Guidelines When Posting on Behalf of Bellevue College

Many academic departments, programs and student services use social media to connect with students and alumni. Social media accounts, such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X, allow for connection, community building and meeting students where they’re at.

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Many academic departments, programs and student services use social media to connect with students and alumni. Social media accounts, such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X, allow for connection, community building and meeting students where they’re at. Bellevue College’s Institutional Advancement division encourages departments to create and utilize social media and offers support to help you succeed. Follow these official guidelines when you create or post to social media on behalf of Bellevue College. 

Creating a Social Media Presence 

Maintaining successful social media accounts requires dedicated time, personnel, and adherence to these guidelines. Please assess the needs of your department and this commitment before deciding to create a social media account.  

To become an official Bellevue College social media account, all accounts must be created with the assistance of the Marketing and Communications department within Institutional Advancement

Attend a Teams or in-person meeting with the Social Media Manager to learn about social media guidelines and best practices before creating your account. The Social Media Manager will communicate your next steps and add your social media account, once it’s created, to the Social Media Directory, recognizing it as an official Bellevue College social media account.  

Contact Social Media Manager Steph McCarty at steph.mccarty@bellevuecollege.edu to get started.

Be Thoughtful 

Employees who manage social media accounts on behalf of the college should be empowered to act as the “voice” of their department. Keep in mind that if you are posting with a college username, other users do not know you personally. They view what you post as coming from the college. What you say directly reflects on the college. When posting important information, procedures, or other facts, it’s a good idea to verify those details with the corresponding department or the college’s website. Ensuring accurate information allows for a seamless experience for students and community building across campus. If you ever have any questions about whether a message you are crafting is appropriate to post in your role as a Bellevue College employee, talk with your supervisor before you post. 

Responding to Comments and Messages

If there is a negative comment or message that you are unsure how to answer, discuss with your supervisor an appropriate response, keeping in mind you may need to speak with other departments and Institutional Advancement for accurate information and guidance. We encourage you to respond to public comments by redirecting the conversation to private, direct messages, and then follow up with a department who can help provide more information to the individual by letting them know the situation. Institutional Advancement is an available resource for support when these comments arise. 

Account Management and Frequency

Identify an account manager who regularly monitors postings and content. At least two account managers are required at all times to have and maintain the login information (passwords and usernames). It is optional to share login credentials with Institutional Advancement’s social media manager as a safeguard. When account managers, especially students, have left the college and no longer require access to Bellevue College social media accounts, you must update your passwords or adjust who has access to your accounts immediately.

Student Affiliated Social Media Accounts

For student clubs, organizations, or groups on behalf of the college, the staff or faculty advisor overseeing such a group must ensure there is overlap of outgoing and incoming account managers to make sure the transition of the account management is smooth. At least two account managers (one should be a staff or faculty member) are required at all times to have and maintain the login information (passwords and usernames).

Stagnant Accounts 

Successful Bellevue College social media accounts are valuable to our brand. Maintaining active accounts supports our narrative that we are an engaged, lively, and connected community. Bellevue College social media accounts that have lapsed in posting for two consecutive quarters will be taken off the Social Media Directory and no longer recognized as an official social media account that the college promotes. When an account resumes posting, promotion will return. Institutional Advancement support is always available.