Social media channels are an excellent way to reach a variety of audiences. The Office of Marketing and Communication team is here to support individual departments and offices in the creation of social media accounts for engagement with internal and external audiences. As the managers of SUNY Poly’s social media pages and handles, we’re here to support you—from creating a channel for your department, generating content ideas, to dealing with a difficult situation. Managers of social media accounts associated with SUNY Poly must ensure that the following guidelines are followed:

• SUNY Poly requires that all university affiliated accounts register with the office of Marketing and Communications, follow the main institutional social media account, and be listed in our social media directory
• SUNY Poly expects all university-affiliated accounts to engage with its online community in a manner that is respectful, professional, and appropriate.  
• Follow existing SUNY Poly ITS policies: https://sunypoly.edu/its/policies.html
• Do not post private or confidential information that will violate the university, or its students, faculty, and staff. Social media content must adhere to FERPA, HIPAA, and NCAA regulations.
• Respect copyright information by not violating intellectual property rights of the university and others. Use only approved branding as determined by the SUNY Poly Office of Marketing and Communications.  
• Ensure that your affiliated social media accounts are secure.  
• Be aware of and adhere to the individual social media platforms’ rules and regulations

Getting Started

Are you interested in starting an account for your department or office? When thinking about implementing a social media platform, first identify your objectives.     

Are you looking to share information with the largest audience possible? The most effective strategy might be working with a university social media channel that has a large following that can push your information to the appropriate audience.

Are you looking to build a community and communicate with them on a regular basis? Great! Then starting a social media channel may be the right direction. You need to ask yourself a few questions: 

• What is my goal for creating a social media channel?
• What audience am I trying to reach? Where do they spend their time?  
• What type of content is your audience interested in? (photos/videos, articles, etc.)  
•  What platforms do you want to use, and do you have the capability to collect/produce content for each of these platforms on a consistent basis?
• Who will be running your accounts? Staff? Student workers/interns?  

Each social media network has its own distinct atmosphere and customs, and it's important to understand each platform before setting up a channel. Don’t feel that your office/department has to be present on every available social media platform. It’s better to have one or two social media channels that are updated regularly with rich content, than having multiple platforms that rarely get updated.

Excited to start your own channel?

Individuals interested in starting their own social media channel must fill out the Social Media Directory Listing Request Form. Once approved, the office/department channel will be listed on the SUNY Poly Social Media Directory. Individuals interested in creating the first and/or additional social media channel for their office/department should reach out to the office of Marketing and Communications for a conversation before filling out the request form.

Are you a student club or organization?

Student clubs and organizations are not required to register with the university. Recognized student clubs/organizations by the Center for Student Involvement can be listed on the SUNY Poly Social Media Directory by filling out the Club/Organization Social Media Directory. Below are some guidelines for student clubs and organizations.

• Share your club events with SUNY Poly – We are happy to share your events when able.  
• Tag the university on their official social channels – We want to share your content! Use #sunypoly when able.
• Help avoid “zombie accounts”.  Discuss a transition plan for your club social media channels.  Make sure that more than one person has access to the account, especially if members of your group are graduating.

Best Practices    

Social media is less formal than other forms of communication and has a strong emphasis on community building and brand engagement. Utilizing social media channels is crucial in helping departments/offices communicate with a wide range of constituents. Building a social media presence will take time and commitment, but the reward will be an effective communication channel with individuals who support SUNY Poly.

Beginner Checklist

• Rich content. Do you have enough content for your channel?  Is it engaging? Does it align with the goals of your office/department?
• Who oversees the social media channels for your office/department? Assign one or two individuals to create and post content to the platforms. The individuals should also monitor the account and respond to any comments as needed.
• Who is your audience? What are you trying to achieve? Are you choosing the correct platform to post?
• How often are you posting? Do you have enough content to post frequently? Followers need to form a routine of seeing your social content. If you’re not posting content on a consistent basis, it will be hard to build a routine.  
• Build a content calendar. This is a great way to plan out your continent weeks in advance for all your social media platforms.  
• Track engagement. What does success look like to you?