CSUCI Social Media Guidelines

Cal State Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) Social Media Guidelines are intended to provide support and advise CSUCI departments, areas and programs in the creation and maintenance of their social media accounts.

The social media landscape continues to evolve, and these guidelines will continue to be updated to reflect any social media updates.

CSUCI uses social networking to:

  • create relationships with key stakeholders;
  • understand and engage CSUCI advocates and critics;
  • service our communities better by promoting and disseminating CSUCI news; and
  • fostering a network of individuals who support CSUCI’s mission.

We accomplish this by using social media tools to relay information about CSUCI programs, initiatives, and student, employees or alumni success.

Each social media platform caters to a unique audience and serves a specific purpose in our efforts to communicate our CSUCI story.

Primary CSUCI Social Accounts

Account Creation

Prior to launching a new social media account, it’s important to define your goals and ask yourself the following questions:

  • How can a social media presence help my department, program or initiative, meet our goals and support our mission?
  • Who is our target audience and what platforms are they active on?
  • Do we have the resources to start and manage our account(s)? This would include consistent content creation, daily moderation and a desire to engage with your If your area is unable to post at least on a weekly basis, you should reconsider establishing a social media account.
  • Could I benefit from a partnership or collaboration with another department that has an existing social media presence, such as the University’s primary social media accounts?
  • What are our key messages and content type that we’d like to share? (i.e. text, images, videos)
  • How will we evaluate success?

Create a Plan

The first step to any social media marketing strategy is to establish the objectives and goals you hope to achieve. Each one should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound (SMART). This structure helps transform vague intentions into concrete, actionable plans by ensuring goals are detailed, trackable, realistic, aligned, and have a clear deadline.

Define your target audience, what you hope to accomplish — growth in followers, increased engagement, etc., what your message is, what tactics you will use to accomplish your goals and objectives, and the timeframe in which you hope to achieve it by.

Secure Approval

Once you have determined that having a social media presence is the correct course of action, the next step is to secure approval from your supervisor and department head before creating a social media page or profile for your department.

Please inform CSUCI’s Communication & Public Relations (C&PR) team at csuci.news@csuci.edu of your new account to be established so it can be added to the campus’ online Social Media Directory to help promote collaboration efforts among campus departments and help keep our directory current. Please provide the following information to C&PR:

  • Area/Department Name and Webpage (url)
  • Goals
  • Target audience
  • Platform(s)
  • Profile name(s)

Identify an Administrator

The internet and social media do not close at 5 p.m. and is open during evenings, weekends and holidays. To engage in meaningful communication with your audience, a designated individual should regularly and consistently monitor and update social media accounts during regular business hours, evenings, weekends and holidays.

Personal email addresses or individual campus email accounts should not be used to establish social media accounts, including students’ personal or campus email addresses.

It is advised to use an area/department’s generic email account for establishing social media accounts to ensure continuity and access even when staff or administrators may leave CSUCI.

Account Security

When available, turn on multi-factor authentication such as two-step authentication for your social media accounts (preferably using an authentication app like the CSUCI’s DUO rather than authentication through SMS/text to a personal mobile device).

For more information on multi-factor authentication, review the following resources:

Selecting a Platform

Consider your audience:

  • Most Instagram users are between 16 and 24 years old and the largest proportion in the U.S.
  • The largest audience demographic on X is between 25 and 34 years
  • TikTok users are 10 to 19 years old.

Determining who you want to engage with will help determine which social media platform is best for your area.

Consider your content: You may have short news items that can be posted on X, photos that would create engagement on Facebook and Instagram, or short-form videos that are best shared through TikTok or Instagram Reels.

Brand Consistency

Before finalizing your preferred profile username, please consult with C&PR by emailing csuci.news@csuci.edu to ensure it aligns with the University’s brand strategy, and clearly and concisely identifies your area/dept/program and campus affiliation.

Additionally, please consult with C&PR to select an appropriate logo or background that follows the campus' Identity Style Guide.

CSUCI employees who manage social media accounts for their departments, programs or initiatives should be aware that these accounts are also representative of the University.

Launch and Promote

Once you have launched the social media account, notify your potential audience of your social media presence by promoting on your campus webpage(s), marketing materials (flyers, signage), publications, newsletters, and campus e-mail signatures.

Inactive Accounts

A key to social media success is to provide relevant and timely content, and to be consistent. If your area is unable to post at least on a weekly basis, you should reconsider establishing a social media account.

Accounts that have little to no activity or are only active for a short period of time (such as an annual event) should be archived since outdated profiles reflect negatively on CSUCI.

