When setting up an account for a UT project or department, we would like to give you the following tips:
4 questions to ask
Looking for ways to start with social media for your own target audience? Ask yourself the following questions before you begin:
User Name
Ensure that utwente is included in the user name (therefore following the @), because utwente is a frequently used search term on Twitter. People do not search for UT, because there are many organisations around the world that are named UT and if you search for this term you will not find anything about the UT. For example UTwenteUB, UTwenteSport or VrijhofUTwente. Your own name may not be possible if it is too long. If you have utwente in your user name, utwente will also be included in the URL of every tweet and that means it is easier to find also if people search on Google. It is preferable not to use signs such as – or _ in your user name. Special signs are difficult to type on a mobile phone, which will keep people from mentioning you in tweets. If sticking two words together is not readable, you should rather use capital letters, such as @UTwenteSport instead of @utsport, @ut_sport @utwentesport or @utwente_sport.
Bio
Explain in your bio (your description) who you are and that you are a part of the UTwente. Example for @UTwenteSport: ‘News from the @UTwente Sports Centre. Managed By Jan and Kees.’ Try to mention utwente or the University of Twente here as well so that you can be found more easily. Your city and your website are shown below your bio. Make sure that you fill these in as well. This makes you yet again easier to find.
Interaction
Social Media is not about sending information and one way communication. Social Media is about interaction with people (and organizations). Just sending content will not create an successful account. Interaction like retweeting other people's content, one-to-one conversations and quickly replying to questions is very important for a successful account and a growing number of followers and engagement with your followers.
Managing and monitoring several accounts and search terms
There are tools available to manage multiple Twitter account. Use a tool like Tweetdeck (online in your browser, official tool by Twitter) of Hootsuite (online or as a programme) or get a Coosto University licence (available for students and staff in the Netherlands on Surfspot.nl).
Get a UT avatar for your account
UT accounts like study programmes or other service departments of the UT can get the official UT avatar. Please contact us (socialmedia@utwente.nl) if you want to request one! Color and element on the background differ per account.
Please do not create an own visual identity for your account. The UT has one visual identity for the whole organisation to make it easy to reconise UT content accross the web.