Speaking to the FIU Audience
Social media is a key communication tool for showcasing the FIU experience to internal and external audiences. It’s one of the first places people will see when searching for your college, department or organization.
Every post is an opportunity to promote FIU’s achievements, goals and values. But how you communicate your message is just as important as the content of your message.
The better you know your audience and understand the brand, the more likely you become to find the synergy that makes an effective social post.
Creating an Engaging Social Post
Social posts affiliated with FIU reflect the university’s image and values. Before you make a post on behalf of the university, make sure it aligns with our brand, voice and language and reflects well on the school’s image.
All social posts should match FIU’s brand essence and pillars and comply with the university’s policies and all relevant laws and regulations.
Hook the Audience
In the fast-paced world of social media, capturing the audience's attention within the first few seconds is crucial. A strong hook can be the difference between someone scrolling past or engaging with a social post.
Appealing Visuals
High-quality photos, videos, and graphics convey professionalism and reinforce brand identity. Use consistent colors and style elements that reflect FIU’s identity and visual language.
Compelling Copy
Clear, engaging captions make posts stand out. Start with an attention-grabbing phrase and use active, vivid language. When appropriate, tell a story or ask a question to spark interaction.
Clear Call-to-Action
An effective call-to-action (CTA) inspires action. Whether it’s “Share your story,” “Tag a friend who’d love this,” or “Comment with your favorite memory,” CTAs make posts more interactive and engaging.
Know Your Audience
Tailoring content to the FIU community is key to boosting engagement. Understanding what resonates with the audience makes social posts meaningful and impactful.
Starting a new Social Account
Will it support your team’s goals?
Think about how the account can help your department or team share its goals.
Is there already an account?
Another FIU page can help spread your message.
Identify your audience.
Know who you’re talking to, and make sure to use the right platforms to reach them.
Do you have enough content?
Each social media platform is different, so avoid posting the same thing everywhere.
Do you have the time and resources?
Managing a social account requires regular posting and engagement.
What are your peers doing?
Research and see what other schools or teams are doing for some inspiration.
Social Media Branding
FIU-affiliated social media accounts should follow the university’s brand and logo standards.
Profile Photos
Use your department’s official logo as the profile photo. Avoid using a vertical version of your department’s logo. Download the FIU social photo template.
Profile Handles
The profile name should start with “FIU” followed by the name of your department. Always use “FIU” in uppercase (when possible). Your profile name should be easy to search for. Don’t include dashes, periods or underscores in the profile name.
Profile Description
An FIU social media bio should clearly identify as an official university account, state its purpose and reflect the brand. Keep the description short and engaging, add a CTA or hashtag that relates to your unit or the university.
View this profile on Instagram
Examples of social media branding
Do
Use the blue FIU logo on a white background.
Don't
Use the blue FIU logo and text on a gradient background.
Do
Use the white FIU logo on a blue background.
Don't
Use the color yellow on a white background.
Make Accessible Content
Making content accessible to all audiences is important to ensure your message reaches and is understood by a broad audience.
Ensure that your content is accessible to individuals with disabilities by following the principles of inclusive communication.
For more accessibility tips, visit Accessible-Social.
Language
Use simple and clear words. Avoid any complicated terms or abbreviations.Text and colors
Make sure there is enough contrast between the text and background colors.Images
Add alternative text to describe what’s happening in your pictures or graphics for people who can’t see.Videos
Include captions and transcripts for videos to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It's better to add captions directly to the video instead of relying on automatic captions.Audio
Provide written transcripts or captions for audio content like podcasts and live streams. For videos, ensure the sound is clear and background noise is reduced.Hashtags
Use CamelCase (capitalize the first letter of each word) for hashtags so they are easier to read with screen readers.
Working with FIU Social
FIU Social can work with you on setting campaign goals, strategizing content, launching campaigns and finding valuable metrics and insights through your analytics.
Our services include:
- New channel development
- Content strategy
- Social listening
- Analytics
- Paid media
- Live-event coverage
- Troubleshooting
- Training
The social media team also manages relationships with social media vendors and advises the FIU community on the best tools for the job.
