Social media is a key tool for sharing campus news, engaging our community, and showcasing Charger life. UAH uses platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X to connect with current and prospective students, families, alumni, faculty, staff, and local partners. You can explore official and university-affiliated accounts in our Social Media Directory. If you manage a UAH-affiliated account NOT listed, please email social@uah.edu with the links. UAH may remove inactive accounts over time. Setting up new accounts If you’d like to set up a new social media account for your college or department, please follow these guidelines. NOTE: Anyone seeking to create a UAH-affiliated account must complete the Social Media Request Form for review and approval. Accounts created without prior approval by the Division of Strategic Communications will be subject to review, amendment and/or removal. Step 1: Determine if you need a social media account Social media is a great platform to expand your digital presence and reach your target audience. It also requires a clear plan and objectives to be successful. Here are some key questions to ask before getting started: Who is your target audience, and what are their needs? Knowing your audience helps guide content, tone, and platform choice. Who will manage the account? Keeping a social media presence active takes time and consistency. While multiple people can help create content, your primary manager should be a staff member—not a student worker or intern—to ensure stable oversight and control over account access as team members change. What is your plan for content? Decide if content will come from one person or a team, and establish a regular posting plan. Outline the types of content you’ll post (e.g., news, events, tips, behind-the-scenes), how often you'll post, and how content will be reviewed and approved. A content calendar can help keep things organized and consistent. Which platforms do you really need? Don’t try to be everywhere at once. Focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active. Starting with too many accounts can spread your team too thin and lead to inconsistent or unsuccessful pages. Do you already have an account? Before creating a new account, check with your department or team to verify that an account does not already exist. Step 2: Submit the Social Media Request Form To create a university-affiliated social media account, you must first submit the Social Media Request Form. Note: You must designate at least one full-time faculty or staff member as the account manager. Accounts may be co-managed by UAH students with supervision of a faculty or staff member. When possible, accounts should be associated with an entity-account University email address (example: omc@uah.edu.). Use of personal email addresses should be avoided. For additional details, view the Social Media Policy. Step 3: Set up your account Once your request has been approved, you may set up your account(s). Keep the following in mind: Follow the proper process for logo approval. You must complete the Permission for Logo Usage and Artwork Approval Form. Choose a handle that easily and clearly identifies who you are. Note: Student resource organizations (SROs) should follow Office of Student Life guidelines regarding naming conventions. Clearly identify your department in the bio and your relation to UAH. Once your accounts are active, send the profile link(s) to social@uah.edu for inclusion in the Social Media Directory. Step 4: Manage your account! As noted above, accounts may be co-managed by UAH students with supervision of a faculty or staff member. *You must designate at least one full-time faculty or staff member as the account manager. *Additionally, accounts must have at least two full-time University faculty or staff members with login information (user name and password) and account access at all times. For additional details, view the Social Media Policy. Create a consistent posting schedule and stick to it. When creating content, be sure the images and text are representing the University with integrity and following the University Brand Guidelines whenever applicable. Scroll down for additional social media guidelines and resources. Have a question? Email social@uah.edu. Social Media Guide Social media is about building community and having meaningful conversations. Know your audience and create content that speaks directly to them. Stay active, engaged, and intentional with what you share. These guidelines were drawn up using industry best practices, first-hand experience and user and content testing. They have been written in an effort to support and inform the UAH campus community. If your department has identified preferred modes of operation (ie. forwarding inquiries to responsible parties as opposed to answering commenters or messages directly, etc.) then of course, those operations should be followed. Best Practices Keep it on-brand: Ensure that your content aligns with UAH’s Logo & Brand Guidelines. Join university-wide campaigns, but tailor your message to fit your audience. Build a voice that reflects your department’s identity. Stay compliant: Don’t share copyrighted material, misinformation, or anything that violates privacy laws (FERPA, HIPAA). Always get permission before posting photos of students or anyone else. Be respectful: No harassment, discrimination, profanity, or obscene content will be tolerated. Treat everyone with kindness and professionalism. Never engage in an argument via a University-affiliated social media account. Stay active and plan ahead: Being active on social media is essential to building an engaged community and creating a space to share essential information. Set a weekly posting schedule and stick to it to keep your account consistent and active. Be strategic: Don’t just spam your audience – think of the purpose of the social media account. It’s better to post with a goal than to spread yourself too thin. Contact social@uah.edu for assistance in determining the best platform for a specific audience or goal. Listen and monitor: Don’t just schedule posts and walk away. Social media is more than just a one sided promotion; it is an ongoing active conversation. Be sure to check back in, respond, and interact with your followers. Listen to what your audience is posting and interacting with and work to create content that meets their needs. Listen to your competitors in the industry and see what is working and how you can apply it to your own strategy. Be sure to check and monitor your comments sections consistently. If you are unsure how to handle a particular comment, please refer to our Comment Management Guide below or email social@uah.edu with questions. Be accurate: Double-check facts, spelling and grammar. Follow UAH’s Brand Guidelines for consistent messaging. Foster a welcoming community: Reflect UAH’s mission, vision and core values in every post. Ensure accessibility: Make your social media content accessible to everyone. Posts with images should have alt text or an image description. Videos should always have captioning. For additional details, view the Social Media Policy. Management of Social Media Accounts Passwords must be changed immediately when an account manager or person with login information separates from the University, department, RSO, or is no longer allowed access to the account for any reason. Accounts must have at least two (2) full-time University faculty or staff members with login information (username and password) and account access at all times. Account manager(s) are not allowed to post University announcements that have not already been announced by the University. This includes situations where the University is waiting to officially release information to the public and/or members of the press For additional details, view the Social Media Policy. Employee Personal Social Media Accounts If faculty and staff identify themselves as employees of the University on their social media profiles, they are encouraged to clarify that content posted on their social media accounts is representative of their personal views and/or opinions and not the views/opinions of The University of Alabama in Huntsville. For additional details, view the Social Media Policy. Comment Management Guide Although we behave with respect and integrity on our social media channels, we can’t control the way others act on the internet. Not all comments will be positive or kind. When managing social media, it is important to have a standard for handling comments that are not positive or proactive, as they don’t immediately warrant deletion. Is the comment directly insulting and off-topic? This includes name-calling, inappropriate language, and direct targeting of an individual. Feel free to hide or delete the comment. Do not engage. Is the comment trolling or intentionally trying to start an argument? Do not engage, but moderate the comment for any additional interaction or commentary. If it escalates to more comments being insulting and argumentative, then delete the original comment in the thread and any additional commentary as needed. Is the comment asking a question about University information that is listed on our website? Direct them to a specific webpage that answers their question if you are certain the information is accurate, or copy-paste the answer to their question from the website with a date included. For example: “As of March 23, 2025, the UAH website states that the Spring 2025 Commencement ceremony will be Monday, May 2, 2025. Times for each college and additional details will be posted here when they are finalized. [Include link].” Is the comment asking a question that is not easily accessible on our website? Do your best to give information of who to best contact regarding the question or comment, and encourage the commenter to reach out via email to the proper party. Have additional questions about a comment? Often these situations have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. Send a screenshot of the comment to OMC for review at omc@uah.edu. Do not take any further action until you hear a response.