Before Creating a New Account
Social media should be one part of a larger communication strategy. Before opening a new account, consider:
- How will this account help advance your department or program’s goals?
- Who is the primary audience and what platforms do they use?
- Do you have enough content to maintain consistent posting year-round?
- Who will coordinate the account daily?
- Could your goals be achieved by partnering with an existing University account instead of creating a new one?
If the account will not be regularly updated, monitored and maintained, consider using other campus channels or collaborating with Strategic Communications & Marketing (MarCom).
Develop a Plan
A thoughtful plan provides structure and prevents burnout. As you prepare:
- Define goals and key messages.
- Identify your primary and secondary audiences.
- Determine content types and posting frequency.
- Establish how you will measure success.
- Review accessibility, branding and legal requirements.
Planning early ensures your account can be sustained throughout the academic year, even during peak workload periods.
Choosing the Right Platform
Choose the platform that best supports your goals and reaches your intended audience. Think about who you want to reach. Are you trying to reach prospective or current students, share accomplishments with alumni or draw the public to events or activities? Your goals and your audience will help determine the best social platform to start with.
- Instagram: A highly visual platform popular with younger audiences including current and prospective students, alumni and the community.
- Facebook: A strong platform for building community conversations and engaging alumni and the public.
- LinkedIn: A professional networking space ideal for reaching alumni, employers and industry partners and for highlighting accomplishments, internships and professional opportunities.
- TikTok: A short-form video platform popular with younger audiences where creative, authentic content performs well.
Choose a Coordinator & Backup
Every account should have:
- A primary coordinator who manages posting, monitoring and engagement.
- A backup coordinator who can step in when needed.
- Both individuals should be full-time University employees. Student assistants may contribute content but should not be the sole administrators.
A member of the MarCom team may also serve as a secondary administrator to provide backup access, so the account does not get locked out.
Create the Account
When setting up a new account:
- Use a shared departmental email, not a personal email.
- Follow University naming and branding guidance.
- Ensure at least two full-time employees have administrative access.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication and strong password protection.
- Build your profile using clear imagery, descriptions and links to University resources.
Begin with one platform. Evaluate your capacity before expanding to others.
Register Your Social Accounts
All social media accounts managed and coordinated on behalf of a campus department, program or unit are required to be registered with MarCom. Registration also helps ensure brand alignment, security, accessibility and support.
How-To Set Up Accounts
These guides provide basic instructions for setting up accounts for University departments, programs, offices and affiliated groups. Before creating any account, please ensure you have watched the training video, developed a plan and identified both a coordinator and backup administrator.
- Download the Instagram app on your mobile device or visit instagram.com on your desktop.
- Select “Sign up” and create your account using your shared department or program email (not a personal email).
- Choose a username following naming standards.
- Enter the full name of your department or program in the “Name” field.
- Add a profile photo that represents your unit (do not use the University shield unless you are a central MarCom-managed account).
- Add a bio that clearly identifies your department, program or group and includes your disclaimer if appropriate.
- Link to your official Stanislaus State webpage.
- Switch to a Professional Account, which provides analytics and additional tools:
- Go to Settings > Account Type and Tools > Switch to Professional Account
- Choose Business as your category
- Begin following related Stan State accounts and organizations in your field.
- If you also operate a Facebook Page, connect the two for easier cross-posting.
You must have a personal Facebook profile to create and manage a Page. Facebook requires real personal identities — do not create generic staff profiles.
- Log into your personal Facebook account.
- Visit: facebook.com/pages/create.
- Choose “Company/Organization/Institution > Education.”
- Enter the Page Name following naming standards.
- Add your profile image and cover photo following University branding guidance.
- Write a clear About section describing your department or program.
- Add your website link, hours (if applicable), location and contact information.
- Assign your coordinator and backup administrators under Page Roles.
- Connect your Page to Instagram if you plan to cross-post content.
- Once fully set up, register the account using the University Social Media Registration Form.
LinkedIn Groups work best for discussion, networking and affinity communities rather than outward-facing announcements.
Before You Begin
Ensure at least two administrators are assigned so the group remains accessible if staffing changes.
Decide:
- Who will serve as the Group Administrator
- Who will serve as Moderators
- What criteria determine Group membership approval
- What the Group posting guidelines will be
To Create a LinkedIn Group
- Log into your personal LinkedIn profile.
- Click “Work” in the top right corner > select “Groups.”
- Click “Create a new group.”
- Enter the Group name using approved naming standards.
- Add a Group description that includes:
- Purpose of the group
- Who the space is intended for
- A brief disclaimer (e.g., “Views expressed are those of the group’s members and do not represent official statements of Stanislaus State.”)
- Choose Privacy Settings:
- Recommended: Restricted Group (membership must be approved).
- Upload a Group image:
- Do not use official University logos.
- Use imagery or colors inspired by University branding.
- Set Group rules (posting expectations, respectful conduct, relevance to purpose, etc.).
- Add administrators and moderators.
- Invite initial members and begin posting content consistent with your mission.
- Download TikTok from the app store.
- Sign up using your shared department email.
- Choose a username that aligns with naming standards.
- Add a profile image, short bio, and link to your website.
- Switch to a Business Account for analytics.
- Create short-form, accessible video content aligned with your program’s goals.
- Add on-screen captions to all videos.
- Register with MarCom.
Measuring Success
Checking your progress can help you understand what resonates with your audience and where to focus your effort. A few simple indicators can show whether your account is meeting your goals.
Consider tracking:
- Growth: Are followers increasing steadily over time
- Engagement: Which posts generate comments, questions or shares
- Timeliness: When your audience is most active and responsive
- Top content: What types of posts perform best and why
- Trend patterns: Topics or formats that consistently spark interest
- Meaningful interactions: Helpful exchanges that support students or the community
Regular check-ins can guide your planning and help you decide when to adjust your content or posting approach.
Updated: December 05, 2025