Social Media Guidelines and Resources
Social media helps North Central Michigan College connect with prospective and current students, share campus experiences, celebrate achievements and engage with our broader community.
NCMC’s Marketing and Communication team works with departments, programs, clubs and organizations to share meaningful content through the College’s established social media channels. The following guidelines outline how we manage official accounts, consider content for publication and maintain a consistent, engaging and secure social media presence.
Whether you’re looking to share a story, promote an event or request a new account, these guidelines will help you understand the process and available opportunities for collaboration.
Official NCMC Social Media Accounts
North Central’s official social media accounts represent the College and connect with audiences across multiple platforms. To ensure these channels remain consistent, accessible and secure, Marketing and Communication provides oversight of College-affiliated accounts. The following guidelines explain account management responsibilities, approval requirements and expectations for representing NCMC online.
All official college social media accounts are managed or overseen by the NCMC Marketing and Communication team. Current official profiles include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat and Flickr.
Departments, clubs and organizations wishing to create an official account must receive approval from NCMC Marketing and Communication before launching. Unauthorized or unregistered accounts using NCMC’s name, logo or branding are strongly discouraged. Existing accounts not approved by Marketing may be asked to deactivate or transition to official oversight. This approach helps maintain brand consistency, accessibility, account security and a coordinated institutional presence.
Because official accounts speak for the College, content posted on them should be accurate, timely and consistent with NCMC’s mission and values. Account administrators are expected to use a professional tone, verify information before posting and follow College social media, accessibility and brand guidelines.
Section 1: Use of College Brand Assets With AI Tools
North Central’s visual identity is an important part of how audiences recognize and connect with the College. These guidelines establish expectations for using official brand assets, photography and video with artificial intelligence tools.
To protect the College’s brand integrity and trademark rights, NCMC logos, wordmarks, mascots, graphic elements and other official brand assets may not be uploaded to third-party artificial intelligence tools for the purpose of generating new logos, illustrations, stylized imagery or other derivative visual assets.
Official College photography and video should likewise not be used in generative AI tools to create altered, synthetic or derivative visual content without approval from NCMC Marketing and Communication.
AI-generated or AI-altered content intended for use on an official NCMC social media account must follow College brand standards and may be subject to review by Marketing and Communication before publication.
Section 2: Social Media Account Requests
Not every department, program or organization needs a separate social media account to reach its audience. North Central’s established channels offer opportunities to share content with existing audiences while maintaining a coordinated College presence. The following guidelines explain the College’s approach to new accounts.
North Central Michigan College recognizes social media as a valuable tool for engaging our community, sharing the student experience, promoting college initiatives and advancing our mission. To support a more strategic and unified social media presence, NCMC Marketing and Communication recommends a pause on the creation of new department-, program-, club- or office-specific accounts.
As the number of NCMC-affiliated accounts grows, so do the challenges associated with maintaining consistent branding and messaging, meeting accessibility and privacy standards, maintaining account security and adapting to evolving platform requirements. A more centralized approach helps reduce these risks while strengthening the reach and quality of the College’s overall social media presence.
Requesting a New Account
Departments, programs, clubs and organizations interested in establishing an official social media account should begin with the review process outlined below.
While a pause on new NCMC-affiliated accounts is the default, there may be instances when a dedicated social media account serves a clear and strategic purpose.
Departments, programs, clubs or organizations seeking a new account should complete and submit the Social Media Account Request Form for review. Approved accounts must follow North Central’s Social Media Guidelines and all applicable brand, accessibility, privacy and security requirements.
Students interested in promoting their clubs, organizations or campus experiences are encouraged to participate in NCMC’s Social Media Ambassador Program, which provides a collaborative opportunity to help amplify student life through the College’s official channels.
Section 3: Policy Oversight and Compliance
Maintaining an effective social media presence involves ongoing attention to account activity, security and content quality. Marketing and Communication reviews College-affiliated accounts and works with administrators to support consistent management.
To help maintain a coordinated and secure social media presence, NCMC Marketing and Communication conducts an annual audit of College-affiliated social media accounts. This includes identifying new, inactive or unregistered accounts.
Following the audit, the department may contact account administrators to:
- Provide support and guidance;
- Align accounts with institutional policy and brand standards; and
- Address inactive, outdated or noncompliant accounts.
The department will make reasonable efforts to contact administrators of accounts created outside of College policy. If an account remains inactive or noncompliant, or if no administrator can be identified, Marketing and Communication may request that the account be deactivated, transferred to College oversight or removed by the third-party platform.
When possible, the department will work with account administrators to explain the action and identify alternative communication options.
Section 4: Collaboration Through Established Channels
Have an event, achievement or story you’d like to share? Marketing and Communication welcomes content ideas from across campus. The following guidance explains how content is considered for NCMC’s official channels and when other College communication channels may be more effective.
NCMC’s official social media accounts have broad, established audiences and are well-positioned to amplify important College stories, initiatives and events. Marketing and Communication welcomes opportunities to collaborate with departments, programs, clubs and organizations to identify content that supports the College’s audiences and communication goals.
Marketing and Communication determines the appropriate platform, timing, format and frequency for content shared through the College’s official social media accounts. Submission of a request does not guarantee a dedicated post or story. Content may instead be incorporated into weekly event roundups, broader College storytelling or another communication channel based on audience, timing and overall content strategy.
Primary Audiences
Understanding whom our channels serve helps guide the stories, events and information shared through the College’s official accounts.
