- Approved by the Dean's Office 21 September 2021.
- Last updated 19 March 2024.
Background
In HF's strategy towards 2030, the faculty aims to be a "knowledge-based agenda setter that contributes to debate and knowledge sharing in the general domain through extensive dissemination activities”. Social media is one of several tools the faculty can utilise to achieve the goals of sharing knowledge and recruiting new students.
The use of social media, as well as the faculty’s appearance in social media, varies throughout the organisation.
A local strategy for social media is part of the process of systematising and professionalising work that is divided among multiple units at HF, and it is a tool to clarify what should be prioritised so that limited resources are used as efficiently as possible.
At faculty level, the communications section is primarily responsible for all communication except for communications aimed at students, and regarding studies. This responsibility lies within the study section. At department level, there is varying use of social media, as well as resources and expertise to use different social media platforms.
Through this strategy, it will be clearer how social media is part of the faculty’s communications work.
Target groups
The target groups of UiO:
(in casual order)
- Applicants and their surroundings.
- Students and employees at UiO.
- Research environments, both nationally and internationally.
- The external world.
- Stakeholders: media, government, the Research Council, working life, business, other sectors, volunteers, et cetera.
- The population – several target groups interested in different topics.
- International actors.
- Alumni.
We reach different target groups through different platforms and must adapt the communication format to platform and target group. We distinguish between internal and external communication.
Existing students and employees are often the target group for internal communication. However, they sometimes overlap with the "interested general public", meaning that they may also be a target group for external communication.
Last, but not least, the target group of existing students may overlap with potential applicants for studies and research positions.
Applicants are a large and diverse group, both in terms of age, interests, and use of platforms. HF aims to recruit applicants directly from upper secondary school, but also young adults, part-time students, adult applicants seeking further education or skill enhancement, among others.
Researchers are in a unique position, as many researchers have their own networks they cultivate independently. However, research dissemination is important for both the outside world and existing and potential new students.
HF’s main social media platforms primarily target a Norwegian-speaking audience.
Choosing communication channel
It is a guiding principle that the HF website is the prioritised content and information hub for the faculty. Even though content is produced for other channels, the audience should always be directed to hf.uio.no for more detailed information about research and studies at the faculty.
The work with social media is closely linked to other communication activities and publication on hf.uio.no. The faculty does not have dedicated resources to a social media editorial team, but social media is an integrated part of the faculty’s communication.
Even though some content is created exclusively for social media, many posts will be links to news published on hf.uio.no. How the content is presented must be adapted to the platform in which it is published.
The faculty prioritises the social media platforms that are widely used among UiO's target groups. The prioritised platforms must be evaluated annually, in line with how the target groups use the platforms.
Social media platforms are driven by algorithms that prioritise user engagement. These algorithms undergo frequent changes, and therefore, the content shared on the platforms must be adapted to the latest changes to effectively reach the target audiences. This may occasionally limit what and how much the various units at HF can communicate in a single post and how many people actually see or engage with the content.
The social media platforms are owned and run by international, commercial companies. Issues related to time consumption, ethics, and privacy impact our target audience's motivation to use these platforms, and changes in these areas must also influence the faculty's considerations when choosing platforms.
Overarching Goal for HF in Social Media
What HF wants to communicate and what the audience wants to see, do not always overlap. Because social media platforms are run by algorithms HF’s approach to the platforms and content should, in large, be guided by focusing on the target groups.
The main platforms at the faculty should be strengthened and cultivated for an external audience.
3The prerequisites for succeeding with social media are constantly changing and are influenced by factors beyond the faculty’s control. HF shall continuously monitor how the faculty succeeds in sharing content on social media. HF will use this insight to adjust the work with the channels.
Responsibility of the Departments in Social Media
The various units have different desires and needs for their channels. As of today, there are still several smaller social media channels at the faculty.
Each unit must assess what they want to achieve by using social media and what resources they have available to manage their channels in accordance with current guidelines. Inactive channels, or channels with minimal impact, are recommended to be discontinued.
Working with social media at HF
To strengthen both the faculty’s main communication channels and the many small accounts, the work with social media should be more closely intertwined.
Guidelines for the work with social media at HF
- The communications section is the editor for accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X at faculty level.
- The faculty is considering deleting its account on X (formerly Twitter) as we are reaching a noticeably smaller audience than before.
- A personal account on X may still be a useful channel for academic staff.
- The studies section is the editor for the faculty's account on Instagram.
- Each unit has editorial responsibility for its social media accounts and manages them in accordance with UiO's guidelines:
- Guidance for the use of pages and accounts on social media at UiO
- Social Media: Guidelines for accounts at UiO
- The communications section acts as an advisor to the faculty's units:
- Manages a Teams space for web and social media publishers and editors. This is used for questions and knowledge sharing, as well as guidelines and tips for good content.
- Provides advice to the responsible departments regarding management of their accounts.
- Arrange an annual social media network meeting:Status of web and social media work at the faculty and units, as well as competence building.
