Every BYU official account should have a clear reason for existing. Every unit on campus is guided by a mission statement and usually a vision statement. These are important to implement at the start of any social media strategy. In addition, the BYU Mission and Aims of BYU Education should be foundational in your strategy.

Before creating or publishing content, consider:

• Who is this account serving?
• What does this audience need or want from us?
• What information, experiences, or perspectives can this account provide that they cannot get elsewhere?
• Does this content support the purpose of the account?

A clear purpose can help you decide what to post and what not to post.

Create content for the people you are trying to reach. Create for one audience at a time, even when you serve multiple audiences.

Consider each audience's:

• Interests and needs
• Questions and concerns
• Knowledge of your subject
• Preferred platforms and content formats
• Reasons for following your account

Pay attention to the content your audience responds to, the questions they ask, and the conversations they are having. Use those observations to inform future content.

Algorithms value both consistency and quality.

Before posting, ask:

Is this useful, interesting, meaningful, or entertaining to our audience?

If the answer is no, consider whether the content needs to be posted at all.

A smaller number of thoughtful, relevant posts is often more useful for both your audience and the algorithms than filling a feed with content that does not serve your audience.

Social media users often encounter content quickly and without much context. Make the most important information clear.

• Lead with the most important information.
• Write captions that are concise and easy to scan.
• Avoid unnecessary jargon or insider language.
• Provide context when your audience may not already understand the subject.
• Proofread before publishing.
• Make sure information is accurate and current.
  

Remember that social media content represents BYU. Accuracy, clarity, grammar, and spelling matter.

Do not assume that the same content should look identical everywhere.

Consider what makes each platform useful to your particular audience and adapt content accordingly. A story, video, carousel, or text post may communicate the same idea in very different ways.

When repurposing content, consider whether the format, length, tone, caption, and call to action make sense for the platform where it will appear.

Think about the experience of consuming your content on a phone.

For visual content:

• Use clear, high-quality photos and video.
• Make the subject of the content easy to identify.
• Avoid unnecessary text or visual clutter.
• Consider how the first frame or image will appear in the feed.
• Make videos understandable even when viewed without sound when appropriate.
• Use captions or other accessibility features when appropriate.

Good content does not need to be complicated. A clear idea, strong visual, and thoughtful execution can be more effective than an overly produced piece.

People follow social media accounts to connect with people, stories, and experiences. They don’t need a virtual bulletin board, nor do they need an impersonal account composed of AI captions accompanying AI content.

Look for opportunities to show the people, places, experiences, and moments that make BYU distinctive.

When appropriate, let students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other members of the BYU community help tell the story. Authentic experiences can make university communications feel more personal and engaging while still representing BYU appropriately.

Monitor your community and look for opportunities to:

• Answer questions.
• Provide useful information.
• Correct misinformation respectfully.
• Direct people to university resources.
• Recognize and celebrate members of the BYU community.
• Participate appropriately in relevant conversations.

A thoughtful content plan can make it easier to maintain a consistent presence and respond to important moments. The academic calendar is rife with opportunity to learn your top moments of the year and to put more time, effort, and resources into creating content for those moments.

Consider planning around:

• Important university dates and events, including graduation
• Academic and student-life milestones
• Seasonal opportunities
• Recurring content series
• Annual or semi-annual events in your unit

Leave room in your calendar for timely content. A content calendar should provide structure without making it impossible to respond to what's happening now.

Some of the best social content cannot be planned months in advance.

Pay attention to interesting moments, conversations, achievements, trends, and stories that emerge naturally within your community. When an opportunity arises, consider whether it fits your account's purpose and whether it can be adapted appropriately for your audience.

Do not participate in a trend simply because it is popular. The best trends are those that can be used naturally rather than forcing your account or audience into a format that does not fit. Please assess and review the origin of all trends, including popular audio, to ensure it is appropriate for publication from a BYU account.

Before publishing, take a final moment to review the content.

Ask:

• Has the Account Manager reviewed the content?
• Is it accurate?
• Is the information current?
• Is it appropriate for our audience?
• Does it support the purpose of our account?
• Does it represent BYU appropriately?
• Have we followed applicable privacy, copyright, and brand requirements?
• Have we obtained necessary permissions?

Use your account's performance and community response to understand what is helping you connect with your audience.

Look beyond individual metrics and consider patterns over time:

• What types of content consistently generate meaningful engagement?
• What questions does your audience repeatedly ask?
• Which topics or formats seem to resonate?
• What content receives little response?
• Are people taking the action you hoped they would?

Use these observations to refine your strategy rather than simply chasing individual high-performing posts.

You do not have to publish immediately.

If you are unsure about the accuracy, appropriateness, permissions, tone, or potential impact of a post, pause and ask for guidance before publishing.

When something feels unclear, it is better to take a moment to review than to create a problem that could have been prevented.