Messaging will sound different for certain subjects and audiences. When developing communication pieces, it’s important to refer back to the voice and tone. The examples below show how that may come across depending on the situation at hand. They should allude to the positioning and proof points to back each message with credibility and cohesion.

While it’s important for all written and verbal communication to capture the brand, high-level language should feel emotional and moving, while focused subject matter will become more straightforward and practical.

Audiences

• Students
• Alumni
• Donors

Topics

• Academics
• Beliefs
• Experience

Prospective Student Messaging

Our primary target audience is prospective students (this naturally includes language that meets the needs of current students as well). It’s essential to put yourself in a prospect’s shoes and think about what they want and need from WIU communications. We show examples below of how the voice and tone, along with the rest of the strategy, work for this group and how that shifts depending on the subject.

Academics

Empowered by perspective.
Western Illinois University’s tradition is rooted in teaching. Our professors lead with that passion every day through a student-centered approach to education. Through personal mentorship and active learning, you’ll explore your talents in a place where you belong. And when you graduate, you’ll take those experiences and connections to start a meaningful future.

When speaking to a prospect about the academic life at Western, we draw on the experience of gaining skills and finding relationships. The messages should never feel transactional, because WIU’s supportive faculty and staff care about students and their futures.

Beliefs

Destined for success.
Western Illinois University is for students of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds. We’re committed to your success no matter where you’re at in your educational journey. No matter where you come from, no matter what you want to do, we believe in where your potential will take you when you’re fully supported by a connected community. When we work hard and come together, we go further than we realized possible.

When speaking to a prospect about what we believe at Western, we show them that regardless of who they are and where they come from, we will accept them with open arms, that acceptance is an important part of the Western values.

Experience

The power of community.
As an individual, you bring powerful value. When you join a university, you take your background and experience to a new community. At Western Illinois University, we embrace those new perspectives that teach the unfamiliar. In a place where stories and ideas meet with respect, we grow to become global citizens with compassion. That commitment to collaboration lies at the heart of what we do and who we are.

When speaking to a prospect about what they will experience at Western, we bring in the differentiating factor that Western provides a diverse community. It shows how they gain value from exposing themselves to new ways of thinking.

Other Messaging

We use the brand to communicate with secondary audiences as well. While these messages may live in more specific mediums, it remains important to speak in a consistent, clear manner.

Alumni

Take pride in where you’re going and where you came from.
WIU stands proud to call you one of our own. From your days on campus to now, we continue to see your growth and success. No matter where you go next, take your unwavering Leatherneck loyalty with you.

When speaking to an alumni audience, we take them back to the positive feelings they had during their college days. The language helps build the connection needed for them to want to connect and involve themselves with the University as a former student.

Donors

Opportunity should serve everyone. Western Illinois University serves as a regional hub for opportunity. On our campuses, we believe accessible and affordable education changes lives. Not only does it directly better each student, but it also impacts the community they go on to live in and the industry they choose to work in. An investment in higher education brings positive growth for generations to come.

When speaking to a donor audience, we convey the change they’re able to make in student and community member lives by making an investment. It urges them to want to become a part of a cause (higher education) bigger than themselves.

When you create content at Western Illinois University, keep in mind who your audience is. Identifying your target audiences is crucial for an effective content strategy, which involves planning the creation, publication, and management of valuable and user-friendly content. Understanding your target audience—their needs, questions, and behaviors—and keeping them in mind while creating content will help clarify your message and enhance your effectiveness.

What is a "target audience"?

A target audience is the specific group of people most likely to be interested in the content of your website or promotional material. Therefore, your target audience should never be defined as "everyone."

In higher education, a primary target audience is often prospective students. However, "prospective students" encompasses various users: undergraduate and graduate students, part-time students, international students, transfer students, and more. Additionally, you have secondary audiences such as parents, faculty, staff, alumni, partners, donors, influencers, and community members.

Creating content that speaks to such a diverse group can be challenging. Therefore, prioritizing these audiences can help you focus your content strategy.

Prioritizing target audiences

A successful website prioritizes its target audiences and communicates effectively with the audience most likely to engage with the content.

To prioritize your target audiences:

1. List all potential audiences.
2. Group them into categories (e.g., prospective students, faculty/staff, partners/community).
3. Prioritize these groups as primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences.

Writing targeted content

Use this prioritized list of target audiences to guide content development.

Consider the following:

1. What is the purpose and goal?
2. Who is this for?

Answering these questions will help you create engaging content and improve your effectiveness.

Updated 9/2020

Social media is an important way for Western Illinois University to communicate with its core audiences and provides the opportunity to actively engage with them. Like all University communication, it is important to keep messaging consistent with our brand, accurate and professional.

To maintain brand consistency, we recommend using official Western Illinois University profile photos that are in line with the strategy below.

The page name on your social media platform(s) should appear in the following format:

• Example 1: Western Illinois University RPTA or WIU Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration
• Example 2:Western Illinois University CSPorWIUCollege Student Personnel
• Example 3:Western Illinois University Biologyor WIUBiology

Recommended Platforms

• WIU's Facebook
• WIU on Instagram
• WIU's YouTube
• Linkedin
• WIU on Twitter

For questions about social media logo usage or to schedule a consultation regarding creating or maintaining social media account/platform, contact socialmedia@wiu.edu.