Accounts that have not had active posts within the past two years may be removed from C&PR’s Social Media Directory and requested for the account(s) to be closed.

Social Media Best Practices

Be Respectful:

  • Never express personal points of view including political, social or religious commentary.
  • Remember the social media account you are managing is affiliated to and represents

Be Responsible:

  • Always use good judgement when posting content. If you are unsure if a post is appropriate, check with an administrator before posting.
  • Remember, all social media posts are available to the public, including news media. Think about whether the post could be featured as front-page of a news media outlet, including another external social media account, and the possible negative results for the University.
  • Do not disclose any private information about employees, students, or conduct official University business via social media. Refer official business through appropriate channels such as email.

Abide by the Law:

  • Posts, including those owned by or affiliated with CSUCI should comply with all local, state and federal laws and regulations.
  • All CSUCI-sponsored social media platforms are considered a government forum and content-based censorship must be avoided.
  • Do not hide or delete comments unless it falls under “unprotected speech.” For more information, review the “Social Media and Free Speech” section below.
  • Follow copyright guidelines and intellectual property
  • Do not use photography or video from non-CSUCI affiliated organizations without requesting their permission via email prior to posting content.

Be Consistent:

  • At a minimum, post weekly on Facebook, Instagram (including Stories) and X, but ideally 2-3 times a week, not including comments and
  • Create an editorial calendar and keep track of monthly social observances that are most relevant to your area/dept/program.

Best Practices for Content Strategy

Be Relevant and Accurate:

  • As a CSUCI employee, you must ensure published content is factually accurate and relevant.
  • Do not post information for planned programs, initiatives, financial data or CSUCI news, unless the information is already publicly shared on the University’s website or posted on the University’s primary social media accounts.

Be Accessible:

  • Posts must be accessible for all audiences in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II. Updates to meet compliance requirements should be completed by April 26, 2026.
  • ADA Title II Accessibility for Social Media compliance requirements must be completed by April 26, 2026.
  • Posts/content created prior to 2024 do not need to be updated. However, posts/content that continues to be regularly accessed by followers, regardless of when it was originally posted must be updated to meet compliance requirements as noted above.

Monitor Comments and Feed the Trolls with Facts, or Not at All:

  • Regularly monitor comments and be aware of conversations happening on your posts between users.
  • Avoid engaging with negative or critical comments especially those that appear to provoke or escalate
  • “Trolls,” or users who intentionally try to stir up conflict, should not be engaged with and only consider responding if they are spreading verifiably false information—and even then, respond cautiously and professionally after consulting with your supervisor or an administrator.
  • If you notice a recurring theme or concern among multiple users, it may be more effective to address the topic in a general post rather than replying to individuals.

Harness the Power of Employee Advocacy:

  • One of the best ways to highlight the incredible work being done at CSUCI is by encouraging your area/department leaders and colleagues to post on their social media accounts about their work and tag/mention your area/department’s social media account.
  • Your team members know CSUCI’s mission and can lend a unique voice to your key messaging.

Be In the Know:

  • Observe before you engage. “Listen” to online conversations through social media networks to maintain a clear and current understanding of what is relevant and of interest to the community.

Be Active:

  • Check social media sites daily and post fresh content on a consistent basis.
  • Engage with others from campus by commenting and responding to the conversation on their campus social media channels.

We’re Here to Help

  • Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions to C&PR at news@csuci.edu.

Images and Videos

  • Including a visual with your post is guaranteed to increase engagement but remember to tailor your visuals to fit the platform you’re posting
  • Always make your visuals accessible for all audiences by adding alternative (alt) text and captions (refer to ADA Title II Accessibility for Social Media).

Platform Dimensions for Photos/Images

Facebook

  • Post image: 1200 × 630 px
  • Stories: 1080 × 1920 px

Instagram

  • Feed (portrait): 1080 × 1350 px
  • Feed (landscape): 1080 × 566 px
  • Stories/Reels: 1080 × 1920 px

LinkedIn

  • Shared image (landscape): 1200 × 627 px
  • Shared image (square): 1080 × 1080 px

X

  • Post image (landscape): 1600 × 900 px
  • Post image (square): 1200 × 1200 px
  • Post image (portrait): 1080 × 1350 px (for better vertical performance)

Social Media Videos

Facebook

  • Max length: 240 minutes
  • Dimensions: 1280 × 720 px (landscape/portrait)
  • Aspect ratios: 16:9 (landscape), 9:16 (portrait), 4:5 (vertical mobile feed)
  • Format: .MOV or .MP4

