SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
Before jumping head first into the creation of your social media channels, you must define a clear strategy. The purpose of this document is to make sure that we avoid working in silos and that all members of the BU community are aligned with the University’s communications and marketing efforts and strategies.
The Communications Office must approve all new social media channels related to the University. To get approval for your social media channel (and be added in our Social Media Directory), please contact the Communications Office.
Here are some key points to consider in order to validate the pertinence of your channels:
Does a social media channel already exist?
Your group, faculty, department or association might already have a social media presence. Please refer to our Social Media Directory on our website or contact us at: socialmedia@ubishops.ca.
What are your objectives?
Objectives should link back to University or office/department goals, such as:
- Recruitment of students
- Recruitment of staff and/or faculty
- Improving customer service
- Decreasing marketing/advertising costs
- Increase promotion and attendance of events (athletics, Donald Lecture Series, shows, etc.)
- Promoting student life
- Increasing revenue (if applicable)
- Gathering/improving competitive intelligence
Other social media specific objectives to consider include:
- Enhancing Bishop’s University’s brand(s)
- Improving brand monitoring/management
- Generating and increasing social engagement
Who are your target audiences?
At Bishop’s University, target audiences can be made up of:
- Prospective students
- Current students
- Graduate students
- International students
- Parents of prospective and current students
- Faculty and staff
- Alumni
- Donors
- Public officials
- Corporations
- Media
- High School, CEGEP and College administrators and counsellors
What is your content management plan?
Creating social media channels is simple. However, inactivity may lead to a negative perception of your entity as well as the University. How many hours per week do you plan to dedicate to planning, managing, monitoring and engaging in social media? Successful Bishop’s University accounts update Facebook once to twice each day, Twitter several times. You need to have a plan of action that is manageable and scalable.
What type of content will you share?
What sort of content will you be sharing? Will your content be relevant to members of your new community or to the Bishop’s University audience at large? Creating and using an editorial calendar will help you plan and vary content.
What platforms will you use?
Which platform(s) will serve your audience and goals best? Please remember that, even if there are multiple social media channels to choose from, use only the ones that will suit your audience and your workload. Need help to demystify all the channels available online? The Communications Office will gladly guide you through choosing the right channels for your needs and goals.
Does an account already exist?
Does an existing account already cover the distribution of this information? Can you collaborate with other Bishop’s University social media accounts to get your message across instead of creating a new account and possibly dilute your messages?
Who will administer these accounts?
Who will create and maintain your social media site(s) on a regular basis? Who will be the main administrator of this account? Who will be the secondary administrator in case of illness, vacation, crisis or lost passwords? It is recommended that all institutional pages have at least two employees (including a full-time permanent employee) identified as being accountable for the management of the account.
What is your proposed page name and account username?
All new accounts should contain “Bishop’s University” or “UBishops” in its name unless otherwise discussed with the Social Media Associate.
When and how will you evaluate the success of your site?
Social media is more than likes and followers. It’s about engagement and meeting your objectives. How will you define success? How will you measure the success of your page?