Those seeking to create a social media account should plan in advance what kind of messages they want to send, what kind of audience they want to build and what their goals are. Furthermore, the keys to success in social media are being honest and thoughtful before you post and respecting the purpose of the community in which you are posting.

Content: By posting content to any social network, you agree that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to that content, that your use of the content is protected fair use, that you will not knowingly provide misleading or false information, and that you hold UH Mānoa harmless for any claims resulting from the content.

You may not post any content that is threatening, obscene, a violation of intellectually property rights or privacy laws, or otherwise injurious or illegal. UH Mānoa has the right to remove any content for any reasons, including but not limited to, content described above.

Know the terms of service of your social media platform; be sure to understand and follow the terms of service of any social media platform you use.

What are you posting/sharing, and why? What strategies do you plan to utilize and/or follow?

Be Accurate: Once you hit publish, you lose control over your messaging. Make sure that you have all the facts before you post. It is better to verify information with a source first than having to retract or correct later. If you make an error, correct it quickly and visibly.

Be Transparent: Increase your visibility and exposure by using the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa or UH Mānoa in your title. In the “about” section, clearly identify your affiliation with UH Mānoa, provide a link back to your UH Mānoa website.

Respect Others’ Privacy: Your posts reflect your department and the university as a whole, exercise good netiquette and do not post private information concerning others. If you are unsure about the appropriateness of material, check with your supervisor. Use good judgment about content and respect privacy laws. Do not post confidential or proprietary information about UH Mānoa, its students, its alumni, or your fellow employees.

Link to other UH Mānoa Material: Posts on UH Mānoa social media sites should generally be brief and redirect a visitor to content that resides on official UH Mānoa websites when applicable. Social media posts should be purpose-driven and integrated with your other communication activities. Link people to your website, events listings, newsletters and other resources.

Do link back to the university. When linking to a news article about your department, check to see if you can link to a UH News story instead of an external source or media outlet.

Think Before You Post: There is no such thing as a private social media site. Search engines can turn up posts years after the publication date. Comments can be forwarded or copied. Archival systems can save information even if you delete a post.

Be Social: Social media is social in nature. Be an active listener. Listen to the interactions happening among your targeted audience. See how you can provide answers, engage in conversations, and keep your content relevant.

Link to other profiles and pages by tagging them and sharing their content. Tag us on social media so that we may see and spread your content. Likewise, if other people tag you on social media, share the content.

Before sharing something, make sure to check the source of what’s being shared. Are the tweets something that UH Mānoa should be associated with?