Facebook

Facebook is a great platform for communicating with current and prospective students, alumni, and the larger University of Michigan-Flint community. Use your Facebook Page to post news, events, and comments on happenings in your department/unit. Be sure to respond in a timely manner to questions and concerns your users post. Facebook is an interactive medium - not a broadcast system. Cordially respond to comments and interact with your audience. Encourage discussions and postings throughout your Page to encourage people to return often.

Terminology

Pages allow an organization, business, celebrity, or band to maintain a professional presence on Facebook. Pages can only be created by authorized representatives.

Profiles represent individuals and must be held under an individual name.

Groups provide a designated space for small groups of people to communicate about shared interests. Groups can be created by anyone, and can be either public or private.

It is important to note that only individuals can create Profiles on Facebook (i.e. not clubs, organizations, programs, departments, schools, units, or businesses). To comply with Facebook’s terms of use, never create a Profile for a university department or program. Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities state that an account can be disabled at any time. Creating a Profile on behalf of the university can result in a terminated account, and ultimately lost connections.

If you have questions about how to portray your department or unit on Facebook, contact UR.

Naming Conventions

When naming your Facebook Page, think first and foremost about searchability. Consider using “University of Michigan-Flint” or “UM-Flint,” which are the most-used terms Google-searched by people looking for the university website. Unified naming conventions help communicate university affiliation, and increases credibility of newly created accounts. Note that once your Page reaches 100 followers, you will no longer be able to edit your Page name. Never use the abbreviation “umf.”

Do:

UM-Flint History Department

University of Michigan-Flint History Department

Don't:

UMF History

umflint history

History Department (without university designation)

In addition, once your Page has 25 followers, you’ll be able to set a custom URL. Consider using facebook.com/umflint[department]. Never use the abbreviation “umf.” Custom URLs cannot be changed once created.

Do:

facebook.com/umflintadvising

Don't:

facebook.com/umfadvising

facebook.com/adivising (without university designation)

Tools

Facebook offers Insights, or analytics, to Page administrators. Insights provide information about visitors, activity, interaction, content consumption, and more. For an introduction to Insights, contact University Relations.

Departments, programs, or organizations with Facebook Pages are eligible for inclusion in the directory on UM-Flint Social. To be included in a list, the Page must adhere to UM-Flint brand guidelines. University Relations reserves final decision regarding inclusion. To submit your Page for the UM-Flint social page or for more information, contact UR.

Monitoring

Social media is not a place for one-way communication. “Social” implies a sort of relationship between users, be they brands, companies, groups, or individuals. By entering the social arena, an institution is implying that this is understood. When establishing a presence on Facebook, it is important to monitor activity and be responsive. With the appropriate settings, Facebook sends Page administrators email notifications when there is activity (i.e. comments, likes, posts).

Best Practices

Presenting an inactive Facebook Page is a worse than having no Facebook Page at all. Share content regularly and in a timely manner.

Be clear about what content can be posted on your Page, and what will be removed. The following statement is included in the Info tab on the official University of Michigan-Flint Facebook Page: “The University of Michigan-Flint Facebook Page was created to foster and encourage connection within the UM-Flint community. We reserve the right to remove any content that is deemed obscene, spam, commercial, or political.”

The University of Michigan is a public university, and it is important that we do not infringe upon free speech. Posts to your Facebook Page should not be removed simply due to negativity or controversy. When possible, respond to negative comments with accurate and helpful information. Relay comments to other university departments when appropriate. Engaging in social media allows you to be part of a conversation that is going to take place with or without you. If complaints are voiced on your Facebook Page, take advantage of the opportunity to respond. The following types of content should be removed from your Facebook Page:

• Commercial advertisements
• Obscene language
• Political content (endorsing a candidate or political viewpoint)
• Spam