Social Media
Social Media
Policies & Guidelines
American College of Education is present on social media in order to bring our college awareness, connect us directly with our community and humanize ACE as a brand and organization. ACE staff and faculty are encouraged to share ACE news and success stories on social media for these same reasons. Please follow these policies and guidelines when using social media.
Ensure you have proper permission for everything you share.
Do not share anything classified as personally identifiable information unless you have explicit permission from the subject of the post, regardless whether it is a student, an alumnus or a colleague.
Ask the individual how much personal information they feel comfortable letting you share – Do they want to be identified by name and if so, do they prefer first name only? Can you share what ACE program they were in or what year they graduated from? Are they willing to let you share their role or position title?
Only use photos and videos that you have taken yourself. Please note that if you want to use someone else’s photo or video, you must obtain permission to use it.
Stay authentic and speak from your own voice.
Share stories you find personally compelling.
Speak about ACE from your unique point of view instead of attempting to make assumptions about how someone else might see ACE.
Share why you resonate with ACE’s mission and values.
Let the story or experience you are sharing speak for itself. Do not try to “sell” ACE with your tone or language.
Never make a promise about ACE.
Never say something negative about a competitor or call out an individual associated with ACE.
Do not speak on behalf of the college.
Do not share college-related information that is not a matter of public record.
Wait to share any news that is being announced via an official press release until after the press release has published AND official ACE social media channels have already shared the news.
Do not attempt to enroll a student via social media.
In the situation where you are engaging with a prospective student interested in attending ACE, please direct them to our website and encourage them to fill out a Request Info form.
In accordance with our policy on personally identifiable information, do not share any work information or the direct contact information of an enrollment counselor unless you have express permission from that individual to do so.
In the event you see a negative interaction, post or content about ACE on social media:
Do not step in and attempt to address the situation yourself.
Screenshot as much as you can of the interaction, post or content in question.
Note the URL to the content in question, if applicable.
Email marketing@ace.edu with the above information right away.
In the event you see a notably positive interaction or content about ACE on social media:
Screenshot as much as you can of the interaction, post or content in question.
Note the URL to the content in question, if applicable.
Email marketing@ace.edu with the above information.
POLICIES & GUIDELINES FOR WORK-SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
If you have a separate social media account specifically for your role at ACE or sharing ACE news, please follow these policies and guidelines in addition to the general policies and guidelines above:
Ensure the name and handle of your social media account includes ACE.
Do not make your full name or handle “American College of Education,” “ACE,” “ACEedu” or any variation thereof. There should be a name distinction between your account and ACE’s official social media channels.
In your social media account description, clearly and accurately indicate your role at the college.
Make it clear that your posts represent your personal views and not the opinions of the college by adding “views expressed are my own” in your profile.
For social media profiles that allow you to link to a website, please link to www.ace.edu or your personal ACE landing page, if applicable.
Please use your ACE professional headshot or a similarly professional headshot as your profile picture.
For profiles that include a banner image, use one of ACE’s official social media banners.
Employee Advocacy on Social Media
You can make a big impact with even the smallest actions on social media. Here are suggested actions you can take on social media based on your familiarity level with these platforms.
Easy actions, for those who have a social media account but do not use social media very often:
Follow ACE’s official social media channels.
Tell others to follow ACE’s official social media channels.
Like or comment on ACE’s social media posts.
Intermediate actions, for those who use social media occasionally:
Share ACE’s social media posts to your own page.
Share ACE’s social media posts to your own page and add a personal statement about why you are sharing this post.
Advanced actions, for those who are very familiar with and active on social media:
Share ACE-related content, news or stories on your own, provided you have the necessary permissions to share that information.
BEST PRACTICES
Ensure your social media posts convey your message effectively to as many people as possible by following these best practices.
Certain social media platforms lend themselves better to different kinds of posts and content. Use the guide below to help you decide which social media platform is most effective for the message you want to share.
| Platform | Most Effective Content |
|---|---|
| Information, news, announcements, accomplishments, upcoming ACE events | |
| Conversations and interactions with others, in-the-moment conference or event experiences, ACE updates and announcements | |
| Academic news, new program announcements, ACE faculty accomplishments, upcoming Virtual Open Houses, alumni-related activity, professional development opportunities | |
| Visual content |
When sharing a blog post or article, read the piece to ensure you have a full understanding of the content and then provide a short summary of the piece as your social media post.
If the article or blog post is about a member of the ACE community, take a look at how the individual is referenced in the piece. Whatever personally identifiable information is used in the piece is what you can also use on social media.
Keep social media posts brief.
Let ACE and others know you are talking about them by tagging their social media accounts.
Before you tag any account, triple check that account to ensure you are looping in the correct person or organization.
Only tag people or organizations you want ACE to be connected to or that are immediately relevant to your social post.
Try to make your tags part of the flow of your social media post.
Do not overload your social media post with too many tags.
Use relevant hashtags to ensure your social media post is seen by the right people and is a part of the right conversations.
Use a maximum of three hashtags per social media post.
Ensure you understand the purpose behind each hashtag that you use. To do this, take some time to browse other content within that hashtag before you use it.
If you do not know what a hashtag means, do not use it.
Keep your hashtags professional when you are posting about ACE.
Hashtags are most often used on Twitter and Instagram. They are a feature but are less prominent on Facebook and LinkedIn.
If applicable, use one of ACE’s official hashtags in your social media post.
| Hashtag | When to Use It |
|---|---|
| #ACEItTogether | ACE blog post |
| #ACEAlumni | Alumni news, story, or opportunity |
| #ACECommencement | Commencement |
| #HeretoGetYouThere | General ACE hashtag |
SUGGESTED CONTENT TO SHARE
American College of Education has a wealth of content you can share on social media to tell others about the work we do.
