Put your best foot forward in social media

Social media has its own rules - and it pays to know what they are.  In general, follow these guidelines:

• Commit to posting relevant, interesting, and engaging content on a regular basis. This will keep your audience coming back for more.
• Include clear, well-lit photos or great videos in your posts to increase engagement. Ensure that students are not on the photo opt-out list prior to posting photos or video.
• Proofread your posts! That includes watching your videos from start to finish before posting them. When a mistake happens, acknowledge it, apologize, correct it (if possible), and move on.
• Check your links. Make sure they point to their intended destination.
• Apply the "Washington Post" test: If you wouldn't want your words, photo, or video to appear on the Post's home page, then don't post them. When in doubt, don't!
• Don't #gocrazy #with #hashtags (unless you're using Instagram). Use hashtags with the spirit under which they were intended, not to suit your own goals for visibility. In other words, use them when there's a relevant connection to your content.
• Take at least five minutes a day to monitor conversations, comments/questions, and other notifications. Respond to appropriate questions in a timely manner.
• Don't feed trolls. Some people are only interested in posting annoying or inflammatory comments. Don't fall into the trap of engaging with those people.
• Don't take an image from another post and use it in yours without acknowledging (or tagging) the original creator or seeking permission.