The College’s organic social media channels primarily serve:
- Prospective students
- Current students
- Community members
Priority Content for Official Social Media
From student achievements and new programs to admissions opportunities and community events, NCMC’s channels highlight College people, experiences and initiatives. The following content may receive priority.
Content that may receive priority for organic social media promotion includes:
- College-sponsored events open to the community
- Ticketed College events
- New academic programs and major College initiatives
- Admissions events and opportunities for prospective students
- Events that directly support enrollment or student success, including exam preparation, FAFSA information sessions, university transfer visits and similar opportunities
- Stories highlighting NCMC students, employees, alumni, programs and community impact
Content That Will Not Typically Receive a Dedicated Post or Story
Different messages are best suited to different communication channels. The following guidance clarifies which requests typically do not receive dedicated organic social media promotion and identifies other ways to reach intended audiences.
The College’s official organic social media channels will not typically provide dedicated promotion for:
- Individual classes
- Community events not affiliated with or sponsored by NCMC
- Student-organized events not affiliated with NCMC
- Individual campus events intended primarily for currently enrolled students
Events intended primarily for currently enrolled students should be promoted through the College’s established student communication channels, including email, text messaging when appropriate, campus TV screens, flyers, word-of-mouth and the Timberwolf Times student newsletter.
For currently enrolled students and individual campus events, social media should serve as a supplemental awareness channel rather than the primary method of communication.
Student events may also be included in the College’s weekly events story on Facebook and Instagram, published each Monday. This provides consistent social media visibility while maintaining a balanced mix of content across the College’s organic channels.
Exceptions may be made for admissions events and events that directly support enrollment or student success, including exam preparation, FAFSA information, university transfer opportunities and similar programming.
Why This Approach
Our goal is to provide a balanced mix of useful information, engaging stories and authentic glimpses into life at North Central. These considerations help guide decisions about content and communication channels.
Official College social media accounts are intended to provide a balanced mix of engaging, informative and community-focused content. Organic social media is most effective when it offers relevant stories, useful information and authentic glimpses into the College experience rather than functioning primarily as an event calendar or advertising channel.
Direct communication channels such as email and text messaging are generally more reliable for reaching a defined student audience, while organic social media reach is influenced by platform algorithms and is not guaranteed.
Repeated promotional posts or stories for upcoming events, excessive use of marketing slogans, or content that reads primarily as an advertisement should be reserved for paid advertising campaigns or other dedicated marketing channels rather than the College’s organic social media accounts.
Section 5: Content and Community Standards
The College’s social media presence depends on accurate information, respectful interaction and appropriate use of content. These standards from the existing guidelines continue to offer practical direction for anyone contributing to an NCMC-affiliated account.
Content Expectations
Content should be accurate, current, grammatically correct, appropriate for a general audience and directly related to North Central, its mission, campus activities or the College community.
Use a clear, concise and authentic voice. Do not use official accounts to promote unrelated individual opinions or causes, publish obscene, explicit, threatening or offensive material, or share content that infringes copyright.
Photos and Videos
Photos and videos shared by account administrators should be original works created by North Central or its students, faculty or staff, or used with the express permission of the copyright owner, with appropriate credit. The adopted requirements governing AI use of College photography, video and brand assets also apply.
Campaigns and Contests
Contact Marketing and Communication before launching a social media contest or promotional campaign so that applicable rules and legal requirements can be reviewed.
Monitoring and Community Interaction
Administrators should monitor their accounts regularly and approach comments and discussions respectfully. Responses should be considered in light of their potential reflection on the College and its institutional voice.
Connections With Other Accounts
Links, follows and other connections made through official College accounts should be relevant to North Central, its mission or College-related activities. Connections with business partners are also appropriate.
Section 6: Technical Requirements for New Accounts
Approved social media accounts must meet College requirements for setup, security and administrative access. The following requirements apply to official NCMC Facebook and Instagram accounts.
All official NCMC Facebook and Instagram accounts, including department-, program-, division-, club- or organization-specific accounts, must be connected to and managed through the College’s Meta Business Manager.
This structure supports account security, continuity, administrative oversight and consistent management of official College accounts.
NCMC Marketing and Communication will coordinate account setup, provide appropriate administrator access and maintain a master list of authorized users.
Departments or organizations approved to create a new Facebook or Instagram account must work with NCMC Marketing and Communication to establish the account within the College’s Meta Business Manager before launch.
Existing official accounts not currently connected to the College’s Meta Business Manager will be reviewed and transitioned into this structure when appropriate.
To request an authorized social media account, submit the Social Media Account Request Form to NCMC Marketing and Communication.
Section 7: Personal Social Media Use
Employees’ personal social media activity is distinct from posting on an official College account. The existing guidelines provide the following reminders about protecting information, representing personal opinions and using College identity online.
Guidance for Personal Accounts
Consider carefully what you post. Social media content may be copied, shared or discovered long after its original publication.
- Do not share confidential or proprietary College information or copyrighted material without authorization.
- Do not use North Central logos or other College images on personal social media sites.
- Be respectful of others, including when opinions differ.
- Consider the broad audiences that may see public posts, including students, colleagues and community members.
- When identifying yourself as an NCMC employee, make clear that personal opinions are your own and do not necessarily represent the College.
- Keep personal social media use separate from College business and follow applicable workplace policies regarding College time and equipment.
Section 8: Contact Information
For questions, content ideas or special requests related to NCMC’s main social media channels, please contact the Digital Media Administrator.
Please note that these guidelines will be revised periodically to adapt to the ever-changing social media landscape. Any questions or suggestions can be sent to Megan VanHorn, director of Marketing and Communication.