Professional use of social media refers to the communication practices you engage in in an official capacity, posting content as an administrator of a page or in a similar institutional capacity. See best practices.
- Be Yourself. Make clear that you are an employee of the university, and never try to pretend otherwise in order to promote UALR’s interests. Users expect transparency, so be upfront about your role at UALR. Remember, however, that you are not an official spokesperson for the university. That capacity belongs to the PR professionals in the Office of Communications.
- Show affiliation. If you’ve been authorized to create a social web presence for your department, office, or organization, be consistent with the university branding (logos, images), and include links back to the ualr.edu domain.
- Respect others. Always take the high road, and be thoughtful in your response to negative feedback. Many times, it’s better to let the community come to your defense rather than engaging in an unproductive back and forth. Resist the urge to delete criticism unless it is clearly offensive. Deleting comments will only fan the flames and cause others on the sidelines to jump into the fray.
- Use a friendly voice. Be funny and casual. Don’t take yourself too seriously. The institutional voice can sometimes be interpreted as cold and unfeeling. Through social media, you have the opportunity for a human voice to come through.
- Respond quickly. If someone poses a question on your wall or as a comment to a post, provide an answer as soon as possible. There is an increased expectation of instant gratification on social networks, so check in often.
- Be credible. Part of being authentic means you’ll make mistakes. When you do, don’t remove the post, simply make the correction. Your followers will appreciate your honesty and your humanity.
- Maintain confidentiality. Do not disclose confidential information about UALR, students, or employees. If you describe a situation, use good judgment and make sure the individuals cannot be identified. Avoid sharing identification information (SSN or T numbers), passwords, or other personal data through social networks.
These guidelines assume compliance with branding standards set forth by the Office of Communications, the Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy established by Computing Services, and any other existing or future UALR policies regarding the use of technology, computers, internet, and electronic communications.
Note: Working hours must be used in a manner that is consistent with the university’s educational purposes and environment. Even if you are performing work-related functions through social networks, consider the time spent accomplishing these goals and make sure the return on that investment is the most efficient use of your resources.
