So, while it can be tempting to open a social media account, as it is free and accessible to all, it is important to first take a moment to consider the following questions, so your time is well-spent. If, however, you already have an account, it is also worthwhile asking yourself these questions regularly to make sure your accounts are helping you achieve your objectives.

1. What is my core objective for the account?
2. Who are my primary and secondary target audiences?
3. Which platform is best suited for what I want to achieve?
4. How much time do I realistically have to devote to the account each day?
5. Which topics will I post about?
6. Are there any issues or risks that could arise around these topics?
7. Who will be the two account administrators?

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via socialmedia@qub.ac.uk

By registering your account, it will be featured on the University’s Social Media Directory and as such be seen as a trusted source of information.

Simply click here to fill out the short registration request form.

We will then review the request, send you the result and offer advice or support, where needed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via socialmedia@qub.ac.uk 

The University has been recognised as the No.1 online university brand in the world and this is due in part to the to easily recognisable avatars. These allow followers and potential followers to easily locate official accounts and their posts.

The reason why text is not featured on official avatars is that avatars are never shown on social platforms without the account’s name beside them and text is not legible at post size. So, including text is not necessary or best practice and means that an opportunity is missed to highlight the theme of the account through a clear visual cue.

If you already have an official account, but need an official avatar, please contact us via socialmedia@qub.ac.uk

All official account names should start with QUB.

The reason for this is to help users find your account in the platform’s search bar. QUB sets us apart from other entities also using Queen’s in their name and draws the brand together.

Where the name starts with an @ please use: @QUB(Theme/Area)

It is important that your followers understand the boundaries.

By including a link to the House Rules in the bio of your account and referring your followers to them, you can clearly highlight what is appropriate and deescalate any negativity before it impacts on the rest of your social media community.

Please click here to see the University’s Social Media House Rules.

All content posted by a University-affiliated account will be viewed by followers as coming from the University.

It is easier to check facts and rights to assets before posting, rather than posting and having to deal with disappointed followers, asset owners or the media.

Please click here to find out more about intellectual property, copyright and photography consent.

That’s why we run regular training to help you plan your strategy and create content that will really get your audience talking.

Join us on our next course by searching for Social Media in iTrent.

It can also build networks for future collaborations.

As an academic or researcher, you are also important ambassadors for Queen’s, helping to build awareness of the University around the world.

That is why we have developed training and advice to make this as easy as possible for you.

If you are an academic or researcher and would like to find out more, please contact Strategic Marketing.

Therefore, it is important to note that the Policy does not restrict the principles of academic freedom as defined by the 1988 Education Reform Act.

Please click here to find out more.

However, if concerns are raised, the University will follow the guidelines detailed in the wider policy.

Where possible please use subtitles, closed captions and audio descriptions. Some platforms offer auto-generated captions, but these are not always accurate so please check these before posting. If there is no sound ensure the post includes any content featured in the video and state: No sound used in this video.

Use clear and crisp images which are large enough to be printed or seen on a screen and avoid placing text over an image. However, if there is text on your photograph or artwork, please make sure it is clear and legible. When using text, please also ensure there is a good colour contrast between the text and background. For example, dark text on a light background works well, as does red on white or white on red.

Where possible, add alternative text, known as ALT text, to all images and gif. If this is not supported on the platform you are using, please include the description in the body of the post.

Use @ mentions and hashtags sparingly and try to place hashtags at the end of the post so as not to disrupt the flow for screen readers. When writing hashtags, please remember to capitalise the first letter of each word in the hashtag. E.g. #WeLoveBelfast

Emojis and emoticons are read aloud, but what you mean may not match their title, so please check this before posting as it could change the meaning of your post.