Social Media Instructions

Social Media—the First Steps

Thinking about getting on social media? We have some instructions to help you get started.

A social media network can be a great way to communicate with various Butler audiences and the public at-large, but it comes with a commitment of time, effort, energy, and strategy.

Before starting in on a social media platform, you may want to consult with us first. To inquire about creating a social media presence for your department, group, or area, please contact Katrina Youngs, Digital Content Manager.

Instructions by Platform

Facebook

Things to consider before getting started on Facebook:

Facebook is great. And, contrary to popular belief, it isn’t dead. But is it right for you? Depends.

Do you represent a college, campus organization, or athletic team? You could probably stand to have a Facebook fan page. Do you represent an academic department, faculty or staff organization, or annual event? It may make more sense to look elsewhere for ways to promote your group.

However, before you create a Facebook fan page, please consider whether or not it is the best platform to reach your audience. Often, an email, Butler Today post, post from the Butler University (Official) Facebook page or @butleru Twitter account (or another already-established account) may reach your audience (or a larger audience) more effectively.

To inquire about posting to the Butler University Facebook and Twitter accounts, contact Katrina Youngs.

Also, we strongly advise against creating Facebook Groups. The only functionality not served by a Facebook fan page is emailing users, but this functionality is served with listservs (for questions on listservs, click here).

How to create a Facebook fan page:
  1. Before creating a Facebook fan page, please get the necessary approval from your department/division head, also contact Marketing & Communications. Remember, you will be speaking for the University, so act accordingly.
  2. Marketing & Communications has created icons that can be used as social media profile and header photos. Contact Marketing & Communications for help customizing these icons.
  3. Before creating a fan page, you will need a Facebook account. You may use your personal Facebook account (it will not be displayed on the fan page).
  4. Per University Social Media Guidelines, please make appropriate Marketing and Communications staff page admins. This would include Katrina Youngs.
  5. When prompted for “Name of Page,” please make its name something easily identifiable (starting with “Butler University”).
  6. Under category, choose Local > Education.
  7. Post often! At least three times per week. Remember, photos, videos, and links to captivating content make the best posts. For more tips, visit the University social media guidelines and best practices.

Twitter

Things to consider before getting started on Twitter:

As Facebook’s younger, more-talkative sibling, Twitter is a wonderful way to quickly reach a lot of people. Before creating a Twitter account for your department/division/organization, let’s consider a few things.

Getting a Twitter account started and building an audience is difficult work that will take much time and effort. Twitter is not seasonal, it is a 24/7/365-day commitment. If you are not willing or able to tweet regularly (at least once a day) and participate in a meaningful back-and-forth, please reconsider creating a Twitter account. It must be said that Twitter is a two-way street. Responding to people is just as important as creating original content.

Oversaturation can also be an obstacle and our recommendation is to defer to the highest level. For instance, instead of creating @ButlerMusic, @ButlerDance, and @ButlerTheatre—each with potential overlap in audience and content—@ButlerJCA can better serve all of these areas without segmenting audiences. For the most part, singular academic departments should not have their own Twitter accounts, but should coordinate with the owner of the college’s account to promote programs.

Similarly, annual events should not have their own accounts. For instance, @ButlerHomecoming would only be active for a few weeks per year, whereas the office coordinating it, @ButlerAlumni, could be active all year. The use of hashtags are often the best strategy for event-related social media.

This can seem confusing and very limiting, but this all serves to focus our messaging and better interact with each audience. With any questions, please contact Marketing & Communications.

If you still qualify for a University-affiliated Twitter account, then let’s get started:

  1. Go to twitter.com and click “Sign up now” (use a department alias @butler.edu email address, so multiple people have access).
  2. For name, give the name of your department/organization/program. Please stick to “Butler(yourprogram)” or “ButlerU(yourprogram).” There are many other “BU’s” and we want to be clear that this account is from “Butler.” Though we may think of ourselves as “BU,” not everyone does.
  3. Marketing & Communications has created icons that can be used as social media profile and header photos. Contact Marketing & Communications for help customizing these icons.
  4. Per University social media guidelines, please share your login/password information with the Marketing & Communications Digital Contend Manager, Katrina Youngs.
  5. Now that you have a branded account, start following people! Follow Butler accounts and Butler students (they may keep themselves private, don’t take it personally). Follow similar organizations from peer institutions.
  6. Tweet at least once a day (this does not include replying to people, which you should do often). Retweet and favorite tweets. Download an app for your smartphone so you can stay connected away from your desktop. Some of the best conversations happen at irregular hours.

Instagram

Instagram, the best of all supplements:

Instagram is for when words just aren’t enough. There are many different ways to utilize Instagram: as a supplement for other social networks (provide photo content for Facebook/Twitter); facilitate photo contests; start hashtags (please use #BUtiful, it’s pretty popular); repost others’ photos (with permission); participate in cultural events (#tbt, or Throwback Thursday, for vintage photos, etc.).

Start that Instagram!

  1. Download Instagram app to your smart phone.
  2. Open Instagram and sign up with email account (use a departmental @butler.edu email account so multiple people have access).
  3. Choose username. If you have a Twitter account, try to make them the same username. For example @butleru is the username for both Twitter/Instagram.
  4. Per University social media guidelines, please share your login/password information with Marketing and Communications Digital Content Manager Katrina Youngs.
  5. Post photos as often as you can. There aren’t a lot of rules on frequency, so just share as you can!

YouTube

Let’s Talk about YouTube

With over 1 billion users, YouTube is the most popular way for people to share video with a large audience. That being said, we heavily discourage University groups from creating YouTube channels (with few exceptions: Athletics, CCOM, Student Affairs).

This is not to discourage departments from creating video content to share with the public. Please create video content. We encourage you to share this content with Marketing and Communications, so it can be put on the Butler University YouTube channel. This established channel has hundreds of subscribers, which will give you far greater reach and visibility than a newly created channel.

Want More?

Don’t see instructions for the platform you’re looking to use? No problem! Simply contact Katrina Youngs in Marketing & Communication for assistance.

Learn more about the Butler’s social media guidelines, best practices, tips, and more.