Social Media Frequently Asked Questions
Questions
- How do I become an authorized admin on one of our College’s existing social media channels?
- What does the admin access request process and timeline look like?
- How can I create a new social media channel to represent one of our College’s units, departments, labs, programs, people, etc.?
- What’s accessibility? How do I ensure my social media work is accessible for people with disabilities?
- I heard I can’t use social for my program anymore. Is that true?
- I want to promote my Extension work on social media. What do I post, where and how?
- I heard that I can’t post to my personal social media accounts about work stuff. Is that true?
- How do I get social media training?
- How do I get social media analytics for my program?
- Why do you ask for a sample post?
- I heard volunteers can’t be social media admins. Is that true?
- What’s the difference between an admin and a contributor?
- If I become an admin, does that mean I can’t be a contributor anymore?
How do I become an authorized admin on one of our College’s existing social media channels?
Complete the Social Media Request form, being sure to attach a sample post and content calendar.
What does the admin access request process and timeline look like?
The process has a few steps and takes about 10 business days.
- You submit the form, ensuring that it’s
- Complete, with a sample post and calendar
- Consistent with University and College policies
- Within five business days, we’ll:
- Review the form
- Send you our feedback
- Email your program leads and faculty supervisors for their OK
- Within five business days of receiving the go-ahead from ALL of your program leads and faculty supervisors, we’ll:
- Set up your social media access
- Email you with access info
Tip: For the shortest timeline, be sure your form is complete and consistent with policy before you submit it and give your program leads and faculty supervisors a heads up that their OK will be needed.
How can I create a new social media channel to represent one of our College’s units, departments, labs, programs, people, etc.?
Our College is approving new social channels, including for Extension programs, only when it would be of strategic benefit to the College to do so. In which case, complete the Social Media Request form, being sure to attach a sample post and content calendar.
What’s accessibility? How do I ensure my social media work is accessible for people with disabilities?
If something’s accessible, it means that it was designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use it. It is University policy that your social posts must be accessible to ensure that our programs are inclusive to all individuals.
- If it’s a photo:
- It’s a plain image with no text on it.
- Alternate (alt) text has been added for the image if the platform supports it, or an image description is included at the end of the post copy if the platform does not support alt text.
- If it’s a video:
- It has accurate captions.
- Anything important going on on the screen has been talked about out loud.
- If it’s text:
- It’s free of acronyms, jargons and abbreviations.
- It saves any mentions and hashtags for the end of the post.
- Its hashtags are camel cased, #LikeThisExample.
- It uses emojis sparingly, if at all.
I heard I can’t use social for my program anymore. Is that true?
Nope.
You can use social for your programs and have three options for doing so:
- Become an authorized administrator on one or more of our College’s social media channels and post content directly.
- Submit content to the communications team for posting to social.
- Do both!
I want to promote my Extension work on social media. What do I post, where and how?
See What do I post, where and how?: A brief guide for posting to Extension platforms.
I heard that I can’t post to my personal social media accounts about work stuff. Is that true?
Sort of.
Communications about our College must originate from one of our College’s official social media channels. This protects our employees from opening up their personal social accounts to public records requests, something that can happen when they use their own accounts to conduct University business.
Once the post is posted to the College’s channel, feel free to like, save and share on your personal social media accounts, if you’d like.
How do I get social media training?
- Read Social media strategy 101
- Email cabnrcomms@unr.edu to join our monthly 30-minute-long meetings for social admins and contributors.
- Email cabnrcomms@unr.edu with your questions or to ask for program- or county-specific social media training.
How do I get social media analytics for my program?
If you’re an admin, you have access to analytics directly. If you’re not an admin, email cabnrcomms@unr.edu for analytics-only access to our College’s social channels. Either way, you can also email us to learn ways to post to social that make tracking analytics easier.
Why do you ask for a sample post?
Sample posts help us gauge whether employees who post to social media will do so in a way that strengthens our College’s brand and is compliant with University and College policies on accessibility, copyright, public records and more. This helps us to reach ALL of the communities we serve with our work and to avoid legal liability. It also helps us identify additional social media training needs.
I heard volunteers can’t be social media admins. Is that true?
Nope. Volunteers can apply to become an authorized admin and/or submit content to the communications team for posting. The process for both is the same as for employees.
What’s the difference between an admin and a contributor?
An admin can post content to our College’s social media channels directly. A contributor sends in posts for our communications team to post. Admins can also be contributors. Contributors don’t have to be admins.
If I become an admin, does that mean I can’t be a contributor anymore?
Nope. See above.