Social Media at Okanagan College
The following guidelines are in support of social media accounts that are related to the College. Okanagan College’s social media policy is available online.
New Okanagan College social media accounts
- In general, the College is not approving the establishment of any new social media channels as of Jan. 2023.
- If you feel your department needs a social media channel, or your department would like to archive an old social media channel, please contact College Relations Associate Director Kevin Parnell at kparnell@okanagan.bc.ca.
Using social media on behalf of Okanagan College
- When using an officially recognized social media channel, assume at all times that you are representing the College.
- Use a professional and platform-appropriate voice. If you are writing on behalf of your department, avoid using the first person narrative. Third person voice is most often the correct choice when representing any department or entity, other than yourself.
- Avoid discussing or speculating on internal College policies or operations. If you wouldn’t be comfortable speaking to the media about it – don’t include it on any social media channel.
- Spelling matters. Using abbreviations is appropriate at times but there is never an appropriate time for spelling errors.
- Strive for accuracy and think twice before you post. Privacy does not exist in the world of social media and posts can be shared at lightning speed. Search engines can uncover content and comments years after they are created. Ensure the content you post is factual and that you are comfortable with the content and how it will be considered in the future. You can be sued personally for what you write/post.
- When using or posting material that includes direct quotations, ideas, photos or videos, always include citations or links to the original material.
- Photos posted on social media sites can easily be appropriated or downloaded by visitors. If using a copyrighted photo, consider adding a watermark to the image or resize the image to 72 dpi and approximately 800 x 600 resolution to avoid print reproductions or large-scale online postings.
- Logos do not render well on certain social media platforms that are built to display photos (Facebook being one). Contact Public Affairs for the official OC Facebook logo or consider working with the College’s graphic design team to create a unique identity or image to represent your department or group.
- Avoid jokes and sarcasm – yes, even on April Fools’ Day. Tone can be difficult to determine online and jokes can be misconstrued as facts. Posts can go viral without benefit of complete context from where they were posted.
- Ensure that your content is relevant to your user or run the risk of turning them off.
- Consider carefully who or what your account will “friend” or “follow” in social media to avoid creating the impression that the College endorses that individual, cause or organization. This is especially important to consider in regard to political candidates and controversial organizations or events. It can also be an issue with regard to artists, individuals or issues.
- To achieve success in social media requires a high level of transparency. Your account may receive negative interaction from users. Public Affairs recommends avoiding engaging in online wars of words. Your audience is entitled to its opinion and social media may be the right platform for them to share their opinion. If you are unsure whether or not you should remove a comment or post, contact Public Affairs.
- Make use of analytics and tracking tools on social media platforms. Whether by Google analytics or through Facebook’s built-in analytics for pages, most social media accounts are measurable.
i) A better measure of engagement on Facebook is not the number of “likes,” but the number of comments a post or photo receives or the number of times it is shared. Relevant content that results in two-way communication is what matters. Best practices in Facebook indicate that posting to a brand page once or twice a week is the right amount for an audience. Over-posting can lead the audience to adjust their settings to prevent their news feed from being flooded.
ii) Best practices in Twitter suggest a much more frequent posting schedule than that of Facebook in order to build a connected and engaged community. Twitter followers want to hear from their connections on a more regular basis and are looking for different content than what they receive on other social media platforms. Don’t assume the content that works for one social media site will work for all. Tailor your communications to your audience and ensure they are platform-appropriate.