As a major touch point with potential students, current students, parents, alumni, and fans, LSU’s social media accounts are where the university interacts directly with audiences. With this in mind, it is important to follow best practices to help better communicate with and inform your audiences.
How to Choose a Social Media Platform?
- Define your overall purpose.
- Define your audience.
- Define your level of commitment.
- Choose social media platforms that align with your goals.
Facebook
- 2.01 billion active monthly users
- 47.5% of users are ages 35-64
- 43.5% of users are ages 18-34
Instagram
- 700 million active monthly users
- 250 million active daily users of stories
- 59% of users are ages 18-29
Twitter
- 328 million active monthly users
- 37% of Twitter users are 18-29 years old
- 42% of 15- to 17-year-olds use Twitter
Snapchat
- 301 million active monthly users
- 3.5 billon snaps sent per day
- 79% of 13- to 18-year-olds use Snapchat
What Visual Content Works Best on Social Media?
- Gifs are repeating loops of video clips lasting 1 to 3 seconds before repeating.
- Images are worth a thousand words. They compel a viewer to stop and pay attention. Add a great caption for the specifics and you’re done!
- Videos 15 to 45 seconds in length are a great way to engage your audience and tell a story. See the video section for details on how to appropriately brand your video content.
What Copy Works Best on Social Media?
- Use short, concise copy.
- Make sure your copy is grammatically correct.
- Follow the brand voice of LSU and your department.
- Use a clear call to action in your posts.
- Tailor your message to each social media platform, keeping the audience in mind.
Copy length
Optimal copy length is different for every social media platform:
- Facebook - 280 characters (MAX – 5,000 characters)
- Instagram - 80 characters (MAX – 2,200 characters)
- Twitter - 140 characters (MAX – 280 characters)
Post Frequency
Optimal posting frequency is different for every social media platform:
- Facebook - 1-4 posts per day of different topics
- Instagram - 1-2 posts per day of different topics
- Twitter - 3-10 tweets per day, retweets included
When is the Best Time to Post?
While it is different for every social media account, there are general times to post:
Facebook & Instagram
- Lunch Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
- After-Work Hours: 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
Twitter
- Work Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Best Practices for Live Content
- Plan out stories that make sense to all users (Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat). For example, if you are covering an event for an Instagram story, set the scene at the start (either verbally or through text) and post items in chronological order. Setting the scene can be as simple as adding text to the start that says, “LSU Fall Fest 2020.”
- Make sure stories are concise – no more than 15 individual story posts in a day.
- Be mindful of audio and visuals (e.g., no foul language, no obscene gestures).
- Close caption Facebook live content after the broadcast has ended.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not link social media accounts. For example, do not push your Facebook posts to Twitter; your text would be cut off due to differences in character limits between social media platforms.
- Do not use the same copy on every platform. Adapt your copy based on platform, character restrictions, and target audience. Also be mindful of differing account/user names across platforms for tagging or other purposes.
- Be sure your images are not blurry or too small. Image size/dimensions should be at least 900 pixels x 600 pixels at 72 pixels per inch.
- Avoid using the same promotional image in consecutive posts. Audiences will begin to tune you out if you do not keep your content fresh. At the very least, alternate graphic images with similar copy. Keep the platform in mind; duplicative images would be obvious to users on Instagram because the repetitive content will be displayed in your grid.