- Provides advice on the creation of new accounts - including personal accounts where desired.
- The strategy is evaluated and adjusted each year in connection with the networking event.
- The resource situation at the faculty will guide the social media priorities.
Social Media Platforms
The faculty prioritises the major platforms in social media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Each year we will consider which platforms are the most relevant to reach our target groups.
Prioritized channels
- Facebook is Norway’s largest social media platform.
- 82 per cent of the population has an account. 65 per cent are daily users.
- The platform is particularly popular among adults, while usage among young people is declining. In the age group of 18-29 years, 46 percent use the platform daily, and 72 percent have a profile.
Facebook pages
- Actively used by businesses and organisations.
- Content from pages reaches a fraction of the followers. Facebook’s algorithms decide who and how many.
- Shared content that creates engagement among followers is then given priority in the news feed.
Facebook groups
- Used for sharing content and for discussions.
- In recent years, Facebook has concentrated on groups, and they have high priority in the news feed today.
Success criteria for Facebook
The content:
- Engaging, current, informative, and a trigger to find out more about HF’s disciplines/fields of expertise.
- A combination of good photos, videos, and links to web pages.
- Tone of voice and form adjusted to reach the target group.
- Posts regularly.
Administrative demands:
- Clear routines for administration, and for posting content and follow-up of comment fields.
- It is recommended to measure the page’s reach, the engagement of posted content, and analyse the results.
- If the page is inactive, it should be closed.
HF on Facebook
Facebook page for the faculty: UiO: the Faculty of Humanities
- A platform for external communications.
- The communications section has editorial responsibility.
- Share content about research and disciplines at the faculty. Examples of content are researcher interviews and news about good results or the humanities’ relevance to society and working life.
- The site has approximately 10,500 followers, an increase of 200 from 2023.
Goals:
- To increase the number of followers.
- Higher engagement among followers: more link clicks and greater reach.
- Media coverage.
Facebook pages; Departments, centres, professional environments, et cetera.
- Around 35 pages with a varying number of followers – from approximately 200 to 20,000.
- Room for more internal communication than in the faculty’s main page. The owner of the account defines the target group.
- Administrators report varying effects - or lack an overview of how the content hits.
- In 2024, efforts continue to ensure the quality of the pages in line with UiO's privacy and design guidelines.
Facebook groups: academic environments, student associations, alumni, et cetera.
- A varying number of members and activities. Several inactive groups.
- Student-run groups are not covered by guidelines for UiO, but if UiO is perceived as the sender, the institutes must follow up the groups/accounts.
Goals/success criteria:
- Engaging content for audiences who are particularly interested in a discipline or an academic environment.
- Facilitate discussion.
- Create a sense of community.
- Internal branding.
- Good routines for moderation.
- Inactive groups should be closed.
Paid advertising on Facebook
- Engaging "organically" with the main content should be a goal, as it shows that it resonates with followers.
- Paid targeting of posts is a cheap and effective way to reach a larger audience or a more specific target group with content.
- It may be relevant for individual posts where the goal is link clicks, or for events where the preferred participants are persons who do not follow the page already.
- It is not permitted to pay for social media posts about studies at the faculty during the recruitment period from December to March.
- The faculty uses paid targeting where this is strategic.
- Due to GDPR considerations, we can no longer advertise targeted based on user-generated data such as interests and behaviour.
- This makes it more challenging than before to reach our target audiences through paid advertising.
- Instagram is one of the largest social media platforms in Norway.
- 66 per cent of the population has a profile and 43 per cent use the platform daily. In the 18–29 age group, 77 per cent have a profile, and 58 per cent use the platform daily. Instagram is particularly strong among women.
- The platform is a service for sharing photos and videos, either in posts or as stories.
What are the success criteria for Instagram?
The content:
- Visual: good photos or video.
- Engaging, current, informative, and trigger to find out more about HF’s disciplines and education offered.
- Tone of voice and form adjusted to the target group.
- Content must be posted regularly.
Administrative requirements:
- Clear routines for administration, and for posting content and analysing the effect.
- It is recommended to measure account reach and engagement for shared content and analyse results.
- If the page is inactive, it should be closed.
HF on Instagram
Instagram-account for the faculty: @unioslo_hf
- Was launched in April 2022.
- The study section has editorial responsibility.
- A platform for communication with and about the students at the faculty.
- Shares content that gives potential students insight into what it is like to study humanities at HF.
- Examples of content: Photo and video stories with individual students’ experiences, photos from campus or tips for a good everyday life as a student at HF.
Goals:
- Increased number of followers.
- High engagement among followers.
Instagram accounts: Students and student associations, centres, and academic environments
Examples:
- Idéhistorie UiO, mitra_uio, kinastudieruio, multilingoslo
- Mainly student-run accounts with varying activity.
Paid advertising on Instagram:
- Facebook and Instagram are owned by the same company.
- Advertisements can run on both platforms simultaneously.
