Our goal is to help every Winona State social media account succeed. These best practices reflect what MarComm has seen work across platforms and audiences and are meant to support you as a content creator. Use them as a guide as you plan, create, and publish content that’s engaging, on-brand, and meaningful to your community.
Top 10 Universal Best Practices
1) Know Your Audience
Tailor content to whatever your audience is (students, alumni, faculty, or prospective students) and use language and visuals that speak to them.
2) Engage Authentically
Respond to comments, ask questions, and encourage interaction. The algorithm will reward accounts that are building community and hinder ones that aren’t.
3) Use Clear, Accessible Language
Avoid jargon and acronyms unless explained. Assume your audience knows nothing.
4) Be Consistent
Maintain a consistent tone and visual style across platforms so your audience knows what to expect.
5) Prioritize Visuals
Use photos and videos over graphics or text-heavy images. When using graphics, make sure they’re accessible with alt text, are able to be read in 5 seconds, and are visually pleasing – and on brand with colors.
6) Write Captions Strategically
Put the most important info first to avoid it being cut off with the “see more...” button.
7) Validate & Redirect Negative Comments
Acknowledge concerns, share policy briefly, and offer a contact for follow-up.
8) Use Emojis Thoughtfully
Emojis enhance tone but don’t replace punctuation. Never end a sentence with one and not a period. 😉
9) Plan Ahead
Use a content calendar with themes (events, student spotlights, tips, etc.) to stay organized.
10) Track Performance
Use platform analytics to see what works and adjust your strategy accordingly. Reach out to the Digital Content Manager (Tesla Mitchell) for an Excel spreadsheet to track your analytics.
Platform-Specific Best Practices
Instagram
- Post authentic visuals: Real campus photos are better than stock images or graphics.
- Use carousel posts: Great for event recaps or multi-part stories/graphics
- Prioritize Reels: Tap into new audiences by making Reels
- Captions: Front-load key info (first 75 characters matter most).
- Stories & Reels: Boost engagement with quick updates, polls & engagement questions, behind-the-scenes content, or student takeovers.
- Hashtags: Use branded and relevant hashtags to increase discoverability.
- Profile: Use a clear bio, branded profile picture, searchable handle and with Call To Action link.
- Know the active audience: Gear content toward current students, young alumni, and prospective students
Facebook Best Practices
- Post longer updates: Keep the first sentence engaging -- it's what users see first – but feel free to have longer captions than on other platforms
- Use events: Promote campus happenings with Facebook Events.
- Know the active audience: Gear content toward parents, faculty/staff, community, and a small amount of prospective students
- Post blogs: Facebook’s audience isn’t opposed to reading –- so feel free to post blogs here!
- Keep a friendly tone: The more casual and friendly you sound, the better – while still making sure everything is spelled right.
TikTok Best Practices
- Keep it short & authentic: 15–60 seconds max. Phone quality cameras work best.
- Follow trends: Use trending sounds and challenges to increase reach.
- Focus on entertainment: If it’s funny or has a strong hook, it’ll do well on TikTok
- Show campus life: Day-in-the-life, dorm tours, or quirky traditions.
- Post consistently: Even once a week can yield strong engagement.
- Know the active audience: Gear content toward prospective students and current students.
LinkedIn Best Practices
- Highlight achievements: If it’s bragging points, it’ll do well – us looking good, makes our alumni look good.
- Use professional tone: Keep it polished and informative. Thought leader commentary does well here.
- Post job/internship opportunities: Great for current students and grads.
- Post from a leader’s profile: A spokesperson or leader has a more engaged profile – people want to connect with humans, not organizations on LinkedIn.
- Know the active audience: Most users have a bachelor’s degree. Alumni and adult learners are here.