Social Media Toolkit

Thank you for participating as a social media ambassador for Fairfield University. More and more, social media is becoming an essential form of communication, and we want to use it for even greater inclusion of our alumni community in shaping Fairfield’s future. Your contributions help spread awareness of opportunities for alumni involvement, and make a tangible impact on the future of the University. 

This toolkit is here to make it easy for you to post, promote, and share your Stag spirit and enthusiasm all year long. It’s tailored to best suit your social media use, and details how to share with your peers that they too can join the cause—with any size contribution—to help our Fairfield community continue creating opportunities for modern excellence.

When posting on Facebook, be as visual as possible. Your friends will respond more to visual content than a post with only text. Visual content can be a photo or video.

When posting a photo or video, either image type can come directly from your smartphone; no camerawork is needed. When posting, include a caption about your enthusiasm for Fairfield along with a link to the University’s giving page. Finally, tag Fairfield University in your posts by typing “@Fairfield University,” and include one of the suggested hashtags above.

Profile & Cover Images

During special campaigns, Fairfield University may provide cover and profile images you can use on your personal Facebook page to spread awareness. You can also make your own Fairfield-themed profile picture or cover image anytime! Some ideas include pictures of you at your favorite spot on campus, pictures from your own college days in Stag Country, or selfies showing off your Fairfield gear.

The same guideline regarding visual content on Facebook applies to tweets as well. The main difference is Twitter has a 280-character limit per post. This limit does not account for video or photos, but does apply to each letter, and the spaces between words, in your posts.

When the University has special fundraising campaigns or major alumni events, pre-written tweets may be provided that you can copy and paste into your Twitter app, and then publish to show your support. However, as a social ambassador, you’re encouraged to share content from the University’s main Twitter account. You can do this with a simple retweet of a post that you enjoy, or you can select “Retweet with comment,” and share the University’s post with your own message attached. If sharing your own message, please include one of the hashtags mentioned above.

Twitter Profile and Banner Images

When the University has special fundraising campaigns or major alumni events, Fairfield may provide profile and banner images you can add to your Twitter account. You can also create your own profile and banner photos. 

The best practice here is that still photos do much better than video on Instagram. But what to post? Pictures could include:

These photo ideas are also good to use for your Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn posts.

Instagram doesn’t allow clickable links in your post captions; however, you can include a link in the bio section of your account, and reference it in the caption of your photo post.

Instagram Stories

Stories are a vital form of content on Instagram. Stories are combinations of vertical photo and video posts that can include text, as well as platform-specific tools like stickers, "lenses," emoji options, and more.

As a social media ambassador for the University, you can use Instagram stories to share your love of Fairfield, and bring awareness to campaigns that will benefit the University’s future. Some story ideas include:

• A story showing off your time at Alumni and Family Weekend
• A story highlighting your reunion
• A story showing you making your gift to Fairfield on STAGiving Day, and why you’re giving

Stories can be as long or short as you want them to be. They can also include hashtags and @ mentions. When posting a story, remember to mention one of the handles above, and use one or more of the provided hashtags.