:

X (TWITTER)

CONTENT THAT PERFORMS WELL

Examples of High-Performing X (Twitter) Posts

What these posts do well:

• Brief, but informative caption
• Real-time post at an event
• Tagging faculty accounts
• Includes visuals
• Clearly visible shortened-link

PRIMARY AGE RANGE

POST LIFESPAN

POPULAR AMONG

18-35

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~24-48 hours

• Students
• Friends/family

• Strong visuals
• Student content
• Awards/recognition
• Events
• Short-form video
• Trends

PLATFORM

GUIDELINES:

INSTAGRAM

CONTENT THAT PERFORMS WELL

Examples of Instagram Posts

What these posts do well:

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• Student-focused content
• Taps into a popular trend on Instagram Reels
• Strong visuals
• Uses broad hashtags

PRIMARY AGE RANGE

POST LIFESPAN

POPULAR AMONG

18-34

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Instant decay unless viral, then it can stay relevant for months

• Students
• Friends/family

• Trends
• Student content
• Events
• Trends

PLATFORM

GUIDELINES:

TIKTOK

CONTENT THAT PERFORMS WELL

U of M TikTok Account

Youtube Best Practices

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• Titles: Incorporate important words into the titles and descriptions of your videos so that users are more easily able to find your content first when searching. Consider titling your video as a question: videos with titles composed as a question tend to have some of the best search results. Put any call to action or URLs at the top of your video description.
• Captions: uploading captions or correcting the auto-captions created by YouTube can make your video more accessible for those who are hard of hearing.
• Thumbnails: should be appealing, relevant and eye-catching.
• Playlists: organize your videos on your channel main page by topic (or another relevant identifier).
• Timestamps: YouTube timestamps are like breaking your video into chapters. It allows viewers to skip around to the sections they’re most interested in. Best used for longer videos.
• Promotion: increase video views by linking to it in social media posts.

*Taken from Sprout Social 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report

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WHEN SHOULD

I POST?

Content Ideas

• Department/program’s unique advantages, opportunities, and campus culture
• Medical student/resident experience and culture
• Rankings
• Alumni, student and faculty profiles
• Research findings
• Faculty and student awards or accomplishments
• Articles that faculty or students are quoted in
• Faculty speaking engagements and event appearances
• Amplification of Medical School’s content/posts
• Holidays and health awareness days/months
• Event promotion/pictures before, during and after
• Promote opportunities for faculty and students

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Copy/Language Guidelines

Keep brief & light but informational

Break content out into bite-sized pieces

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• Think about your audience(s) and use words they understand/use
• Use a strong call to action
• Avoid acronyms or jargon that are not broadly understood
• Be concise and make content easy to scan
• Posts should have a conversational quality. Avoid promotional or gimmicky language.
• Use keywords in your caption so that your post is optimized for search within the platform
• Use hashtags wisely. 1-3 is usually enough.
• Ask yourself: What would make this interesting or inspiring to our audience?

DOES IT ALIGN WITH MISSION?

DOES IT HAVE A BROAD APPEAL?

WHO IS MY TARGET AUDIENCE?

WHAT IS MY GOAL?

Does the content accurately represent your community/mission/goals?

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Is the content too niche? Is it relevant to a broad audience?

• Students
• Faculty
• Staff
• Alumni
• Minnesota community
• Other

• Web traffic
• Engagement
• Video views
• Awareness
• Event promotion
• Other

ASK YOURSELF BEFORE POSTING:

Visual Guidelines

• Use photos, video, and graphic elements to make your content stand out!
• Note that photos and videos often outperform graphics on social media—especially when they feature people and faces.
• Videos/Photos should be high-quality, but do not need to be professional
• Candid iPhone/phone photos/videos work well and usually seem more authentic
• While stock images can work, avoid and use original images
• Obtain patient permission before posting photos/videos of them (HIPAA consent form)
• Graphic/Image Sizing:
• Social Media Image size guide
• Social Media Video size guide
• Adobe Free Image Resizer
• The Medical School’s graphic design team can help create graphics or give feedback on your graphics! Contact through the form here.

UMN Brand Requirements: Profile Images & Naming

• All UMN social media profiles are required to use the “Block M” in their social media profile picture. Only the Block M can appear in a profile image, no wordmarks or logos are allowed. Download the required profile picture here.

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• Use "University of Minnesota" as part of your profile name. If space constraints exist on a site, use "UMN" as the first letters in the name.

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UMN Brand Requirements: Wordmarks

• A unit wordmark includes both the University's name and the individual unit being represented.
• The current Medical School unit wordmark combination can be found in this folder.
• If you plan to use your unit’s wordmark in your social media graphics, make sure you are using the proper version with a solid single color block M and your unit name. Please submit our Marketing and Communications Request Form if you would like to confirm that you are using the correct wordmark for your unit.
• Note that “Driven to Discover” should no longer appear in wordmarks.
• Do not use wordmarks as your profile picture. Only the Block M can appear in a profile picture. Download the required profile picture here.
• Do not create your own logos.

