Social media networks and tools are an important way for Allegheny College to connect with and engage a wide variety of audiences — including prospective and current students, alumni, and the public. College Relations maintains institutional-level accounts on several social media platforms, and many Allegheny offices, departments, and programs also have accounts.
To assist with posting from official channels, College Relations has developed and curated the following guidelines and policies.
General Social Media Guidelines
Social media accounts representing Allegheny offices, departments, and programs should reflect the College’s voice and tone and brand identity, including guidelines for photography, video, and logo usage.
In general, the main keys to effective social media messaging are to be honest, thoughtful, personable, and respectful:
- Be respectful: Users can discuss and disagree with others, but remember to always be respectful of others’ opinions. Keep all discussion civil and thoughtful, and always remember that you are representing Allegheny College.
- Use patience: Remember that at times online communities can be volatile and it is best to always take the higher ground. Contact Marketing & Communications if you are unsure how to handle a situation or respond.
- Do not spam: You never want to sound like you are advertising and you don’t want to be repetitive. Submitting similar messages repeated will normally be ignored, and will turn people off to Allegheny College.
- Be accurate: You should always make sure you have all the facts before you post. If you make an error, make a correction quickly and publicly.
- Think before you post: Use common sense, and don’t be overly reactive with negativity. Exercise discretion, good judgement, and thoughtfulness.
- Be transparent: Do not attempt to hide who you are or what your affiliation with Allegheny College is.
Best Practices
- Use media: People love photos and videos.
- Be personal: As an Allegheny College representative, you should always be professional, but always feel free to allow your personality to show through. Tone should be conversational and personal.
- Ask questions: Submit content that is open ended and invites responses. Encourage others to comment on submissions.
- Know your audience: Post news, events, and items that are relevant to your audience. Anything that your audience finds irrelevant, they will almost always ignore.
- Add value: Contribute with your observations and experiences.
- Fresh content: Keep content interesting, new, and up to date
Account Names and Icons
Account names should follow the standard of “alleghenyname,” such as alleghenyideas and alleghenycareer. Do not include “Department” or “Office” as part of the name.
Account icons should be simple and clear. If an office does not have it’s own College-sanctioned logo — contact MarComm if you are not sure — there are two options for institutional departmental accounts, including academic departments.
- College logo icon: this icon is the main stacked Allegheny College logo, with the Bentley oval at top and “Allegheny College” stacked below it. It has a gold background.
- Photo of related building or space: departments can use a clear photo of their respective campus building. Contact MarComm if you have questions or would like assistance obtaining or choosing an image. Avoid images of staff or overcomplicated images that are difficult to decipher at a glance.
MarComm is in the process of communicating these standards to offices across campus. If you find your account is out of standard, please update or contact us for assistance.