Guidelines & Regulations

All social media accounts should support the University’s mission, goals, programs and sanctioned efforts.

Administrative access and passwords for Western-affiliated social media accounts should be available to multiple staff members in each department. Credentials must be maintained and surrendered to a University leader at the dean or vice president level in the event that the current social media manager, whether a student or employee, leaves the department/division/University

Comment Policy

We encourage open discussion about the topics we post, but we do reserve the right to moderate discussion on Western Illinois University social media accounts and to remove posts that contain:

• Profane or obscene content
• Content unrelated toUniversity post/topic
• Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination, racism, hate, and harassment
• Promotion of illegal activity(ies)
• Threats or harm and violence and/or violent content
• Spam or comments that include links to external online sites
• Solicitations of commerce or advertisements, includingpromotion or endorsement
• Promotions of particular services, products or political candidates or organizations (with the exception of specific student organization social media platforms, e.g. WIU Campus Democrats)
• Content that violates the terms of use or community guidelines of the social media platform
• Information that may compromise the safety or securityof an individual, the general public and/or public entity/body.

Violators may have their comments hidden or removed from the University's social media platforms. Continued violations of this policy may prompt the removal of an individual from a University-owned/affiliated social media platform. Any comment that is racist, considered hate speech, discriminatory, or is threatening harm or violence in any way will result in immediate removal from the University's social media platform.

Posts that refer to specific individuals or offices within the WIU community as part of the complaint, concern or compliment will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the circumstances, at the discretion of page administrators, the post or comment may be removed.

Western Illinois University is not responsible for the content posted by participants on any of its pages, nor does its existence constitute endorsement of the content by the University.

Know and Follow the Rules

Do not post confidential or proprietary information about Western Illinois University, its students, alumni, faculty or staff. Review all current policies and procedures, and if you are not sure, ask before sharing. Do not share information that is not meant to be common knowledge.

Federal laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), state law and WIU policies (found at wiu.edu/policies) governing the confidentiality of student and applicant records (and information from such records) apply to social media use. Make sure you are not posting any information that is confidential and/or highly restricted or restricted data.

As a public institution, it is required by law that if sharing a video on any social media platform, it must be captioned. To request assistance with captioning your video, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access or visit http://www.wiu.edu/accessibility/captionrequest.php.

Tips & Tricks

Before You Post:

• Get to know your audience and social media platforms and post/respond accordingly
• Review previous posts and interactions
• Posting hours: Depends on audience and platform – but it's more about what you post and less about when
• 3 second audition: Your content should be able to grab attention without sound in 3 seconds
• Quality over quantity: Consistency is important, but the audience prefers quality over fluff. Authenticity is key.
  • Each social media platform uses an algorithm to deliver posts to followers. Within minutes of a post going live, the channel measures how the audience is reacting. If the post is highly engaged, it will be shown with more frequency. For a post that is not as highly engaged, it will be buried lower or not shown at all.
  • Will this post fit into my targetaudience’sfeed, or will it stick out because it’s "selling?"
  • Be playful—social media should be fun!
• Deliver Value: Think when you’re posting - What is this offering my followers?
  • Particularly among Gen. Z and Millennials, audience members unfollow accounts that don’t deliver value in their posts.
• Grammar is important. Remain concise and conversational, while keeping grammar intact. Grammarly is a free app and Chrome extension that checks your copy as you type.
• Fit into your audience's feed
  • Be in the moment. Balance posts planned months in advance with in-the-moment (responsive) content.
  • Use emojis sparingly and thoughfully
  • Balance the elements of the Western experience you represent: athletics, visits, academics, service, outcomes, etc.
• Follow the accounts of thoseyou’retrying to reach (students, etc.) and those you can imitate (similar departments at other universities, etc.).
• Crowdsource content—borrow and repost. Always ask permission and give credit.
• Cross-promote other on-campus channels’ campaigns and initiatives. When we amplify each other, everyone grows!
• Respond to questions and engage feedback
  • Implement a departmental process for quickly answering social media questions. Like and comment on responses, and stay positive.
  • If things get contentious, take the conversation to private message or offline. Be mindful that DMs are often screenshotted and reposted.
• Routinely sweep for outdated “about” information and links.
• University Relations and the Visual Production Center store and share photos through PhotoShelter. If you are unable to download a photo you want, contact the Visual Production Center at (309) 298-1358 or VPC@wiu.edu. You can also schedule VPC to take photos for events.
  • Here are the channel-optimized aspect ratios you should use to crop your images for each platform. You can use a photo editor such as Photoshop, Canva or Sprout Social’s easy editing tool:
    • Facebook: 1200x630
    • Twitter: 1024x512
    • Instagram: 1080x1080
    • LinkedIn: 1350x705 (or 2400x1256)

Social Media Directory

View the Western Illinois University Social Media Directory. To be added to this list or updating an existing link, email socialmedia@wiu.eduor register your social accounts online.