Introduction
Thanks for deciding to help out Jindal School Social Media by sharing your experiences with us. We are very excited to see and hear about the things you experience at school and in your travels, and even more excited to share that with our community.
To successfully communicate your stories, here are a few tips and resources you should look at before venturing into the world of social media, photography and journalism.
Content Standards — “What to Post About?”
When including University-branded items such as the school’s name and or organizations tied to the University, it is best to keep things appropriate and relevant; otherwise your content will not be published. Think back to when you were a student or prospective student, or think about how your post will be seen from an outsider’s viewpoint and create content that would make readers both interested and excited about our community.
Here are a few suggestions about content we would like to see:
- Students in action (volunteering, in class settings, boarding a plane, doing fun activities)
- Students interacting (any interaction between students and other parties)
- Cultural showcase (photos of culture around you, such as food or traditions)
- Landmarks (for example, photos of the Statue of Liberty with JSOM students in front)
- Anything that relates back to the Jindal School and your field of interest (JSOM outdoor advertisements)
- JSOM student- or alumni-related content
- You know you’re a Texan/Comet if… (when you’re in a different state)
Format Standards — “What Should the Post Look Like?”
Social media is all about expressing your thoughts and ideas, and we encourage you to do so. The way your posts look can drastically affect your message. The following tips can help you decide how to format your post.
- ALWAYS double triple check grammar and spelling. We would hate to reject your work because of small mistakes.
- Utilize “@” and “#” purposefully. Mention and hashtag parties/topics to bring positive attention and engagement to our community.Use:
@UT_Dallas (X)
@Jindal_utdallas (X & Instagram)
#JSOM, #UTDallas, #Comets, #CometPride, #myJSOM, #JSOMAlumni, #JSOMSales, #Whoosh, #MBA, #Marketing, #Career, #quote, #bschool — and more
- X is not about you; it is about your audience. Figure out what your audience wants to hear about and post it.
- Consider live posting to give a real time view of your experience.
“Be part of the conversation or start a new one!”
And they said posting was easy, right? We thought giving you examples of “good” and “bad” posts might help.
Don’t do this…
#OMG this plaze is CrAZy! Really just came on dis trip avoid goin to @Ut_dallas this week i just want 2 see @justinbieber and #party. #awesome #NYC #fun #night #drinks #love #NoTimeforSchool #lazy # bored #wut?
Do this…
#JSOMSales team is ready to go! Here is a picture of our @UT_Dallas team on @AmericanAir flight practicing our last #pitching techniques. [photo link]
Photo Standards — “How Do I Take Good Photos With a Smartphone?”
posts with photos tend to get more reposts and replies. Here are a few tips when taking photos with your smartphone:
What to shoot:
- Fun/candid shots (smiling, jumping, high-fiving, shaking hands, raising arms, doing the Whoosh.)
- Scenery, buildings, behind the scenes of a company
- Group shots
What to avoid:
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Profanity
Best practices:
- Make it interesting: Change your shooting angle by tilting your camera, kneeling, or post-editing.
- There is no such thing as taking too many photos.
- Flash is not your friend (reflects off glasses and skin). We can lighten things for you.
- Avoid zooming on smartphones, we can crop and resize later.
Editing tools:
Canva.com, Instagram, Adobe Photoshop, PicMonkey
Collage and text apps:
PicStitch, Boomerang from Instagram (video), Prisma, PicFrame,Typic, Phonto, BokehCamFX
Get Creative!
- Doodle something Jindal School – or UT Dallas-related.
- In a group? Lie on the grass and spell JSOM or UTD.
- Whoosh!
- Bring a small Temoc with you.
- Doodle/chalk a message.
- At the beach? Build a Temoc sculpture or draw him in the sand.