Social Media
Digital Communications and Marketing team manages the university's official social networks. We use these tools to engage the university community, alumni, parents, fans and prospective students. We also see them as a valuable place to tell the Radford University story.
We also:
- Develop and update the university's social media guidelines, social media guidelines for personal accounts and social media community guidelines.
- Update and maintain the university's social media directory.
- Help departments develop their own social media strategies.
- Produce content for social networks.
- Support recruitment and alumni efforts through targeted social media campaigns.
- Track and measure community engagement, site traffic, SEO and feedback.
- Make a strategy - Establish a social media strategy by identifying the social account’s purpose, defining the target audience and specifying goals.
- Stay on brand - Before creating an official social media account, make sure to review Radford University's Brand Guide or schedule a consultation with the social media coordinator at rusocial@radford.edu
- Designate administrators - There should be two administrators at minimum per social media account, one of whom should be a full time employee. If the social media platform only allows for one administrator, use a generic or shared Radford University email account.
- Student workers and interns that are designated administrators should have all posts reviewed and approved by supervisor before being published.
- If a designated administrator has left the university, remove the administrator immediately.
- Verify social media accounts - Accounts that cannot be verified should contain a brief description in the bio stating the profile’s affiliation with the university.
- Consider the audience - Refrain from publishing content that may be considered alienating to a broader audience.
- Post frequently - A minimum of one to two posts a week is strongly encouraged.
- Monitor content feed carefully - Always exercise respect for other's opinions and ideas; however, malicious or profane speech should be promptly documented and then removed per the university’s Social Media Code of Conduct.
- Any threats made online should be immediately reported to the appropriate supervisor(s) then University Relations (webcomm@radford.edu or 831-7678 or 831-6971) and the Radford University Police Department.
- Refrain from responding to trolling or satirizing comments. Comments with inaccurate information related to Radford University should be brought to the attention of University Relations (webcomm@radford.edu) who may work with you to develop an appropriate response when necessary.
- Create a dialogue - Respond to inquiries as soon as possible.
- Questions outside of an administrator’s expertise should be directed to University Relations (webcomm@radford.edu).
- Make responses personalized to encourage an engaged audience.
- Questions outside of an administrator’s expertise should be directed to University Relations (webcomm@radford.edu).
- Guarantee accuracy - Verify information and sources before posting content online. Considering citing sources when appropriate.
- Correct inaccurate information as soon as possible. If assistance is needed, please contact University Relations for assistance.
- Correct inaccurate information as soon as possible. If assistance is needed, please contact University Relations for assistance.
- Strive for authenticity - Keep shared content relevant, timely and genuine. Authenticity helps to build an active and engaged online community.
- Understand legal limitations - Do not post erroneous content, content that could be considered a copyright infringement, content that could be in contradiction to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) laws or that could be considered proprietary information.
- Represent the university’s ethics - Strive to uphold the university's mission, vision and values while representing the institution online. Ensure that all accounts reflect Radford University’s Code of Ethics.
- Pay attention to updates - Stay current with the Terms of Service and other policies on social media sites.
- Contact us - When in doubt, contact the Social Media Coordinator at rusocial@radford.edu with any questions or concerns you may have.
- Privacy settings do not guarantee privacy - Treat each post as if it will become public, as it easily could with a simple screen capture.
- Sharing affiliation - Employees of Radford University may share their affiliation with the university as long as it is clear that any ideas expressed on personal pages do not represent the university and are solely those of the individual.
- Avoid misconceptions - Radford University logos should not be used as profile pictures or icons on personal pages.
- Online safety tips - Refrain from revealing personal information online whenever possible. Identity theft can result when individuals divulge too much personal information. Refer to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information webpage for more information on online security.
Radford University encourages questions and feedback from the campus community and other university stakeholders. When posting on the university’s social media, please, be respectful of other users.
Radford University reserves the right to monitor, edit, hide or delete any inappropriate comments made on official university social media profiles. Radford University may block or ban any user that posts unlawful, fraudulent, threatening, defamatory, obscene or otherwise objectionable materials. This may include but is not limited to:
- Spam and other unrelated solicitations
- Threats of any type
- Racial, ethnic, sexual, religious and physical disability slurs
- Advertisements
- Expletive, foul or obscene language
- Personal attacks
- Unapproved third-party page links
- Offensive images
- Unauthorized endorsements or promotions