Social Media

Applying Our Brand

SEU Social Media Guidelines

Social media is an integral part of our external image, as it is often the way someone will experience SEU for the first time — before they even decide to apply, visit, or connect in some way. This is especially true of prospective students.

Note: While the below guidelines were written with Instagram in mind, much of the same rules apply to other platforms, such as Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat — the phrasing on each platform may vary.

Accounts

Avatars & Names

Graphics

Audio

Text

Social Media Accounts

Social media is a great resource for SEU’s students and other audiences to receive information directly from SEU’s departments.

To streamline the SEU social media experience, SEU Creative will be asking for our community’s cooperation in consolidating the number of accounts and being more strategic with the remaining accounts.
Groups who currently maintain social accounts will be contacted to discuss plans moving forward.
Examples of categories of accounts that will remain include the main SEU accounts, Athletics, academic colleges, and certain organizations.
Note that all remaining approved accounts will be required to list @seuniversity (or the official name/tag of the main SEU account for that social platform) in the bio/about section to ensure that the account can be easily identified as part of our social presence.

New Account Approval Process

All SEU social media accounts associated with SEU must be discussed with, approved by, and created by SEU Creative. Requests for new accounts can be submitted here.

A few questions we will ask before creating a new channel include:

Who is the audience for this account, and is that audience already being communicated with via another channel?
- If so, would it make sense for the proposed new content to be shared by that other channel instead of creating a new account?
- If not, does another channel already exist that could fulfill your purposes? We may recommend a collaboration with the coordinators of an existing account.
Do you have the resources to regularly — and consistently — create and post content on this account?

SEU Creative is here to help with your social strategy, brainstorm content ideas, or create content! To meet with someone on our SEU Creative social team submit a request here.

Profile Images/Avatars & Account Names

All approved university accounts should adhere to the following account guidelines.

Note: you can download the approved profile images/logos below. Images should not be edited or added to.

Please do not use the SEU logo on a white background for your social account; that format is reserved for the main SEU social media channels.

Use your pre-approved logo as the social media profile picture to clearly identify your account.
- The approved social media logo may be different from the approved logo for other pieces.
- For example, colleges will use the all-white SEU logo on a red background.
Avoid adding text to profile pictures or using the logo with text. This is because text is often too small to easily read in the profile avatar, especially on a mobile device.
The account name is listed on your profile and on every post published by your account. So, there will be no confusion on the source of the post, even without the name of your group in the profile picture. See below for some examples.
For colleges and centers, the profile picture won’t include the name of the college or center. Instead, it will be the all-white SEU logo on the red background, and the account name will specify the college or center.
For athletics, the profile picture won’t include the sport. Instead, it will be the Fire logo and the account name will specify the team.
When uploading the profile picture, center the logo based on the shape of the avatar on that social platform (e.g. a circle on Instagram).

Social Media Graphics

While graphics can be a great tool to communicate information, it is important to be strategic with their use.

Keep the text to a minimum. Linking out to a webpage if more information is needed.
For Instagram, data shows that graphics perform best on Instagram Story, with less engagement on Instagram Feed.
When posting graphics to the Instagram Feed, be mindful of the other content being posted, so there is a variety of types, e.g. photos, videos, and graphics. (In other words, consider the aesthetic being created with the grid.)
Since most social media is most often used from a mobile device, do not use QR codes in graphics that are posted on social media. Instead, add the link to the website in the bio (or in the post on platforms such as Facebook).
Posting time-specific graphics (such as for an event) on Instagram Story is preferred over Feed. This is so that your feed/grid does not feature information that has a shorter “shelf life.”
Be mindful of the automatic cropping that happens within Instagram, and resize graphics as needed to ensure that all content is visible.
In most cases, posting a chosen graphic with a link in the body text is preferable on Facebook, instead of allowing Facebook to pull in the automatic thumbnail image from the shared link.

Social Media Audio

Adding audio to social media posts, especially on platforms such as Instagram/Threads and TikTok is a great way to boost engagement.

When doing so, it is essential to adhere to the following guidelines:

Ensure that songs of an explicit nature are not chosen.
(Quick tip: If the word “Explicit” or a letter E icon is used in the song description, it doesn’t belong on an SEU-associated account.)
Choose only songs/audio that align with the Mission & Beliefs of SEU.
Before using audio in your post, be sure to listen to it in its entirety, even if only a fragment is being used (in case the post is taken out of context).
Follow all rules of the social media platform regarding copyrighted material. For example, fragments of copyrighted audio might be able to be used on Instagram Stories by linking the Story to Spotify, however, the same does not necessarily hold true for Feed posts.

Questions? Send us a request and let’s discuss!

Social Media Text

When writing content to add to your social media posts, follow these guidelines.

Keep the content concise and to the point, while ensuring that the main topic of the post is explained (in case the reader does not choose to click provided links for additional information.)
Add the words “link in bio” as applicable to Instagram posts.
In most cases it is not necessary to include phrases such as “click here” or “tap to read” when providing a link. By providing a link, it is understood that following it will bring the reader to additional information.
Ensure that you are using the correct hashtags and/or tagged accounts. (If you aren’t sure, do a search before use.)
In captions, always use shortest version of URLs, without the https:// or www (e.g. SEU.edu/programs, not www.seu.edu/academics/programs).
Check your spelling and punctuation.
Refer to the SEU Editorial Guide for assistance as needed.
Avoid using excess exclamation points.
For variety and to increase your potential for higher engagement, avoid starting each post with similar phrases.