Social Media

As the social landscape is constantly evolving, we aim to provide clarity and support for the responsible use of social media within the university context. The following guidelines are designed for faculty, staff, and designated representatives who manage and engage on social media platforms under accounts associated with the university.  

Account Types & Supported Channels 

• Flagship University Accounts: Managed by the Office of University Communications at Johns Hopkins University, these accounts represent the university as a whole. 
  • Facebook: Aimed at providing updates, engaging content, and fostering a community among students, alumni, and prospective students. 
  • Instagram: Focuses on visually engaging content that highlights campus life, achievements, and events. 
  • LinkedIn: Professional platform used to connect with alumni and showcase research accomplishments and career opportunities.
  • X (FKA: Twitter): Utilized for quick updates, sharing news, and engaging in real-time communication during university events and more. 
  • TikTok: Utilizes engaging, short-form video content to highlight campus events, student life, and informal educational content to connect with a younger audience. 

• Johns Hopkins-Affiliated Accounts: Operated by various schools, divisions, departments, or units within Johns Hopkins and representing those entities specifically. 
• Personal Accounts: Created and maintained for personal use; they do not reflect the university’s views or values. The following guidelines do not apply to personal social media accounts operated by individuals for private use. 

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Best Practices for Social Media Management

Social media is a two-way conversation that requires strategic planning and regular engagement. A comprehensive social media strategy should encompass content dissemination, listening and responding to public concerns, and incorporating audience feedback into communications. Consider the following guidelines as you manage your account: 

• Guidelines

Guidelines

Creating a New Account

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Faculty and staff within the University’s schools, divisions, departments, and centers can create Johns Hopkins-affiliated social media accounts. Before creation, contact your division’s communications office or the Office of University Communications to register your account and discuss the use of JHU’s names and trademarks, along with best practices and strategic messaging. Here are a few points to get you started on your account management plan:

• Naming and Visuals: Your account name and profile images should be consistent and aligned with Johns Hopkins University across all platforms you manage a social media presence. More information is available below.
• Resources: Assess the human and financial resources required to maintain the channel actively. Avoid creating channels that may become dormant due to a lack of support.
• Volume: Plan for regular content updates—daily posts for most platforms and multiple daily updates for channels like X.
• Content: Prepare an initial three-week content calendar to ensure a steady flow of relevant posts. If content generation is challenging, explore synergies with existing channels.
• Audience: Understand your target audience’s size and preferences based on current social media usage data. Avoid channels driven only by inherently self-serving content.

Engagement & Community Management

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Contributions to the Johns Hopkins University social media community are valued and encouraged for open dialogue. Please adhere to the following guidelines to ensure a positive and constructive environment:

• Identification of Affiliation: When promoting programs or events, identify your affiliation with Johns Hopkins University. Share your participation in community events, but refrain from using the platform to solicit funds or promote services, products, or external entities.
• Political Campaigns: While your engagement is welcome, please avoid using this community to promote political campaigns. Feel free to share your involvement in community events but be mindful of maintaining a non-promotional stance.
• Constructive Criticism: Constructive criticism of Johns Hopkins University and its initiatives is appreciated. Avoid using posts to harass or threaten other users or to spread false or misleading information. Posts that violate platform policies, disclose confidential information, incite lawless action, or infringe on intellectual property rights may be removed. Duplicate comments by the same user may also be subject to removal.
• Administrative Discretion: Page administrators reserve the right to remove any content or user that violates these guidelines. Removal may occur if the content breaches community standards, the platform’s policies, or applicable laws.

Accessibility & Inclusivity

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At Johns Hopkins University, we are committed to making our digital content fully accessible and inclusive. This commitment aims to enable all individuals, including those with disabilities, to actively engage with our social media platforms. By implementing best practices in digital accessibility, we strive to ensure that everyone can access and benefit from our content without barriers.

• Alt Text for Images: Always include descriptive alt text for images. This text should convey the content and context of the image clearly and concisely.
• Video Captions: Provide accurate captions for all video content. Captions not only assist those who are deaf or hard of hearing but also enhance comprehension for viewers in sound-sensitive environments.
• Readable Fonts and Colors: Use fonts, sizes, and color contrasts that are easy to read for people with visual impairments. Avoid complex backgrounds behind text.
• Content Warnings: Include content warnings for posts that might feature potentially distressing topics or flashing lights that could affect those with photosensitive epilepsy.
• Inclusive Language: Use inclusive and respectful language of diverse audiences, considering various cultural contexts and avoiding stereotypes.

View more information about digital accessibility at JHU.

Success Metrics & Analytics

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Set clear metrics for success and review channel performance at set intervals (three months, six months, one year). Adjust strategies or consider discontinuing the channel if it does not meet objectives. Regularly monitor and share analytics to gauge channel performance and inform strategy adjustments.

Security & Privacy Considerations

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Ensuring the security and privacy of our social media interactions is paramount. Reputable social media platforms provide best practices for security and privacy that must be followed by administrators of affiliated social media accounts.

• Account Registration: Register your affiliated social media account with your division’s communications office or the Office of University Communications, when appropriate.
• Email Association: Use an official JHU email account for account registration and allow multiple JHU administrators access in case the primary administrator is unavailable.
• Multi-factor Authentication: Implement multi-factor authentication to enhance account security.

For general information about security practices, refer to Johns Hopkins IT policies.

Respecting University Policies

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When operating an affiliated university social media account, you should be familiar with university policies that may be implicated by its use. Every post and interaction must adhere to Johns Hopkins University policies and procedures. These include, but are not limited to, the university’s Acceptable Use Policy, the Student Code of Conduct, and the Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures (“DHPP”).

