Across all UNLV-related accounts, social media content should:

• Be authentic. Not every post on social media should be designed like an ad campaign. Social media should embrace in-the-moment, spontaneous content that still showcases the campus and the environment here. The energy at UNLV is contagious, and we will share this on our social platforms to highlight our atmosphere.
• Be respectful, positive, and honest. UNLV's content is factual and representative of our university. We do not confront defeatist comments unless to correct an error or point to a resource to better address an issue. Conversations with UNLV social media platforms will encourage thoughtful discussion or debate through respectful, civil responses. Our social media policy highlights how to engage with different kinds of comments.
• Be visual. We use photos, videos, live videos, and GIFs to support messaging. Graphics should be simple and effective with minimal text, no URLs or QR codes, and follow UNLV Brand Standards. 
• Be balanced. Photos, videos, live videos, and other forms of multimedia are key in engaging audiences. So are links to articles, emojis, status messages and re-shares. When someone looks at our profile on any social media platform, they'll see a variety of posts representing as many aspects of UNLV as possible but not necessarily the same posts on every platform.
• Be accessible. Always use alt text on images, subtitles on videos, and make sure captions include the necessary information for people using assistive technology.
• Be targeted to the right audience. Always know who you are speaking to and why when crafting a social media post. Our social media platforms section details what audiences are present on which platforms.
• Be active. Try to post on a regular, consistent schedule that works best for your time and resources. Platforms reward consistency over frequency. Do not post just to post, but make sure what you are creating is relevant to your audience. Regularly reflecting on what your audience needs from you instead of what you need to tell them will help you grow an engaged community.

• Keep content light and conversational but still professional.
• Listen and engage with comments regularly.
• Use "we" and "our" when referring to UNLV as a whole.
• Use an active voice when writing sentences. Say “We created this new program today” rather than "This new program was created today."
• Express tones of excitement without overusing punctuation. Use emojis if they resonate with your specific audience, but be careful of overuse.
• Keep updates straightforward and short when sharing news, announcements, and events. 
• Experiment with different types of updates and captions, such as asking questions or quantifying information. (Example: "15 years. 1,000+ interviews. The story of the storyteller." or "What stories would you share with the world?" instead of "Here is a story about an oral historian.")
• When linking to content on other websites, do not include "click here" or "read more" language. Make sure your caption is compelling enough to encourage users to click a link.
• Use hashtags strategically. Hashtags provide a label for users to easily search for similar posts. Learn more about the hashtags UNLV uses.

See the official social media platforms section for more detail on creating content for the specific audiences on each platform.

Listening is a key part of our social media strategy. We will monitor and engage with feedback on all social media platforms by responding to comments and public posts when appropriate. We also consult with the offices of Media Relations and Public Affairs by reviewing our community's content and identifying potential conflicts.

Responses represent UNLV as much as posts do, so we respond carefully to feedback whether it is negative or positive. Not all responses require a comment, but we will answer questions, respond to criticism thoughtfully, and engage with positive and negative comments.