Social Media Naming Protocol

The Marketing and Communications Office has a set of naming standards for Southwestern University social media. Maintaining consistency allows people to find your social media presence faster and helps the University protect its brand. The standards are as follows:

• Facebook Page Name: Include “Southwestern University” in your page name (e.g. “Southwestern University Art History Program,” “Southwestern University Office of Civic Engagement,” “Southwestern Football”
• Facebook Username: In addition to the name shown on your Facebook page, you can also create a custom username (facebook.com/username). Once selected, this cannot be changed, so select wisely. It is best to make your Facebook username and Twitter username the same thing. See Facebook’s guidelines for usernames.
• Twitter Name: Include “SU” along with your department, school or organization name. Keep in mind the limit is 20 characters. (e.g. SU Civic Engagement). If you are promoting the identity behind the Twitter account or you want to elaborate more on your area, you may include that information in your bio.
• Twitter Username: Limited to 15 characters and should align with your name. (e.g. Southwestern University Department of Political Science could be “SU_PoliSci”) while still conveying meaning (e.g. “SU_PS” has no obvious meaning).
• Instagram Name: Limited to 30 characters. Please include “SU” along with your department, school or organization name (e.g. SU Civic Engagement). 
• Instagram Username: Limited to 30 characters and should align with your name. (e.g. Southwestern University Department of Political Science could be “SU_PoliSci”) while still conveying meaning (e.g. “SU_PS” has no obvious meaning).

If you have already created a name and it does not comply with these standards, please make this change or contact us for assistance. In some cases you will not be able to update your name if it has already been claimed. If that is the case, do your best to maintain a similar naming convention.

It goes without saying that no department should choose a name that might lead people to believe it is representing the entire institution, such as “Southwestern University.” Additionally, it’s important to consider using a consistent name across platforms.

 

Profile Pictures, Cover Photos, and Other Images

At no time should the University seal or word mark be used as a social media icon without express permission. 

Facebook Page Profile Image. Page profile pictures display next to your page’s name around the site, so yours should stand on its own and represent the page. 

Facebook Page Cover Photo. Cover photos should be an image that represents the unique style of your department/lab/unit. Do not use a department lockup. The use of this space should be intentional. Please choose images that are relevant to your unit, appropriate for your audience and of sufficient resolution. 

Twitter Icon. Your Twitter icon should be the same as your Facebook profile photo. Consistency is key. Remember, Twitter icons display next to your page’s name around the site, so yours should stand on its own and represent the page. 

Twitter Header Image. Header photos should be an image that represents the unique style of your department/lab/unit. Do not use a department lockup. The use of this space should be intentional. Please choose images that are relevant to your unit, appropriate for your audience and of sufficient resolution.