Familiarize yourself with both university-wide and division-specific social media guidelines and relevant policies:

• Copyright Compliance Policy
• Information Technology Policies
• General Anti-Harassment Policy
• Policy on Disclosure and Professional Commitment
• Policy on Institutional Conflict of Interest
• Policy on Political Activities
• Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures
• Social Media – HIPAA Policies for Health Plans General Administration (B810)
• Social Media – HIPAA Policies for Providers General Administration (A810)
• University Policy on Family Educational Rights and Privacy
• University Statement on Equal Opportunity
• Alumni Association Social Media Guidelines
• Student Policies and Guidelines
• Homewood Freedom of Expression Guidelines
• Homewood Undergraduate Academic Ethics Policy

Privacy Policy

Participation in Johns Hopkins University’s social media pages is voluntary. There is no obligation to follow, comment, or like any JHU social media page. Individuals engaging with JHU social media pages do so voluntarily and should not expect privacy regarding their posted content, comments, or likes. Johns Hopkins University and its affiliated entities may use information posted on social media pages for engagement or fundraising purposes.

Naming & Visuals

Your account name and profile images should be consistent and aligned with Johns Hopkins University across all platforms you manage a social media presence. 

Account Names & Handles

When naming your social media account, it’s crucial to ensure it aligns with the Johns Hopkins University brand, making it easily identifiable and searchable. You should aim to include relevant keywords related to your department or program in your channel name to enhance discoverability by target audiences. To align with the JHU brand, account names should also include “Johns Hopkins” or “Johns Hopkins University.” If space is limited, “JHU” may be used, but acronyms should generally be avoided. 

Additionally, on some platforms, your account will have a handle (@accounthandle). Users will see this when your content appears in their “feed,” while your full account name is available if they view your profile. Your account’s handle should mirror your account name, if possible, though handles often have shorter character limits.  

Avatars & Profile Images

Your avatar or profile image serves as a visual representation of your channel and the Johns Hopkins University brand. Remember, your profile image will never appear without your account name, so it’s unnecessary to include your unit’s name in the image, plus text in these images would likely be too small on a mobile device for users to see. Keep your avatar consistent across all platforms to enhance brand recognition and only update it to reflect major branding changes or during significant universitywide campaigns.

To create a consistent look and build trust among our audiences, we recommend using one of the following avatars for all official flagship and Johns Hopkins-affiliated social media platforms. If you choose to create your own profile image, keep in mind that primary logos, lockups, spirit marks, and secondary graphics (unit accent graphics, event graphics, etc.) cannot be used.

Style A

Reserved for official division and flagship accounts. Can be customized with division shields. Request template from [email protected].

Style B

Available for use across the institution. Can be customized with division shields, brand patterns, or subtle, unit-specific backgrounds.

Access Style B Template

Style C

Available for use across the institution. Can be customized with division shields, tag color, and unit-specific photograph.

Access Style C Template

Cover or Channel Images

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CONTENT Creation

Photos & Video

Photos and videos, as compared to graphics and text, perform better on social media and should be prioritized on your channels, unless there is a strategic need to do otherwise. Always make sure you’re using high-resolution images and videos with appropriate edits for clarity and branding. University Communication’s multimedia team keeps our photo library up to date with the latest images from around campus. You can pull from these shots or create your own. We advise avoiding AI-generated imagery on social media as these are platforms that value authenticity and “real-life” content.

Graphics

We recommend limiting graphics on social media in favor of photos and videos. However, if graphics are strategically necessary for your unit’s communications plan, please ensure they are designed according to brand guidelines (e.g. correct colors, fonts, icons, etc.). You can access graphic elements and approved marks in our Download Library, but keep in mind that it is not necessary or encouraged to include your unit’s logo on each of your posts. Users view posts in the context of your profile and their feed, so your profile image and account handle do the job of branding for your unit.

To support the creation of engaging and on-brand social media content, we recommend the following professional tools: 

• Adobe Creative Suite
• Adobe Express
• Canva (Free or Pro)
• Marq
• Microsoft Designer
• Giphy (JHU Channel)

Voice & Tone 

Our social media communications reflect our dedication to excellence, opportunity, and impact in alignment with the university’s messaging standards. 

Excellence

Our content is bold, professional, and clear. It adheres to editorial guidelines and AP style, with adaptations for social media specifics like character limits. We prioritize active voice, avoid clichés and jargon, and meticulously check spelling and grammar.

Opportunity

We maintain a positive and supportive tone, sharing content that fosters connection and pride and enhances the academic, social, and professional experiences of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. We use exclamation points sparingly to convey excitement.

Impact

We focus on demonstrating the tangible local and global effects of our academics, research, and community efforts. Each post is crafted to answer, “Why does this matter and to whom?” and includes calls to action that engage our audience more deeply.

Emojis

Use to add emphasis or tone, particularly in lighter communications. Be mindful of accessibility for those using screen readers. 

Check out our favorite emojis:

• Bird: 🐦

• Blue Hearts: 💙 🩵

• Wing: 🪽

• Nest: 🪺

• Globe: 🌎

• Lacrosse: 🥍

• City: 🏙️

• Graduation Cap: 🎓

• Blue Book: 📘

Hashtags

When incorporating hashtags into your social media posts, it is crucial to follow these guidelines to ensure they are effective and relevant to your audience. 

Mentions

Tag relevant, active accounts without including controversial content. To build community and extend your content’s reach, it’s best practice to mention other university-affiliated and flagship accounts in your posts. If your handle is tagged by another JHU account, interact with the post by liking or commenting to boost reach!