Social Media Best Practices

• Facebook updates its image sizes often, so check their latest recommendations.
• Profile image: 360 × 360 px recommended (min. 180 × 180).
• Cover photo: 1640 × 624 px recommended (min. 400 × 150).
• Use PNG files for logos or text.
• Use official UMB logos from the CPA Communications Toolbox.
• Unofficial accounts using “University of Maryland, Baltimore” or “UMB” may be removed for noncompliance.

Please refer to the official UMB found on the CPA Communications Toolbox web page.

Any account using University of Maryland, Baltimore or UMB in an unofficial capacity may be pulled down for not complying with University branding and/or guidelines.

• Post consistently (at least once per week). Use a content calendar to plan around events, holidays, and major announcements.
• Don’t auto-share between Facebook and X/Twitter; each platform needs its own tone and tagging.
• Respond promptly to comments and messages—Facebook displays your response rate.
• Tag other approved UMB accounts to expand reach.
• Keep copy concise; long posts get truncated behind “See more.”
• Avoid “engagement bait” (e.g., “please like/share”). Facebook reduces reach for these posts.
• Upload videos directly to Facebook for better visibility and autoplay.
• Review “Facebook Insights” monthly to identify trends and refine strategy.

• Write a clear 160-character bio, including relevant hashtags from the UMB Hashtag Guide.
• Add a location and website link.
• Adjust your notification settings so you’re alerted to mentions and follower activity.

• Use a content calendar to plan your tweets around events, news, and timely topics.
• Develop a consistent voice that reflects your unit’s goals.
• Include visuals; tweets with images get significantly more engagement.
• Tweet 2–3 times per day; schedule important messages more than once at different times.
• Follow accounts relevant to your unit; retweet and like appropriately.
• Engage in two-way conversation: ask questions, reply to comments, and interact with followers.
• Pin important tweets to the top of your profile.
• Review Twitter Analytics dashboard monthly to understand what resonates with your audience. Adjust your approach based on trends.

• Only create an account if you have ongoing visual content and two UMB staff members to serve as account managers.
  • If you don’t meet those criteria, consider partnering with UMB’s main Instagram account instead.
• Profile photo: simple graphics work best sized at 110 × 110 px.
• Write a brief, clear bio that shows your connection to UMB.

• Post only your strongest images, ideally 1–3 times per week.
• Prioritize Reels and carousel posts as they perform best on the platform.
• Respond to comments to build engagement and grow followers.
• Use researched, relevant hashtags; refer to the UMB Hashtag Guide.
• Use filters sparingly, especially for serious announcements.
• Manage your comments: swipe left to delete offensive or incorrect comments. 
• Use your own photos or approved images only, and include photographer credit when appropriate.

• Use LinkedIn-recommended image sizes:
  • Logo: 300×300
  • Cover: 1192×220
• Upload high-quality visuals with minimal text.
• Ensure your logo is uploaded. Company pages with logos receive six times more traffic.
• Keep graphics clean and professional
• Write a keyword-rich introduction so search engines can understand your department or unit.

• Use images sized 1200×627 for updates; images under 200px wide appear only as thumbnails.
• Post regularly to spark conversation and encourage engagement.
• Share organizational news, industry updates, and thought leadership.
• Place hashtags at the end of posts (up to three).
• Use LinkedIn search to check relevance.
• Strong headlines and concise intros encourage more interaction.
• Always include visuals; posts with images receive far higher engagement.
• Videos from YouTube play directly in-feed and tend to be shared more frequently.
• Use LinkedIn analytics to test timing (mornings and after-hours often perform best).