- Although LinkedIn is comparatively smaller than Facebook and Instagram, its usage is increasing.
- 30 percent of the population have an account, with 14 percent using the platform weekly
- The age group with the most weekly usage is 50-59 years (20 percent).
- Increasing use among young people (18-29 years old). 13 percent of that age group use LinkedIn weekly.
- Widely used among people in the education sector.
- LinkedIn can be a relevant platform for HF when it comes to recruiting for academic and technical-administrative positions, research dissemination, alumni contact, and networking.
LinkedIn Pages
- Actively used by businesses and organisations.
- Organic content spreads as people share, comment, and react. Emphasis is placed on sharing and comments.
LinkedIn Groups
- Used to share content and engage in discussions.
- Suitable for professional communities and others seeking their own networks.
What are the Success Criteria for LinkedIn?
- Regularly share engaging content for an audience that is particularly interested in a field or professional community.
- Create a sense of community.
- Internal branding.
- Ability to tag relevant individuals and organisations.
- Actively comment/react to strategically important content/senders.
- Systematically work with analysis and use the analysis in practice.
Administration requirements:
- Clear routines for administration, posting content, and monitoring of comment sections.
- It is recommended to measure the account reach and engagement for shared content and analyse the results.
- If the page or group is inactive, it should be closed.
HF on LinkedIn
Linkedin page at the faculty: UiO - Det humanistiske fakultet
- HF created a Linkedin account in the winter of 2023/2024.
- The communications section has editorial responsibility.
- A platform primarily used for external communication.
- Sharing content about subjects, awards, research, and new study programmes at the faculty.
- Share job postings at the faculty, both technical-administrative and scientific.
- Separate tab that showcases alumni.
Goals:
- Increase the number of followers.
- Increase engagement among followers: more shares and comments.
- Recruit more applicants for positions at the faculty.
- Showcase alumni.
Linkedin Pages at the Departments
- HF plans to implement a Linkedin structure that is set up in the same way as the faculty's organisational chart. This means that any new Linkedin accounts will be created at the department level, and academic communities and others who want their own networks will create groups on the department's page instead of separate pages.
- Level 1: UiO (page) - exists.
- Level 2: Faculty (page) - exists.
- Level 3: Department (page) >> Groups under the department - up to the departments and academic communities.
- Groups provide the opportunity for more dialogue with members. When we connect the organisation in this way, employees who add their workplace at the department level will be visible on both the faculty and university level in the LinkedIn structure.
- Departments that want to create a Linkedin account must follow UiO's guidelines for the use of social media, which include registration in the reporting app, requirement for a moderator, and several GDPR considerations.
Social media platforms not prioritized by HF now
X
- X is a platform with lower usage.
- 27 percent have a profile, 9 percent of the population use it daily.
- In the autumn of 2022, there were changes in the ownership of X, which have had consequences for its usage and functionality.
- The faculty is experiencing a noticeable decrease in reach and engagement on the content we post.
- This, combined with resource issues, has led the faculty to consider closing HF's account on X by 2024.
X accounts: Employees, Departments, and Academic Communities
- Several employees have their own account and are very active.
- A personal account on X may still be a useful platform for academic staff.
- Some departments, projects, and centres also have accounts.
- Maintaining a presence requires follow-up and administration in accordance with UiO's guidelines for social media.
Youtube
- A platform for watching videos.
- The platform is particularly popular among young people under 30 years of age. Men are overrepresented among users.
- HF’s Youtube account is used as a video archive for sharing video to the web, as well as live streaming on certain occasions. The account is available to all environments at the faculty in need of these functions.
- Due to GDPR, UiO will release new recommendations for the use of YouTube in 2024.
Snapchat
- A platform for sending photos, messages, and video.
- Businesses use Snapchat as a platform for visual storytelling, and more, but the platform is mostly used for communication between friends.
- 67 per cent have a profile, 52 per cent daily users. Young people under the age of 29 are most active - 66 per cent use the channel daily.
- A heavy platform to manage for businesses.
Tiktok
- A platform for video and entertainment, particularly popular among children and youth.
- 29 percent have a profile, and 19 percent use TikTok daily.
- 50 percent of young people under 29 years old use TikTok daily.
- UiO has an account on TikTok and uses the platform for certain campaigns but does not recommend creating more accounts.
- See guidelines for the use of TikTok at UiO.
Jodel
-
A platform for anonymous posts, and anonymous discussions using hashtags and channels.
The source for all figures, unless otherwise stated: Ipsos SoMe-tracker Q4’2023.
Measures 2024
- HF's Teams room for web and social media publishers is actively used to answer questions and provide advice on the use of social media in the units.
- The communications section, in collaboration with HR, continues to strengthen the faculty's LinkedIn account.
- The communications section will assist the departments that wish to have their own LinkedIn account in creating it according to the strategy.
- Continue the work of identifying and considering the discontinuation of inactive social media accounts at the faculty.
- Follow up on the quality assurance of social media accounts at the departments in accordance with UiO's guidelines.