All proposals to create official Manchester University social media accounts must be submitted to the social media coordinator for approval prior to creation and inclusion in the social media directory. All social media accounts created on behalf of the University must be linked to a department’s administrative email account or an employee’s Manchester e-mail account. An employee may never use a personal email account to establish a University-related social media account. More than one University employee must have administrative access to the account. Administrative access will be terminated upon the employee’s separation from employment, reassignment to another job or for disciplinary reasons.

Social media accounts created on behalf of Manchester University are the sole property of the University. If a University department, club or organization account is linked to an individual person, that person relinquishes all rights to the account, unless they work with the social media coordinator to transfer ownership of the account.

Additionally, all social media accounts, new and existing, must follow outlined branding and best practices guidelines. Official accounts are prohibited from:
• Posting content that violates city, state or federal laws and regulations
• Posting or commenting on anything related to legal matters, ongoing investigations or litigation
• Using the University brand or name to endorse any view, product, private business, cause or political candidate
• Representing personal opinions as University-endorsed views or policies

Social media account administrators and the University social media team reserve the right to review and remove inappropriate content. 

Use of the Manchester University Name and Logo
• “Manchester University” is a registered trademark and the exclusive intellectual property of the University. The Manchester University name, logo or any other University images or iconography may not be on personal, organizational or departmental sites in a way that promotes a product, cause, or political party or candidate. Do not edit or modify logos.

• Brand guidelines for University logos must be followed at all times. Click here for more information about using University logos. Any questions related to usage should be directed to the Office of Marketing.

Media inquiries
Anyone responding to media inquiries on social media should first contact the director of communications and media relations.

Emergency Communications
• All crisis and emergency communications will be generated by the University crisis communication team, and will be posted on the main Manchester University Facebook and Twitter feeds with links to additional information.

• Departmental social media sites may never independently post emergency information without central coordination with University officials.

Maintain Confidentiality
• Posting sensitive or proprietary information about Manchester or personal, medical or financial information about students, alumni or employees is prohibited.

• Sound ethical judgment should be exercised, and University policies and federal requirements, such as FERPA, HIPAA, NCAA, and Title IX, must be followed. If a user needs clarification about how these laws and regulations apply, they should consult the social media coordinator before posting such information.

Respect Copyright and Fair Use
The copyright and intellectual property rights of others and the University must be observed. Click here to read the University Copyright Policy.

Be Aware of Liability
All social media users are responsible for what they post on their sites and the sites of others. Social media users have been held liable for commentary deemed copyright infringement, defamatory, threatening, proprietary, libelous, or obscene (as defined by the courts). Posts must be true, accurate and helpful, not exposing the University or the user to legal liability.

Respect University Time and Property
As stated in the Acceptable Use Policy, employees should use University computers and their work time only for University-related business. 

Be Accurate
Make sure that your posts are accurate and factual. It's better to verify information with a source first than to post a correction or retraction later. If you make an error, correct it quickly and visibly. Accurate spelling and grammar are critical when representing Manchester; ensure that you double- check everything you post.

Be Timely
Timeliness is one of the expectations of social media. Be prepared to respond quickly to new developments and announcements with relevant information on your site. Ensure that the messaging on social media is coordinated with other communication channels and events.

Accept and Monitor Comments and Replies
Social media is, and should be, a dialogue, not a monologue. Understand that not all comments and replies will be positive and respond to negative comments professionally, providing any additional information that may help resolve the issue. Regularly monitor and respond to comments and remove inappropriate comments or advertising for products or services not associated with Manchester.

Be Active
A social media presence requires diligent planning, managing interactions, and content creation. If you do not have the time or resources to check in on these sites for at least a few minutes each day and post fresh content at least once a week, reconsider starting a social media account at this time. An account with infrequent posts and low-quality content is a detriment to your department or organization as well as Manchester as a whole. If you start a social media account and then realize that it is neither meeting your needs nor the needs of your audience, it is best to close the account rather than leave it inactive. Link back to Manchester University content and pages whenever possible.

A good guideline is to post high-quality content at least weekly, year-round. If you are unable to make that commitment, consider sending content to socialmedia@manchester.edu for posting on Manchester’s institutional accounts. In the event that an account becomes inactive, the social media coordinator will take the necessary steps to help find solutions for more frequent postings or shut down the account.

Visual Content
Photographs should be high quality and sized appropriately for posting online. Click here for information about using Manchester photos. Photos from cell phones and tablets can be of acceptable quality as long as they are not blurry or pixelated. Images should not have logos from other competitor institutions. Do not post photos of non-enrolled minors without written parent or guardian consent. If contacted and asked to remove a photo by an individual for any reason, remove the photo promptly. Remember that the policies of Manchester University related to purchasing and using its images apply online as well as in print. Contact the Office of Marketing with questions. 

Click here to learn about creating videos for social media purposes.

1. Define your goals and the scope of the account.
1. Who is the audience?
2. Can you devote the time required to create content and manage the account?
3. What content can you create, and what will need to be student-driven?
4. What network will be used?
5. What will the name be? (You can check availability: http://namechk.com)
2. Set up a meeting with the social media coordinator to discuss your goals and the best social media networks for your purpose.
3. Fill out the Social Media Account Registration Form with account login information as a backup.
1. The social media coordinator will not manage the account, but is simply a backup if login information is forgotten or in the event of an emergency.
2. Accounts can only be registered to faculty and staff members and must use their Manchester.edu email addresses. Any account using the name, crest, or likeness of Manchester University cannot be registered to a student.
4. Email socialmedia@manchester.edu for help designing a profile photo and any cover photos or background artwork for the account. Dimensions for social media visuals can be found by clicking here.
5. Register for the account and start posting content. Only follow other appropriate users, nothing that reflects negatively on Manchester or does not fit our brand.
6. Once at least five good posts are made, begin advertising the account and work with the social media coordinator to coordinate promotions.
7. Measure success using built-in tools. Contact socialmedia@manchester.edu for help and more information.