Arts & Sciences

Social Media Resources

Syracuse University has resources and suggested guidelines for images in social media posts for a number of common networks. Please take note of these size guidelines for images in regards to social media.

Download social media graphic templates. Templates are available as PSD files, and text and images may be modified using Adobe Photoshop. 

Social Media Guidelines

Please refer to this guideline below when creating social media strategies. Have questions? Use our intake form.

Best Practices

The do's and don't's:

  • Be active. Update regularly. Quality over quantity. It’s better to have meaningful content than numerous posts that do not provide value for your audience.
  • Be social. Engage with your followers.
  • Make sure another person with strong proofreading skills reviews your content before posting.
  • Be accurate and purposeful.
  • Use relevant hashtags.
  • Always include a visual (photo, video, link, etc.) with your posts. Find University approved photos on MediaValet.
  • Monitor engagements, especially comments. Address negative comments. When responding to negative comments, be positive and understanding. Try to take the conversation offline, if possible, as every comment appears in the public eye. Have a statement in your “About” section stating how offensive comments will be handled.
  • Avoid personal opinion and endorsements.
  • Double check the account you are posting to. Make sure a private post does not end up on your public account, or vice versa!
  • Schedule smartly. Pay attention to key days and times of the day. For example, if your posts receive more engagement and reach more people in the late afternoon, do not schedule them for the mornings.
  • Get permission for images. Be mindful of copyright.
  • Correct mistakes. If you notice a typo or grammatical error in a post you’ve already published, don’t panic. On Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, you can go back and easily edit the post. Twitter is the only outlet in which you cannot go back and edit an already-published tweet. If needed, you can delete it and then post a corrected tweet.
  • Be supportive.
  • Respect privacy. Use direct messages when exchanging personal or contact info.
  • Have a social media plan. (see next section)


Consider these questions as you plan and evaluate:

  1. What are your unit’s goals? What does success look like?
    1. How will social media help to reach those goals?
    2. How will social media be integrated into your existing strategies?
    3. How will you track and measure your efforts?
  2. Who is your target audience?
    1. What do you want them to do or to know?
    2. What are their interests, demographics and relationship with your unit?
  3. What is your content plan?
    1. What types of content will you share? (articles, photos, graphics, videos, etc.)
    2. What information is most relevant to your audiences and the unit? Prioritize this content and eliminate superfluous information.
    3. How will you make the account social? How will you generate interaction?
    4. How often will you post?
    5. How much time will be spent on content and social media?
    6. Who will do the work?
  4. How will you monitor the account(s) and engage your audience(s)?
    1. How often will you monitor the account?
    2. When and how often will you engage with followers?
    3. Who will do the work?
  5. Which social media platform(s) are the best choice(s)?
    1. Which platform(s) do your audiences already use?
    2. Which platform(s) will best showcase your content?
    3. Which platform(s) align with your unit’s goals?
    4. Will the account(s) duplicate other efforts or segment audiences?
    5. Is there another unit or account with similar goals, audiences and/or content that you could partner with?
  6. Is your plan sustainable?
    1. Will your plan endure over the long-term? How?
    2. Will the plan be effective if the leader of this effort leaves the University?
    3. When and how often will you evaluate and measure your efforts?
    4. When and how often will you update the plan?

For more information on social media best practices and planning, visit: Syracuse University Social Media.

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