Instagram Reels 9:16

  • Max length: 90 seconds
  • Dimensions: 1080 pixelsx1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Format: .MOV or .MP4

LinkedIn

  • Max length: 15 minutes when uploading from desktop and 10 minutes when uploading from the LinkedIn mobile app
  • Dimensions: 1080 × 1080 px (square), 1920 × 1080 px (landscape), 1080 × 1350 px (portrait)
  • Maximum file size: 5GB

TikTok

  • Max length: 10 minutes
  • Dimensions: 1080 × 1920 px
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16

X

  • Max length: 140 seconds
  • Dimensions: 1280 × 720 px (landscape), 720 × 1280 px (portrait), 720 × 720 px (square)
  • Captions: Must be embedded in the final video file or accompanied by an .SRT file, which can be uploaded in the X media library
  • Aspect ratios recommended at 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square),

Social Media & Free Speech

A CSUCI-sponsored platform is a government forum. The same freedoms apply to government social media as other government forums. Content-based censorship must be avoided.

If members of the campus community or the public request/demand removal of offensive posts, don’t do it. Inform your supervisor and administrator and C&PR to keep them updated.

As an owner of a CSUCI-sponsored platform, you:

  • Cannot block a user (if there is a perceived need to block, consult with C&PR first).
  • Cannot remove offensive language unless truly unprotected (e.g., threat or severe harassment).
  • Cannot moderate content even if any reasonable person would find the post offensive.
  • Cannot delete or block keywords.

Employees Should Distinguish Between Personal Opinions and Those of the University

Employees and others with CSUCI roles can express personal opinions only within their individual capacities on their personal social media accounts to avoid the appearance that they are speaking or acting on behalf of the University.

If there’s a possibility that a post/comments expressing personal opinions or views on an employee’s personal social media account could be confused as the University’s position, it is strongly recommended for CSUCI employees to include a note at the top of their bio profile: “Opinions or views expressed here are my own.”

Unprotected Speech

Courts have made it clear that there is no “hate speech” exception to the First Amendment, and that no one has a right notto be offended by speech. Most “hate speech” is as fully protected as any other form of protected speech.

However, some types of speech are not protected by the First Amendment and may be regulated. They include:

  • Incitement of violence or harm
    • Speech that advocates for the use of force is not protected when it is “directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action” and is “likely to incite or produce such action.” Must be specific, imminent and likely.
  • Fighting words
    • Words that “by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of peace.” Often associated with disorderly conduct.
  • True threats
    • Exists where a reasonable person would view it as a serious intent to harm and there is the prospect of immediate For example, a statement by someone in an airport that they are going to bomb the plane they are getting on.
  • Defamation
    • Defamatory speech damages a person’s good name, character or Generally, it is not for the University to make this determination.
  • Obscenity
    • Patently offensive considering community standards, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
    • Sexual expression that is indecent but not obscene is
  • Severe harassment
    • Must be severe, pervasive, and objectively Undermines and detracts from the victims’ educational experience so that they are effectively denied equal access to an institution’s resources and opportunities. Offense and disruption are not enough.
  • False advertising
    • Untrue or misleading publications concerning the performance of property or It is not for the University to determine.
  • The use of public resources for partisan politics
    • CSU employees may not use public funds to promote partisan positions in election
    • State resources are implicated whenever any state property or asset is used (telephones, employee time, computers, ).

PermissibleRegulation

Questionable Content

If you come across concerning content or a situation presents a danger, immediately contact the University’s Police Department at 805-437-8444 and/or consult with C&PR at 805-437-8456.

Hashtags

Hashtags serve to track conversations surrounding a topic. They can be used to create a conversation for people to follow, insert the social media account into a specific conversation, or for humor or to make a point. They also can engage your audience during an event and can serve as an archive for past posts relating to the same event.

  • Hashtags are meant to group posts with similar content into categories so they are easily searchable.
  • To make your hashtags accessible, capitalize the first letter of each word, such as #FirstGen instead of #firstgen.

Hashtags frequently used by CSUCI:

  • #DolphinPod – campus community
  • #FutureDolphin - recruitment and Admitted Dolphin Day
  • #CSUCIGrad – Commencement-related posts
  • #CSUCISuccess – stories of student or alumni success
  • #CSUCICares – programs and/or efforts targeting basic needs and students’ well-being
  • #CSUCINews – announcements or news releases related to the campus
  • #MadeInTheCSU – alumni stories, spotlight, news

Platform-Specific Best Practices

Facebook

  • Use a properly sized profile picture and cover image.
  • Complete the Intro and About sections of your page.
  • Prioritize positive, proactive, quality content over clickbait.
  • When posting a link, delete the text of the URL from your post after the preview appears.
  • Use Facebook polls to gather feedback from your audience.
  • Respond to messages in a timely manner.
  • Pin a Post—Choose a post you want to remain at the top of your page and pin it. It can be an exciting announcement, or a welcome message to new visitors.
  • Experiment with different posts formats such as polls, stories, videos, events, links and questions.
  • Incorporate user-generated content by reposting content from other campus departments or organizations with your comments.
  • Use Meta Business Suite for scheduling posts and tracking analytics.