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Unit wordmark combination examples:

UMN Brand Requirements: Color Palette

Primary Colors

UMN Maroon and Gold

Secondary Colors

Neutral Colors

To be used very sparingly as accents and highlights, do not use as a main color theme. Should occupy no more than 10% of any design.

When putting together graphics, units must utilize this color palette for cohesive branding across the entire University System. Maroon and gold will be your go to colors, with grays and the tertiary colors used sparingly as accents to add interest or draw attention to something. Do not overuse neutrals and secondary colors in your graphics.

Visual Guidelines: Examples

Title

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation.

Tapping into Trends

• What are they? Social media trends are popular topics or behaviors that gain a lot of attention on social media platforms. These trends can include memes, discussion topics, challenges, and short-form videos.
• Engagement booster: The platform’s algorithm favors trending content, making it a great way to attract new followers and expand your reach.
• Instagram-friendly: While trends can thrive on all social media platforms, they perform especially well on Instagram and TikTok.
• Find a balance: Make sure to balance trendy posts with your regular content.
• Choose wisely: Select trends that are appropriate and non-controversial.
• Align with goals: Make sure the content aligns with your goals, and U of M identity and values

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Risks of Social Media

• Reputation and credibility: While social media can help your reputation, it can also harm it. Social media can be informal, but don’t be deceived: even one social media post has the power to change your public image. Opinions spread quickly through social media. Have a response plan when crisis occurs.

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• What’s said on social stays on social: Posts may remain public even if you modify or delete them. Always pause and think before posting.

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• Inconsistency: Inactive social media pages may reflect poorly on you. The best way to avoid an inconsistent online image is to create a social media plan and stick to it. Know the platforms that are worth using, and the ones that can be avoided.

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• Internal/External Information: Consider the sensitivity of the information you post. Regardless of the number of followers your page has, information posted should be considered public.

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What Not to Post on Social Media

• Opinions on controversial or political topics
• Copyrighted or trademarked material: Images, videos, audio, and other intellectual property may be protected by copyright law. Evaluate your sources and provide appropriate attribution.
• Medical advice: Direct health-related questions to an appropriate hospital or clinic patient line.
• Commercial promotions that imply University endorsement
• Responses to negative comments
• Confidential, private, or protected information: See the next slide for more information.
• Review more guidelines from University Marketing Communications here.

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HIPAA and Protected Health Information (PHI)

• Disclosing confidential patient and research participant Protected Health Information (PHI) is a federal offense, unless given authorized written permission (HIPAA consent form).
• Under no circumstances should photos of patients, research subjects, volunteers, or cadavers, including photos depicting any body parts of these individuals, be displayed unless specific written permission to do so has been obtained. (including plastinated organs)
• Faculty, staff, students, and affiliated residents and fellows should never publicly make comments about the care of a specific patient, especially online.
• Even acknowledging the care of a patient is an unacceptable disclosure of PHI.

Music/Audio Copyright Rules

• On Instagram, TikTok & Facebook: You can use copyrighted music only if it's available directly within the platform’s music library. These platforms have licensing agreements with music publishers that allow users to legally include certain audio in their content without risking copyright violations.

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• On X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram when using your own original audio in videos: You cannot use copyrighted music. Only use royalty-free music or music you have the legal rights to use.

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• General Rule: If a song or audio clip is already available within a platform’s built-in music library, you're generally allowed to use it. In these cases, copyright licensing is handled between the platform and the music rights holders—not individual users.

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• If You Violate Audio Copyright on Instagram Reels or TikTok: The platform will notify you. In most cases, the result is that your video will be muted until you replace or remove the copyrighted audio.

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• Do not use copyrighted material in paid/monetized social media content.

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Info current as of of 08/01/2024: (Info from UMN University Relations & Copyright Info Services)

Removing Comments and Moderation

Comments should not be removed simply because they criticize the University, a college, unit or individual.

Comments may be removed when they:

• Contain threats or credible safety concerns.
• Include hate speech, discriminatory content or targeted harassment.
• Contain personal attacks or abusive behavior.
• Constitute spam or commercial solicitation.
• Include political campaign activity.
• Violate applicable law or platform rules.
• Repeatedly disrupt use of the channel.

Apply moderation standards consistently. When a significant incident occurs, preserve relevant information and consult appropriate University resources.

Photo and Video Consent/Release Forms

• This webpage clarifies the exact University policy on when photo/video releases are required. *Note this guidance is for situations where no Protected Health Information (PHI) is involved.*
• When PHI is involved: under no circumstances should photos or videos of patients, research subjects, volunteers, or cadavers, including photos depicting any body parts of these individuals, be displayed without written permission.
• Feel free to use these consent forms:
• Use of Photographic Likeness Release Form
• HIPAA Consent Form or Media, Interviewing, Photography, and Recording (Medical School, UMP & UMF)
• HIPAA Consent Form for Media, Interviewing, Photography, and Recording (M Health Fairview)
• If the story/content you're creating features a patient that has received care at M Health Fairview, it's required to fill out both the MHFV and the Med School/UMP/UMF form.
• Retain the release as long the as long as the post is published on a social media page. If you delete the social media post, you can get rid of the release.

