Understanding Social Media Platforms

Audience Overview

• Facebook averages over 2 billion daily active users. 
• People between the ages of 25-44 make up Facebook's largest audiences. 
• GRCC currently connects primarily with businesses, parents, non-traditional students, faculty and staff on Facebook. 

Content Best Practices

• Facebook's algorithm optimizes user engagement by tracking a users' engagement habits and behaviors.
• Posting too frequently will not increase your engagement. 
• Posting high-quality, engaging content will increase your engagement. 
• All posts should include a visual component (photo or video). 
• Include a call to action in your post when relevant (visit this website, tag a friend, etc.). 
• Tag any relevant partners/pages in your post. 
• Avoid using hashtags on Facebook. 
• Adhere to the standard image sizes to avoid Facebook cropping your photos: 
  • Post image size: 1080 x 1080 pixels 
  • Cover image: 830 x 312 pixels 
  • Profile photo: 170 x 170 pixel

Accessibility

• All videos must include closed captioning. When uploading a video in the Business Suite, add your SRT file for closed captioning. Facebook does have auto-captions but should always be checked for accuracy. 
• All photos require alt-text. When uploading photos, select "edit" to add alternative text to the photo. 

Performance Metrics

• The Meta Business Suite provides an in-depth analysis of a pages analytics. 
• Monitor analytics regularly to identify trends in followers, engagement, reach, and impressions. 
• Utilize analytics to determine which tactics and strategies are underperforming and adjust strategy accordingly. 

Audience overview

• Instagram averages over 500 million daily active users. 
• People between the ages of 18-34 represent 60% of Instagram users.
• GRCC currently connects primarily with current and prospective students on Instagram. 

Content Best Practices 

• Content must have a photo or video. These elements should be high-quality and visually appealing. 
• Avoid posting graphics on your feed, instead focus on authentic imagery in photo or video form. 
• Adhere to the standard image sizes to avoid Instagram cropping your photos:
  • Standard post: 1080 x 1080 pixels 
  • Portrait post: 1080 x 1350 pixels 
  • Landscape post: 1080 x 608 pixels
• URLs do not become clickable in captions. A URL should be posted in the biography link space. Then encourage users to click the “link in bio”. 
• Instagram is a highly visual platform, captions should be short and succinct. 

Instagram Stories

• Instagram Stories are an opportunity to authentically connect with the audience without having the content visible on your page forever. This is a great way to share live event coverage, to share content from other accounts, and to avoid over-posting to the grid. 
• Stories are live for 24 hours and then can be saved to an accounts "story highlights".
• Instagram stories allow for links to be made clickable. 
• Instagram stories have polls, q&a boxes, and other great ways to engage with your audience. 
• Stories need to be 1080 x 1920 pixels. 

Instagram Reels

• All videos posted on Instagram are stored in “reels”. 
• Reels should be strategically planned for the platform, rather than uploading a video recorded for other purposes. 
• Reels should always be made in a vertical orientation, the ideal aspect ratio is 9:16.
• Reels should be kept under 90 seconds to keep your audience engaged.
• Reels can not be edited once published, only the caption will be editable.  

Accessibility 

• All Reels should have closed captioning. Instagram will auto-caption, but captions should always be checked for accuracy. 
• All photos require alt-text. On the caption screen select "write alt-text" at the bottom of the page to add your image description. 

Performance Metrics

• Instagram's professional dashboard provides an overview of your account analytics.
• Monitor analytics regularly to identify trends in followers, engagement, reach, and what types of content are performing well. 
• Utilize analytics to determine which tactics and strategies are underperforming and adjust strategy accordingly. 

Audience overview

• TikTok has over 50 million daily active users. 
• People between the ages of 10-29 represent nearly 50% of TikTok users.
• GRCC currently connects primarily with current and prospective students on TikTok. 

Content Best Practices 

• TikTok is a visual platform, content was originally all video based, but now supports photos as well.
• TikTok now supports videos up to ten minutes long but short videos under 60 seconds typically perform best. 
• Videos should always be created in a vertical orientation of 1080 x 1920 pixels. 
• Much like Instagram, URLs do not become clickable in captions.
• Content should be prepared specifically for TikTok. The TikTok algorithm values authentic and unpolished content.
• Trends and sounds can be utilized on TikTok to increase engagement and reach. 
• TikTok videos can not be edited once published, only the caption will be editable. 

Accessibility 

• All TikToks should have closed captioning. TikTok will auto-generate captions, but captions should always be edited for accuracy. 
• TikTok does not currently offer an alt-text option. 

Performance Metrics

• The TikTok Studio provides an overview of your account analytics.
• Monitor analytics regularly to identify trends in followers, engagement, reach, and what types of content are performing well. 
• Utilize analytics to determine which tactics and strategies are underperforming and adjust strategy accordingly. 

Audience Overview

• LinkedIn has more than 950 million users. 
• The largest audience on LinkedIn is individuals between the ages of 25-34.
• GRCC currently connects primarily with businesses, community partners, colleagues, alumni, faculty and staff on LinkedIn. 

Content Best Practices 

• LinkedIn is used to connect professionally. The platform focuses on networking opportunities, career advancements, and job opportunities. 
• All posts should include a visual component (photo or video). 
• Tag any relevant partners/pages in your post. 
• Regularly engage with your audience by commenting on relevant posts to create dialogue. 
• Adhere to the standard image sizes to avoid LinkedIn cropping your photos:
  • Logo: 300 x 300 pixels 
  • Cover image: 1128 x 191 pixels 
  • Post images: 1080 x 1080 pixels (square), 1920 x 1080 pixels (portrait) 

Accessibility

• All videos must include closed captioning. When uploading a video to LinkedIn add your SRT file for closed captioning. LinkedIn does have auto-captions but should always be checked for accuracy. 
• All photos require alt-text. When uploading photos, select "ALT" to add alternative text to the photo. 

Performance Metrics

• LinkedIn Analytics provides an overview of your account analytics.
• Monitor analytics regularly to identify trends in followers, visitors, engagement, reach, and what types of content are performing well. 
• Utilize analytics to determine which tactics and strategies are underperforming and adjust strategy accordingly. 
• The competitors section provides metrics for other pages in the industry for comparison. 

Audience Overview

• X has over 250 million users. 
• The largest audience on X is individuals between the ages of 24-35.
• Ten percent of active users on X make up for over 90% of the posts on X. This indicates that many users are not posting, but only observing content on X. 
• GRCC currently connects primarily with community partners, current and prospective students on X. 

Content Best Practices 

• Posts have a 280 character maximum, or 25,000 characters with a paid subscription. 
• Content should be prepared specifically for X, the feed moves quickly and attention spans are especially short. 
• Posts with photos or videos typically outperform those without. 
• Utilize the repost feature to share relevant content with your audience, with or without your own message added.
• Hashtags are popular on X but should not be overused. Always use #CamelCase when using hashtags for easier comprehension. 

Accessibility

• All videos must include closed captioning. When uploading a video to X add your SRT file for closed captioning. 
• All photos require alt-text. When uploading photos, select "add description" to add alternative text to the photo. The same process should be followed for GIFs. 

Performance Metrics

• X Analytics provides an overview of your account analytics.
• Analytic data may be limited without a paid subscription. 
• Monitor analytics regularly to identify trends in followers, impressions, engagement, reach, and what types of content are performing well. 
• Utilize analytics to determine which tactics and strategies are underperforming and adjust strategy accordingly.