Additional Resources

Instagram

  • Use a properly sized profile picture.
  • Develop a content calendar and post consistently. Aim for 2 – 3 posts per week.
  • Post high-quality visuals that align with your brand and voice and be visually consistent.
  • Before posting content or adding to your Instagram story, consider the dimensions of how Instagram will crop your photo.
  • Use Instagram Stories for lighter content and utilize the interactive features available (i.e. polling, links, countdown).
  • Instagram is a visual storytelling-based platform, so before posting consider how your new post will look next to your existing content on your profile feed.
  • Instagram does not allow you to add clickable links to captions, so direct people to click the link in your bio and include a link in bio tool like LinkTree.
  • Use hashtags and add a location to boost content discovery of your posts.
  • When reposting content, you can also tag other campus areas/depts with social media accounts for any visuals of their activities.
  • For resharing content, you can use the Instagram reposting app. The app integrates directly with Instagram and allows you to add an attribution mark directly on the image.
  • Add alternative (alt) text for all images and provide subtitles (closed captioning) for video content.
  • Utilize a color contrast accessibility checker for any text overlaying on an image. Social Media Accessibility requirements are available on the C&PR webpage.
  • Use Instagram Analytics to measure your engagement.

Additional Resources

LinkedIn

  • Use a properly sized profile picture and cover image.
  • When you are creating a LinkedIn account for your department, make sure you are creating a company page rather than a personal profile.
  • Be engaging – respond to post comments.
  • Encourage your team to invite their personal network to Follow your LinkedIn Page (you can do this within the Platform, or externally, by sharing the page link).
  • Encourage employee involvement – and encourage executives and prominent leaders to mention your Page.
  • Encourage your network to share your company page posts to their own LinkedIn network.
  • Add LinkedIn page links to everyone’s email signature. https://wearesculpt.com/blog/grow-linkedin-company-page/
  • Place follow button on your company's webpage.
  • Post content regularly (once per week is preferred).
    • Use testimonials as content
    • Post video if you have it
    • Consider sharing relevant articles from other CSUs, higher education, or organizations that you follow if you’re short on content
    • Publish thought leadership content from within (or adjacent to) your department

Additional Resources

X

  • Use a properly sized profile picture and cover image.
  • X's character limit is 280, but it is still important to be concise in your messaging.
  • Unlike other social media channels, you can’t edit once you press “post.” It’s always a good idea to double check your posts for spelling errors and correct links before you send it.
  • Include a link/call to action when appropriate.
  • 2-3 posts per week is recommended, not including replies. Space posts out by at least 30 minutes.
  • Mention active user accounts whenever possible in place of the organization’s/person’s name, such as @CSUCIPresiden instead of CSUCI President Jane Doe.
  • Be careful what you retweet. A retweet, especially from a university account, is seen as an endorsement.
  • Before retweeting, look at the user’s handle. If the handle is suggestive or otherwise inappropriate, do not retweet.
  • Use Twitter’s analytic tools to track the success of your content.

Additional Resources

TikTok

TikTok is a highly visual, trend-driven platform popular with younger audiences (primarily ages 16–24). Content should be authentic, creative, and aligned with the CSUCI’s mission.

Before launching a presence, ensure your team can commit to consistent, engaging, and brand-aligned content—and be aware of evolving state or system-level guidance on its use.

  • Keep it short and impactful: While videos can be up to 10 minutes, the ideal length for engagement is 15–60 seconds.
  • Use trending audio, challenges, or memes only when appropriate for your content and voice. Avoid trends that may appear flippant, insensitive, or off brand.
  • Highlight people: Student voices and staff spotlights perform better than graphics or repurposed promotional content.
  • Add value: inform, entertain, or inspire.
  • Use clear captions or subtitles (closed captioning) in every video. Social Media Accessibility requirements are available on the C&PR webpage.
  • Post consistently, aiming for 1–3 videos per week if actively using the platform.
  • Use 3–5 hashtags per post.
  • Use TikTok’s native editing tools for faster engagement (effects, text, transitions).
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