Gryphon Social Media
On This Page:
Overview
Our online brand identity reflects our institutional values and has a lasting impression on the University’s reputation. Social media offers our widest reaching network, and everything we communicate through these channels – the words we choose in our copy, the images on our feed, the content in our posts and the tone in which they are communicated – reinforces our brand.
All partners and collaborators tasked with maintaining an affiliated social media account are required to have a thorough understanding of our Social Media Guidelines, which includes valuable information not included here.
Social media content reflects several different components of this brand guide. This social media section focuses on utilizing brand assets within social media including our social-specific assets.
Avatars/Profile Pictures
Social media avatars or profile pictures are an excellent way to communicate your affiliation with the Guelph Gryphons. Our branded avatars allow for a cohesive and professional brand presence across all associated accounts and platforms.
Social media platforms utilize square or circular avatars. All Gryphon avatars will be provided in a square format, and individual platforms will crop for the circular boundaries when required. Ensure that the cropped circle is as large as possible and reaches the borders of the square.
These are different from other brand assets. Utilizing these assets for anything aside from your social media avatar will be considered a brand violation. In a similar sense, utilizing any other graphics or images for social media avatars will also be considered a brand violation.
Sport-Specific Accounts
All sport-specific social media accounts will utilize their customized social media avatar. This prominently features the Gryphon along with the name of the sport.
These avatars do not distinguish between genders, meaning that men’s and women’s teams from the same sport will have the same social media avatar. Adding “men’s” or “women’s” within the avatar would significantly reduce readability and the prominence of the Gryphon logo. You are welcome to include this information within your account name or description. Do not alter your social media avatar in any way.
General Accounts
Any affiliated social media accounts that do not possess sport-specific assets are welcome to utilize one of the provided default avatar options. Sport-specific accounts are also welcome to utilize these default options in place of their customized sport-specific assets.
Cover Photos
For social media banner images/cover photos, please utilize one of the provided options from the Templates and Additional Assets section of these guidelines. You are not required to use any cover photo. If you do use one, you are not required to use one of the provided options. However, if you do choose to utilize U of G or Gryphon imagery in your cover photo, please avoid any images focused on people. Using images containing identifiable people/faces is strictly prohibited.
Content Creation
Overview
This section outlines some best practices for utilizing brand assets within your social media strategy. It is not an exhaustive list and cannot replace the expertise and guidance outlined in our complete Social Media Guidelines.
Image and Media Sizing
Each social media platform has different specifications for optimal content sizing. Hootsuite has a website for Social Media Image Sizes: A Quick Reference Guide for Each Network that you can visit and find any size requirements for the platform of choice.
Embedded Text and Graphics
Avoid using graphics or text within your image posts, as they often fail accessibility standards and can clutter a quality image. Graphics also make authentic images feel more like an advertisement and less sincere. Some platforms may also limit your reach if your image contains too much text.
Instead of graphics or text, utilize the post description to communicate your message. Images should capture the attention of your audience, post descriptions/captions should provide accompanying information.
Logos
Avoid brand fatigue and do not overuse the logo on your social media posts. Your branded avatar and username will already be present on every post. Logos also take up space and can distract the user from your intended message. Instead of depending solely on logos for branded content, try to communicate your brand through colour, imagery, brand voice, and all other brand components outlined in this guide.
Video
Optimize your video content for each social media platform for maximum reach. Visit Sprout Social’s Social Media Video Specs Guide to better understand each platform’s preferred aspect ratio, resolution, video length and more. If you fail to meet the platform’s requirements, your reach may be intentionally held back. For example, Instagram will push vertical videos and hold back horizontal videos by a wide margin.
Get to the point quickly. Social media audiences are vastly different from captive audiences. With the ability to swipe away in a split second, your video content should hook the user in the first 1-2 seconds.
Create video content that is accessible to all users. Embed subtitles in your video content and place them in a location that will not be blocked by platform buttons or descriptions.
