10 tips for your ETH social media presence

10 tips to help you make a good impression on social media

Listen.

Take the time to listen to your target group in the social media and observe what is said on topics that interest you. This will enable you to lay the foundations for a productive dialogue with your community.

Be respectful.

Everything that you publish as an employee of ETH Zurich is a reflection on the institution. Therefore, act professionally and respectfully on your social media platforms. Do not get involved unnecessarily in polemic debates or confrontations. Inform the visitors to your page that you reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments with obscene or discriminatory content and spam posts (Netiquette).

Be active and current.

A presence in the social media involves thorough, regular work. If you lack the time or resources to spend a few minutes a day on your platform and do not have sufficient new subject matter to make several contributions a week, you should reconsider your social media presence for the time being. Bear in mind – your last contribution decides how visitors perceive your site. If your last post is already several months old, they will regard your page as outdated.

Show yourself to be approachable.

One of the advantages of social media is the possibility to share information with a broader audience at the same time. However, the audience also expects this topicality. Therefore, be prepared to respond quickly in cases of emergencies and important announcements. Remember, it is better to publish snippets of information promptly instead of a complete report long after the actual incident.

Accept and respond to comments – even critical ones!

A social media presence without comments and interaction is not really “social”. Therefore, accept comments and respond to them. Be aware that comments are not always positive. Answer negative feedback in a professional manner. For instance, provide additional information that might help to resolve the conflict. Sometimes, it is actually better to wait and let the community correct erroneous information itself.

Be careful.

Bear in mind that everything you upload stays online forever! Check your news thoroughly before publication. Closed networks are no guarantee for confidentiality. Contents are shared, passed on and can no longer be deleted. Only publish contents that you would not be ashamed of if they appeared on the front page of a newspaper the following day.

Share.

Not only do you produce content on your social media platform; you consume it, too. And the majority of your community behaves in the same way. Therefore, share interesting and important information from other sources. This ultimately increases your credibility and gives you greater visibility in the community.

Keep your private and professional lives separate.

Make a clear separation between your professional presence in the social media and your private one. This is not always easy, especially if you are active on both fronts. However, always bear in mind: contents for your personal friends are not necessarily suitable for your colleagues.

Be transparent.

As an individual, you put a face to the institution ETH Zurich in the social media. If you report on ETH Zurich, be open about your identity and your relationship with ETH Zurich. Particularly if you comment in your professional capacity, this should be visible to everyone involved.

Work with us!

If someone else’s contribution on your platform requires an official response from ETH Zurich or the sharing of a post might be useful to the institution, we would be grateful if you could , which will also offer you advice and support on social media matters.