Social Media Guidelines
General Rules
Accuracy: Our posts should be accurate and honest. Do not mislead or misinform audiences with unclear or inaccurate posts to social media. Disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
Confidentiality: Do not post confidential or private information on social media. Follow FERPA and HIPAA policies. Discuss with a supervisor any questions that arise about what should be kept private and confidential.
Spirit and Pride: The UT Austin brand is more than a logo, a tagline or a website. It’s also about personal experience and interactions. Our brand is a combination of what people see, feel, hear and think about the university. Every time we interact with our audiences, we influence people’s perceptions of the UT Austin brand. Our communications should be consistent and unified, and our use of social media should reflect the spirit and pride of Longhorn nation.
Respect: Always show respect. Social media channels give users new avenues to express negative feedback. We should use social media to politely and respectfully address negative feedback from a customer-service perspective. Don’t publish content containing slurs, personal insults or attacks, profanity or obscenity, and don’t engage in any conduct on social media that would not be acceptable in UT Austin workplaces or classrooms. When maintaining or contributing to university-managed social media properties, we should follow the same standards of nondiscrimination and social conduct as outlined by Equal Opportunity Services at the university.
Attribution: Give appropriate credit to assets shared on social media, secure the necessary rights before sharing content on social media, and follow copyright and fair use laws to the letter.
Official Hashtags
#WhatStartsHere:
What Starts Here Changes the World, and posts with this hashtag should showcase how Longhorns are benefiting society through research, public service and education.
#UTTower:
Use “#UTTower” when posting about the definitive landmark of the University, our Tower.
#HookEm:
Hook ’em Horns! Use this hashtag when sharing posts with spirit and UT Austin pride or athletic events and news.
For Social Media Managers
These guidelines are intended to serve as a basic outline for how to best use social media channels representing the university.
Branding Guidelines
We encourage you to use the university’s brand guide as you develop communications and materials for your unit and as you produce content for social media.
Report Abuse
If you discover inappropriate behavior on a University of Texas at Austin-managed social media account, contact University Communications at utsocial@utexas.edu. All University of Texas at Austin social media sites should be monitored (and moderated, where appropriate) to ensure the community is following the unit-developed site and comments guidelines. If you discover threatening, dangerous or otherwise problematic social media posts, immediately call 911, contact UTPD and notify the appropriate authorities.