Social media content

Because of the rapid nature of social media, it can be difficult to manage content for posts on a daily and weekly basis. It is important to post regularly across platforms, to keep your audiences engaged and to drive each social media platform's background algorithms so that your page continues to show up in newsfeeds.

Below are some suggestions of content to use and create across social media platforms. If you simply remember that the people in your unit are the heroes, you'll be able to create endless content!

When you create content for your social media platforms, ensure you are following University of Illinois branding.

Want to learn more? Check out our strategies for crafting content webinar.

Stories

Stories are one of the most effective ways of telling your audiences about the amazing people that make up your unit. These stories can be as in-depth as sharing the URL of a lengthy story that links to your website or as simple as a series of quotes from current students.

Telling the stories of your students, faculty, staff, and alumni should be a top priority within your social media strategy.

  • The College of LAS regularly publishes news stories and student blogs featuring stories across the college. We generally try to update unit communicators when these pieces are published, but we encourage you to check the pages on a regular basis as well.
  • The News Bureau publishes a daily news brief that includes stories featuring LAS faculty and alumni. Subscribe here: Illinois in the News 

Photos

Simple photo posts drive up engagement while fleshing out a complete social media strategy. They tend to be low effort but high reward, helping boost your page into newsfeeds and raising awareness of your unit.

While they hold a lot of power, they cannot be the only part of your social media strategy. Think of photos as an appetizer—they are not a primary course of your content but are there to get people excited and engaged.

  • Public Affairs manages a Illinois Image Database, which is regularly updated with high-quality images from campus. 
  • Photos taken at unit events are a great way to engage your audience. Tag other units and faculty/students as appropriate to get extra engagement. Try to stick to just a handful of photos, however; too many, and audiences will lose interest.
  • Typically, photographs tend to outperform graphics or illustrations. Depending on your unit goals, you might want to primarily use images and avoid graphics.

Lean on students

Your students are your best advocates for pursuing an education at the University of Illinois. Utilize them for content and let them tell others why they love your unit. 

  • Instagram takeovers are an excellent way to showcase life at U of I. Have students submit 4-5 slides of what their day looks like, and repost the slides to your stories or Instagram Reels.
  • Have students write posts or submit photos to repost on your social media channels.

Other considerations

Keep an eye on your channels and adjust your strategy based on what is preforming best. In the end, your channel and your audiences are unique—actively analyzing what resonates with them will help you create content that performs well with the people who are following you.

  • The nature of hashtags is changing—don't get caught up on using the perfect hashtag. Instead, create content that resonates with your followers to drive engagement. If you do want to utilize a hashtag in your content, use some of the larger campus hashtags, including: #Illinois, #ChooseIllinois, and #Illinois20XX (fill in the year based on the class)
  • Create a content calendar. By creating a schedule of upcoming posts, you can remain organized and focused while hitting important dates and key messages. Many content calendars exist—at the college level, we utilize AirTable to organize our posts.
  • Tagging other university accounts is a great way to interact with other units while also reaching new audiences. When tagging units, specifically on Twitter, consider tagging the account in your photo rather than your tweet copy.
  • Accessibility is vital. When you load photographs to social media platforms, be sure to include alt text so that users who utilize screen readers can interact with your content.