Promoting on Social Media

U of GH Students' Accounts

To have your society events and activities shared on the official U of GH Students Facebook and Instagram, email your information and/or posters to Student Life at life@guelphhumber.ca.

Social Media Guidelines

Below is a list of guidelines you are expected to follow as a society executive:

  • Outline responsibilities for the executives or volunteers who will update content and monitor the site.
  • Choose appropriate photos, logos and other icons that represent your society. The University of Guelph-Humber logo cannot be used on social media unless authorized by a staff member. Student societies must consult with their Student Life Staff Advisor before using the U of GH trademark or recognized logo.

  • As a Guelph-Humber society, you act as a representative for the university. Maintain professionalism throughout your content. Refrain from posting content that contains profanity, dangerous or illegal acts, and use appropriate imagery only. Remember your posts are as public as a conversation with a newspaper reporter.

  • Verify the source of your information before you post, include attribution for subjective statements, and review your writing for accuracy and grammatical errors.
  • Be positive and constructive when responding to negative feedback. Protect your credibility by sharing information that will resolve the problem or concern, or by letting readers know you have directed the comment to someone who has the authority to resolve it.

  • Do not interact with or act against hate, abusive, harassment, bullying, or similar comments or direct messages. Screenshot what was written and report it to your Student Life Advisor along with the username of the individual(s) who made the comment. Any additional actions will be communicated to you.

Best Practices for Using Social Media

  1. Protect confidential information. Your job is to protect the privacy of students in all communication that is disclosed to you. This information should only be shared with your advisor, but not to be shared in your personal life or online.
  2. Respect privacy legislation and copyright laws. i.e. give credit where credit is due.
  3. Obey the terms of service of any social media platform employed. You can find Instagram's terms of service at https://help.instagram.com/termsofuse, Facebook’s terms of service at www.facebook.com/policies, and X’s at www.twitter.com/tos  
  4. Strive for accuracy. Post only information you have checked for accuracy and ask permission before posting photos of other people and/or comments attributed to others. Spell check and double-check dates.
  5. Be respectful of those who comment on your posts, even if you disagree with their comment.
  6. Be timely. One of the great benefits of social media is the ability to share information almost instantly, and this is also the expectation of followers. Respond to your followers’ questions in a timely manner.
  7. Separate personal from professional social media presences by keeping content about your personal life on your own profile. Professionalism within your personal accounts is still a part of your role as a society executive.
  8. Measure your results by using available analytics and tracking tools and use the data to update your social media strategies and goals.
  9. Know when to respond when you have been mentioned in a post. Is it a question or comment? Consider whether it is appropriate to engage in conversation.

Best Practices for Creating Content on Social Media

  • Define success: while views are the primary performance metric on Instagram (across Reels, feed, Stories, and carousels), are they the right measure for what you’re trying to achieve? Consider tracking retention, comments, saves, and shares as well. 

  • Recommended content dimensions: 

    • Instagram posts: 3:4 ratio

    • Instagram Reel and Story: 9:16, at least 1080x1920

    • TikTok video: 9:16 ratio

    • Facebook: 4:5 ratio

  • Video-first, vertical-first

    • Instagram: Prioritize posting Reels, Carousels and Stories

    • Add subtitles to all videos

  • Fast, strong hooks: engage audience in the first three seconds

  • Make sure to have SEO-rich captions. Use keywords in captions, bios, and on-screen text to improve discoverability

  • Ensure to use a consistent brand voice

  • Tag appropriate accounts to maximize reach

Canva Access

Societies have access to a shared Canva account for creating posters, social media graphics, and promotional materials.

To request access, contact your Society's Staff Advisor.