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University Communications

Content & Brand Standards


Regardless of the forum, information from a university is expected to be factual, grammatical, and correctly spelled. BYU’s mission raises the standard even higher. The following points from the Honor Code statement are particularly relevant to your social media presence:

  • Be honest
  • Live a chaste and virtuous life
  • Use clean language
  • Respect others
  • Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards

When sharing content that others have created, it is always a good idea to click through a few pages of a link to be sure that the rest of the site’s content fits the expectations of the BYU community.

  • These guidelines will help you create high-quality content while respecting the experience of students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. Please do not disrupt the student experience as you create content on campus. Please ask for consent before filming with anyone on campus, including a full explanation of how the content will be used.

    As you film on campus, please avoid:

    • Blocking sidewalks, entrances, exits
    • Interrupting classes or meetings
    • Creating unnecessary distractions
    • Filming in areas where privacy is expected
    • Climbing on buildings, statues, landscaping, monuments, or block letters
    • Creating situations that could endanger or injury participants or bystanders

    Please DO:

    • Always follow posted building rules
    • Always follow event-specific restrictions regarding filming and posting
    • Get approval for any drone flights. Drone flights on or over campus property require prior approval from XYZ and must comply with all FAA regulations.

  • Please seek permission from subjects before posting them on your account. Verbal consent is normally adequate, but you might consider written consent. For a sample form for written consent, please click here [INCLUDE HYPERLINK FOR A PDF FORM THEY CAN DOWNLOAD AND USE].

    Please note that you must respect privacy laws in your content, including HIPAA and FERPA.

  • Please reach out to the Copyright Licensing Office if you have questions or concerns regarding copyright issue or usage.

    Music
    Usage of music available within the music library of the platform on which you are posting is the preferred method for acquiring music for usage for your content.

    There are many free or paid music subscription services as well. At present, BYU does not have an enterprise account for any of these subscription services.

    Images/video
    Prior to usage of any image or video, please ask for permissions from the owner of that image. Written consent is required (email trail usually works here). Giving permissions in caption is also required.

  • Please become familiar with the BYU Brand Guide, as outlined in brand.byu.edu. This includes appropriate logo usage in profile pictures. You should not create new logos or identifying graphic symbols to use as avatars or profile pictures.

BYU Social Media Standards

Account Creation & Governance
Content & Brand Standards
Best Practices
Crisis Communications
Resources & Support