Facebook Best Practices

All Facebook pages and accounts must be managed by an active Facebook individual user’s account. It is against Facebook’s terms of service to create a “fake” persona account to manage pages and groups. If your page(s) and/or group(s) are managed using a fake user account, you risk having your page(s)/group(s) closed and losing all your content.

Each unit Facebook page or group should be administered by a full-time MSU employee. It is recommended that each page or group have at least two employees with admin-level page roles to ensure that control of the page is never lost. Only grant the level of page role that is necessary for individuals to do their job. Student employees and interns should never have admin-level access to a page.

Learn more about page roles in the Facebook Help Center > Using Facebook > Page Roles.

It is important that whomever is responsible for managing the Facebook page and/or group be aware of ongoing activity from the audience. Be sure that notifications are enabled and regularly monitored.

Learn more about Notifications in the Facebook Help Center > Using Facebook > Notifications.

Pages allow your unit to have an official presence on Facebook. Individuals can view information about your unit (business hours, contact information), receive updates from your page in their newsfeed, check in to your unit’s location, and more. It is the business/organization equivalent of a personal profile.

Learn more about pages in the Facebook Help Center > Using Facebook > Pages.

Groups allow your unit to create a space for communication around shared interests. Groups can be private or public. While there are some instances where a group may be appropriate (small, specific student groups, for example), it is generally recommended that units at Michigan State University use pages instead of groups.

Learn more about groups in the Facebook Help Center > Using Facebook > Groups.

To ensure the best appearance for your page/group, be sure to follow the image size guidelines outlined by Facebook. See the links below:

• Page Profile and Cover Images
• Group Cover Image

When creating a new Facebook page, you may choose to refer to the following checklist:

• Assign a primary page admin, and at least one backup page admin.
• Upload an appropriately sized cover and profile image.
• For pages, be sure to fully complete the setup, including the about section, story, milestones (if applicable), contact information, business hours, etc.
• Customize your Facebook vanity URL.
• Promote your page internally to build the number of likes.
• Develop a schedule for regularly posting content.
• Promote the URL for your page widely (on your website, on print pieces, on other social media accounts, etc.).

As you manage your Facebook page or group, you may choose to refer to the following checklist:

• Post regularly with content relevant to your audience.
• Be sure that your cover images are updated periodically so that they remain seasonally appropriate, if using photographs. (i.e. Don’t feature summer flowers in December.)
• Avoid using click-bait headlines, asking for engagement (i.e. "Like this post!"), and posting links to goods for sale. This behavior may result in Facebook's algorithms downrating your posts so that fewer audience members see the content.
• Refer to Facebook Insights for your page for analytics and performance data.
• Update your page or group’s roles as staff assignments change. Only MSU employees should have access to administer the page/group.