Instagram

Please Note: New social media accounts (including Instagram accounts) fall under Western's New Social Media process, in partnership with your Communications Officer and Western Communications.




Overview

  • Instagram has 800M Monthly Active Users (500M Daily Active Users)
  • 25,000 – 35,000 impressions / @westernuniversity feed post 
  • 10,000 impressions / @westernuniversity story post
  • Highest engagement of all platforms at Western.
  • Areas for Success: Stories.

 

Western has an official Instagram account (@westernuniversity) that is used school-wide, as well as specialized accounts including:

 

Western also uses the following official hashtags: #westernu, #offtowesternu (future students), #purpleandproud (alumni), #westernuCreates (visual arts), #westernuRezLife, #bewellwesternu (wellness) and #gradlifewesternu (grad students & SGPS).

We are building a network of Instagram accounts (and hashtags) built on audiences, subjects and experiences - rather than reflecting our organizational structure by creating accounts for individual departments or units. 

Questions about Instagram at Western University can be directed to social@uwo.ca. You can also contact this address to pitch content for the @westernuniversity account.

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Pitching @westernuniversity

@westernuniversity is a platform for your portfolio’s stories, campaigns & messages:
  • 34,300 followers
  • 25,000+ impressions per post (feed)
  • 10,000+ impressions per post (story)
  • Sharing stories & moments from any portfolio or voice on campus
    • 1-2 posts per day (feed); scheduled in Buffer
    • 1 story per day; scheduled in Basecamp

We Post Big, Beautiful, Purple.

  • Big: Full size, straight from the camera. (3MB max for social media)
  • Beautiful: in focus, well lit, composed.
  • Purple: Reflect Western places, people or culture.

 Pitching an Instagram Post:

  1. Contact social@uwo.cawith the idea (optional, but helps save you time).
  2. Submit photo (or video) with supporting caption to social@uwo.ca
    (if accepted, will take up to a week to publish).

 

Staff with access Buffer.com can directly schedule posts into @westernuniversity’s queue for approval.

Pitching an Instagram Story:

  1. Contact social@uwo.ca with the idea and date (important!)
  2. Accepted pitches go into the Editorial Calendar on Basecamp.
  3. Submit photos (or videos) to social@uwo.ca 
    • Order of photos & videos must be clearly indicated in file names.
    • Include captions/text in the photo files (Photoshop).
    • Include list of interactive elements to be added for each (hashtags, geo-locations, polls).

 

Once you’ve completed one or two stories successfully by submission, you can expect to receive direct access to build and publish your stories on the @westernuniversity account.

 

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New Account Process

http://communications.uwo.ca/comms/web_design/social_media/new-social-media.html

  • Review Western’s Strategy, Guidelines & Style Guide.
  • Review Western’s Social Media Responsibilities.
  • Publish posts on an already existing account, and evaluate.
  • Update your unit’s Social Media Worksheet to include Instagram, and contact social@uwo.ca to discuss content strategy & launch.

 

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Photography Tips

Frank Neufeld, Paul Mayne & Scott May

  • DO use natural light; DON’T use your flash.
  • DO move closer (or move your subject closer); DON’T use zoom.
  • DO focus your shot.
  • DO take more than one option (backup, wide, tall, close, far, video).
  • DO use the rule of thirds.
  • DO change your angle (go up, get low).
  • DO develop your photos (Lightroom); DON’T over-filter/destroy your image data.
  • DO take panoramas & live photos/videos.

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