Social Media
Effective use of social media allows Purdue Fort Wayne to showcase the great things happening on campus and to connect with students (prospective and current), faculty, staff, alumni, our community, and the world. It’s a way for us—including individual colleges, departments, and offices—to share our unique Mastodon stories. As representatives of the university, all social publishers have certain responsibilities to maximize the potential of this powerful tool.
Requirements
Purdue Fort Wayne follows Purdue University’s policy regarding social media, meaning that all accounts
- must be approved by the administrative leader for your group and
- must be properly registered with the Office of Communications and Marketing.
For more information or to register, contact us at [email protected].
Best Practices
Social media should be more than just posting a photo or witty comment. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Post regularly.
- Keep posts brief—link to pfw.edu for longer messages, if appropriate.
- Include images (photos, videos, GIFs) when possible, as these tend to perform better than text-only posts.
- Keep links short. Bit.ly is a free link-shortening service, and most social media management platforms have a built-in link shortener.
- Respond to messages and comments quickly and professionally.
- Follow other Purdue Fort Wayne accounts.
- Tag our main account (@purduefw) and/or other campus accounts when relevant.
Hashtags
Purdue Fort Wayne uses several hashtags with various social media posts. Our main campus-wide option is #PurdueFW.
Emojis
Emojis help convey emotion, and add to brand recognition when used appropriately. We frequently use the mastodon 🐘, as well as black 🖤 and gold 💛 hearts.
Platforms
Each of the four main platforms targets a specific audience using various content types.
Note: The university’s flagship social media accounts feature content predominantly focused on prospective and current students. It is intended to showcase the student experience.
Audience: Students, faculty, staff, alumni, community
Content: Photos and videos showcasing student and faculty achievements, community events, and student profiles.
Audience: Students
Content: High-quality photos and short videos showcasing student life and events.
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Audience: Students, faculty, staff, community
Content: Short (280 characters or fewer) posts about campus events, fun facts about your organization or department, and links to sections on your website or events calendar. Photos perform well, as do posts that @mention other organizations.
Audience: Alumni, faculty, staff, community
Content: Community partnerships, student, faculty, or alumni profiles, research. Photos work well on LinkedIn as well.