Accessibility

• Captions: If possible, videos should include captioning. If closed captioning is not an option on the platform, videos should include open captioning (text added in as graphics into the video file).
• Alt-Text: When possible, photos and graphics should have alt-text added via the platform’s alt-text option. This is especially important for graphics with text. (more guidance on Alt-text here)
• Plain Language: Use plain, understandable language in all posts, captions, and tweets. Avoid the use of acronyms and jargon. Aim at an 8th grade reading level if targeting a broad audience.
• Visuals: Follow accessible design principles in all graphics and photos shared, including color contrast, text size, and accessible infographic principles.
• Capitalize hashtags: When the first letter of each word is capitalized in hashtags, they become easily readable and screen-reader-friendly. #socialmediatips is harder to read than #SocialMediaTips and they both return the same results/are not case-sensitive.
• More guidance on the Office for Digital Accessibility’s page.

Measuring Performance

Joining New Platforms

• Analyze your performance on your current platforms and ask yourself:
• Are you seeing a major downward shift in performance on a platform?
• Is there a section of your audience that you are missing that can be reached on a new platform?

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• Avoid chasing new platforms simply because they are new, especially if they don’t improve outcomes.

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• Be willing to step away from underperforming channels. If a platform consistently fails to deliver, stop investing time and resources into it.

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• You don’t need to be on every social media platform to succeed. Focus on the platforms that actually generate return on investment and double down where performance is strongest.

Account Management

Accounts represent the University long after the person who created them has moved on.

Clear ownership and backup access keep an account from becoming an orphaned, outdated liability once someone leaves the team.

• Have clear ownership and appropriate administrative access.
• Maintain backup administrative access to support continuity when staffing changes.
• Keep account information and links current.
• Follow applicable University policies and platform requirements.

Leaving Platforms

If you decide to leave a social media platform, consider one of the following options:

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1. Keep the account live with a final post. Leave the page up, but publish a clear final message directing followers to your other active social channels. This approach allows you to maintain a presence, monitor for messages or mentions, and easily resume activity in the future if needed.
2. Permanently delete the account. This ensures the account is no longer vulnerable to hacking or misuse, and avoids confusion about your brand’s activity status.

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Avoid simply going inactive without explanation.

Leaving an account dormant without deleting it or guiding followers elsewhere can give the impression that your unit is no longer active or engaged, which may negatively impact your credibility.

Considerations for Smaller Units: Labs, Divisions, Centers, etc.

• Social media fragmentation happens when every small division, center, lab, or unit creates its own social media account. Instead of building a strong, centralized presence, the brand becomes diluted—scattered across numerous low-activity or low-following accounts.

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• Social media consolidation takes the opposite approach: fewer, more strategic accounts represent larger entities (e.g., one for a department, one for a school). Sub-units contribute content to these main accounts, creating a more unified and impactful presence.

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Smaller units should carefully consider whether they have enough consistent content to sustain their own social media channels and whether their audience is truly distinct from that of the main department account. In many cases, sharing content through a larger, established account can help reach a wider audience and increase engagement.

Considerations for Student-Run Accounts

Student-managed social media accounts—particularly for residency programs—can help provide a genuine and authentic glimpse into your program from the student perspective. However, it’s crucial to be aware of risks:

• Pre-Posting Approval: Consider a process in which all content is sent to the corresponding residency or department manager for review before posting.
• Training: Make sure they are aware of all social media best practices, rules and risks.
• Transparency Matters: Include a disclaimer in the bio, such as “This is a student-run account,” to ensure viewers understand the account’s nature and that content reflects student perspectives.
• Risk to Reputation: Remember that you granting student managers the ability to shape the external perception and reputation of both your program and the University of Minnesota as a whole. Therefore, fostering trust and providing thorough training for these students is essential to ensure they represent your program effectively and positively.

Summary of UMN Social Media Rules

1. Use "University of Minnesota" as part of your profile name. If space constraints exist on a site, use "UMN" as the first letters in the name.
2. Use this University-required Block M graphic as your profile picture.
3. When creating and posting graphics, units must utilize this color palette for cohesive branding across the entire University System.
4. Review UMarComm’s Social Media Guidelines and Codes of Conduct.

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Paid Social Media Campaigns

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Our team can help you develop and launch a paid digital marketing campaign designed to achieve your communication goals!

We can support your campaign from start to finish, from setting up the campaign and creating compelling ad graphics and copy to managing the campaign on your behalf.

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Platforms:

• Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram)
• Google Search Ads
• LinkedIn Ads

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Use Cases:

• Study participant recruitment
• Residency/program student recruitment
• Event promotion
• Increasing website traffic, video views, & more!

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Fill out the Marketing and Communications Request Form if interested!

More Resources

• Our up-to-date social media resources are available to you on our Intranet: “Resource”
• Select “Working at the Medical School” > “Marketing & Communications” for resources
• Find social media guidance from University Marketing Communications at: U MarComm’s Social Media Resources

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Please reach out to Kathryn Larson (richn021@umn.edu) with any social media questions.

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Submit to our Marketing and Communications Request Form for social media amplification from the Medical School accounts, media requests, graphic support and more.

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More social media guidance: U MarComm’s Social Media Resources

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