Social Media
With this web guide, we would like to give you some helpful recommendations for the use of social media platforms in the context of business use.
The university would also like to be perceived as a professional, uniform organization in its external image in the area of social media. This requires central coordination. Please always inform the Communication & Marketing Office in advance about new offers on the platforms. If you create messages, comment or post images, you will be perceived as an ambassador for the University of Kassel. Handle this responsibility with care. So if you publish something online, please always think beforehand about what impression you are giving to people who do not know the university.
Planning in advance
Are you planning to set up a social media channel for your organizational unit? Please consider the following tips:
Creating your own decentralized social media channels should be questioned critically for four reasons:
- Private or professional? Engaging in social networks is time-consuming and long-term. If you start with this, you should therefore not do it half-heartedly. You may not always achieve the goals you had hoped for. Orphaned social media channels or blogs damage the university's image. You should therefore consider very carefully in advance whether you can actually improve your official duties by having a Facebook or blog presence.
- Unfortunately, there are always neglected channels. This may be because employees or student assistants have left the university or there are permanently too few topics for attractive content. However, such channels are still visible to everyone and present a negative image to the outside world.
- We regularly receive user complaints like this: "I think it's a shame that most students lose information through the university's many different channels, as not everyone follows or wants to follow every account (simply because of the amount of posts that tend to be irrelevant)."
- It takes time and requires a lot of effort and human resources to build up your own reach.
- Who is your target group and which social media channels do they use?
- Do you want to interact and get in touch with your target group?
- What are your messages?
- What goals are you pursuing with your presence? How do you differentiate yourself from the main channels of the University of Kassel?
At least one person responsible for the channel must be appointed who will assume legal responsibility . Everything you publish can have a positive or negative influence on the perception of the university. You are responsible for your contributions, not the University of Kassel. Therefore, think carefully about what you publish. Respect the values of the university and do not publish political messages. Student assistants are by nature temporary and should not be the main contact person. It is necessary to monitor their work. Another member of staff should have access to the channels in case of illness or substitution.
- Who is responsible for long-term maintenance? Who stands in in the event of vacation or illness?
- Which employees have additional access with which rights?
The channel must be continuously maintained: Regular publication of content.
Are there enough changing topics for at least one weekly post in the long term? Content must also be posted during the absence and vacation of the responsible employee and during the semester break. It is best to create an editorial plan for several weeks in advance.
Please also consider the tonality (the "sound" of the communication style) with which the readers should be addressed in the social networks. Please bear in mind, for example, that most students do not want to be "friends" with the university, but want a professional style of communication. So please don't be too casual, too funny or too lowbrow.
On the other hand, you should not be too formal in your conversations with your community. The networks serve to create a "we-feeling". Communication is more like that in a cafeteria: it is ad hoc, with unplanned topics and casual slang. A positive emotional atmosphere can be created and is also expected from the participants.
As in real life, online conversations require attention. If you don't listen, you won't be listened to. Social media channels must be monitored daily and requests and comments must be responded to immediately. If possible, messages should be answered within 24 hours (before weekends, for example, a "farewell" can be posted by Monday).
By engaging in social networks, you invite the community to join the conversation. Users actively respond to your posts with comments, ratings and recommendations. You will not always like what you receive in response. So how do you deal with this?
First of all: stay calm. Don't answer spontaneously, but in a considered manner.
Realize that you are not replying to someone who has forgotten the rules of politeness, but to share your opinion with the many silent readers. Therefore, never react emotionally, but always objectively and professionally. Put the attacker in their place, refer to general etiquette on the Internet and be sure to demand a respectful tone of conversation. Also consider whether you really have to take a stand on every "nonsense".
Illegal, racist and discriminatory comments must be deleted immediately. Take a screenshot and inform the person about the deletion of the post. Publish the following note in the context of the comment: "We are sorry, but you have violated the rules of online etiquette with your post. We have therefore deleted it. If you would like to contribute something constructive to the discussion, you are very welcome to do so."
If you are unsure how to evaluate comments, please contact presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
You should also reply to criticism that is only meant to be negative or constructive. A short"Thank you, we will take this into consideration in the future.
Each social media channel must link to an imprint. The employee responsible should also be identified as the contact person for social media on the organizational unit's website. Do not publish any images on the respective social media platform without the consent of the photographer and the persons depicted.
Please note that there are separate social media licenses, especially for photos taken by photographers.
Clarify the legal framework as a team. Do not assume that student assistants in particular have this knowledge:
- They have a duty of confidentiality: internal information and official secrets must not be divulged.
- The right to informational self-determination must be respected. Please never name colleagues who do not wish to be named.
- Observe data protection, copyright and photo rights.
For photo and video recordings at the University of Kassel locations, you need a photography and/or filming permit, which you can also obtain for a longer period of time by sending a request to: bildredaktion[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
It is necessary to clearly identify the sender, which means that in addition to the University of Kassel, the respective organizational unit must always be identified as the sender . For example, name your channel "ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT_unikassel".
The University of Kassel logo may only be used as a profile picture by the university's central account to ensure that it is unmistakable and authentic. Use the logo of your organizational unit instead, if available. Alternatively, a photo of the university.
After setting up the social media channel, please inform Office C about the account (with link) and the main administrator and representative (with email addresses) so that mutual networking can take place. If an administrator leaves, they must be deleted as admin of the channel and a new person must be named to Office C.
If you need advice on creating your own social media channels, please also contact us: presse@uni-kassel.de
If, after considering the responsibilities described above, you decide not to set up your own social media channels, you are welcome to suggest suitable content from your department for the central channels (to presse@uni-kassel.de). Here we can guarantee you a good reach for your topic.