秘密研究所

A resource on how to use Instagram for an affiliated account of 秘密研究所 of New Jersey.

SET YOUR POSTS UP FOR SUCCESS

• Keep content relatable to your audience and campus.
  • Is your audience current students, prospective students, alumni, parents, faculty/staff, local community and employers, or all or most of the above?聽
• Each regular post should include:
  • A location* such as 鈥溍孛苎芯克� of New Jersey鈥�
    • *When applicable, you can also use the location feature in areas such as the Berrie Center or Bradley Center.
  • RCNJ-centric hashtag(s) and general hashtags to help increase your reach/visibility.聽
  • Tagged related accounts (if applicable).
    • Always tag in your content.
• Hashtag (#) with a purpose.
  • It鈥檚 good to use one RCNJ-branded hashtag per post. #RCNJ is easy, #RamapoCollege is also good.
  • While using more than one hashtag is possible, five is the maximum allowed.聽
  • If you decide to use a general hashtag, look for ones with higher uses (as noted when you type a hashtag into Instagram’s caption or search area.)
• A full list of 秘密研究所 branded hashtags are available on our Guidelines page: ramapo.edu/social-media/social-media-guidelines/
• Let us know if you are considering launching a new hashtag or campaign 鈥� we鈥檇 love to help brainstorm, strategize, and offer tips.
  • Not all campaigns need a new hashtag.
• Quality over quantity – We recommend a maximum of one (1) regular post/Reel per day on Instagram.
  • Have several photos to share?
    • Post as the multi-photo/carousel post (add up to 20 of your best photos for users to swipe through in one post) OR create a photo montage in a Reel video.
  • If you don鈥檛 have something of value to post, it鈥檚 ok to skip a day or two, or even more.聽
• Focus on storytelling and relatability! How can you tap into trends or use quality photos/video to stop people from scrolling.
• Engage with your engagement – reply to comments and DMs, as able!
• Add music! So much of your content’s success could boil down to pairing it with a relatable song, trending audio or perfectly aligned vibe of a song.
  • Depending on your account level, you may have full access to all music/audio available through Instagram’s music library or you might be limited in using specific music (typically music from mainstream artists) but there’s workarounds. Look for using “trending” or “original audio” when you have trouble using main stream artists’ music.

TIMING IS KEY

• Promoting an event? Due to Instagram鈥檚 algorithms, we recommend not promoting an event (for awareness) a few hours or minutes beforehand as a regular 鈥渇eed鈥� post.
  • Post several days beforehand so people have a better chance of seeing it.
• Need a last-minute or day-before reminder?
  • Post your reminder as a Story, and your followers will see your content above their feed.聽
• Always make sure to include specific dates, and times avoid confusion.
  • Instagram varies what posts show up in the timeline – they are not always shown chronologically to your followers. It’s best to include the actual date in your post.
    • Don’t write: 鈥渢omorrow at 5 pm”
    • Do write: 鈥渢omorrow, September 1 at 5 pm鈥�

SLEEK POSTS

• Tag multiple accounts in your post or Reel instead of listing the accounts out in the caption. It鈥檚 easier to read.
  • This also provides you with the value of increasing your potential reach.
  • When you tag an account in your post or Reel, your post will show up on their profile in their “tagged” content feed.
• List hashtags at the end.
• Never include website links in captions for posts or Reels 鈥� users cannot click on the link in a caption.
  • Need to provide a link? Here are some ways to provide a link to your audience.
    • Share the post/Reel to your Story and use the Link sticker to send people to a website.
    • Say 鈥渓ink in bio” – just make sure to add it as 1 of the 5 website links you can add in your profile’s bio section.
    • Send a clickable link in a DM.
      • Just copy and paste the link into a direct message to the person asking for it.
• While real photos or videos work best, if you need to use a designed image, “flyers” need to be redesigned for social media use and maintain College branding standards.聽
  • Work with the Office of Marketing to design the social media visuals that you鈥檒l need for your posts.
    • Start the process by filling out their job request form with advanced notice: ramapo.edu/project-request/creative-brief-form/
  • If you must design it on your own, please consult ramapo.edu/social-media/graphic-design-tips-for-social-media/ for graphic design tips and tricks.
  • Short and sweet is best – get to the point so there image is not overloaded with text.
    • Include the basic info (event title, date, time, location, etc) on the visual and then include the more specific info (expanded context, event specifics, etc) in the caption. Also make sure to use the alt text feature to provide information about the visual in the appropriate location.
• This will make your post more engaging and ensure accessibility standards are met (please see the ACCESSIBILITY section).

PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOURCING PHOTOS

• The core of Instagram is about sharing great, engaging photography/videography and 鈥渢humb-stopping鈥� content. You want people to stop scrolling when they come across your content.
  • Use real photos in your posts. It is best to brainstorm photos that can be evergreen for your posts and then build a photo bank to use year-round.
• Take photos on smart devices or request photography coverage from the Office of Marketing, but please do so with advanced notice: ramapo.edu/project-request/creative-brief-form/
• Work your network! You can always source user-generated content (UGC) by asking your followers (students, employees, staff, faculty) to provide you with photos. Just be mindful of providing guidelines so that you receive photos that are appropriate for your account/department/club, and are of good quality (not blurry/pixelated).
• Not sure a photo you have will work? Just ask us!

INSTAGRAM STORIES

• Instagram Stories promote engagement. You can use different tools to pose questions and gather answers, ask a poll, use fun animated gifs, and additional sticker options.
• Use the link sticker to send people to websites instead of adding a link in the text sticker.
• Search keywords such as 鈥淩CNJ鈥� or 鈥渞amapocollege鈥� or 鈥淩amapo鈥� on the sticker page to use RCNJ-specific gifs and stickers.
• Stories are useful to utilize when information may not be appropriate or successful as a feed post on your page.
  • For example, if you want to post about an upcoming club meeting, it may not be a valuable feed post but it鈥檚 a helpful reminder as a Story post.
  • The Story is also useful when you have multiple things to post about in one day. By using the story feature, you don鈥檛 over-post your feed.
• Stories only last 24 hours, so be smart about what you post!
  • If you want to make them live longer, add them to a Highlight so they stay on your profile –聽 you can create different Highlights to “save” different themed-Stories or topics.

NEW CAMPAIGNS/IDEAS

• New ideas are great, and it is important to keep up with appropriate trends to promote follower engagement.
• When you have a new idea, it is important to meet with the Social Media Strategist and the Social Media Team to ensure success, and to keep us in the loop.

PROFILE TIPS

• Your profile is the centerpiece of your Instagram strategy. Make sure your bio has the most relevant, up-to-date information that all of your followers need to know (office location, contact information, etc).
• Tag @ramapocollegenj in your bio to connect your followers with the College account.
• Make sure to add a webpage. You can link to your ramapo.edu page, an Archway account, event sign-up website, etc.聽 If you decide to utilize a link in your bio, make sure that the link is updated and maintained.
• Use a profile photo that is relevant and tells your followers who you are.
  • We recommend working with the Office of Marketing for assistance with profile icon design and branding standards. ramapo.edu/project-request/creative-brief-form/

ACCESSIBILITY

• Being accessible means that anyone, regardless of ability, can access and engage with your content.
• Utilize the Alternative Text (alt text) feature to allow those with visual impairments to utilize screen readers and access your content (it鈥檚 also known as an image description, and not to be confused with a caption).聽
• Be descriptive but concise when writing alt text so that your followers can be as engaged as possible.
• Utilize Camel Case for hashtags with multiple words to make them easier to read and accessible for screen readers.聽
  • For example: Use #RamapoCollege and not #ramapocollege
  • Other examples: Use #RamapoAlumni, #WeAreRCNJ, #HomeSweetPo
• Add captions to videos that have people speaking (whether on-screen or voice overs). You can add captions in Instagram and TikTok that are editable (make sure “Ramapo” and people’s names are spelled correctly!). If you need help, please let us know – we’d be happy to demo!
  • Do not use auto-captions – they always spell something wrong or write people’s names wrong!

BECOME RECOGNIZED BY THE COLLEGE

• All officially recognized Ramapo-affiliated accounts are linked in the Social Media Directory: ramapo.edu/social-media/directory/
• Don鈥檛 see your club/organization/department/office/program in the Directory?
  • Fill out the Social Media Application Form to get your account recognized by the College. ramapo.edu/social-media/social-media-application-form/

QUESTIONS?

• Email: socialmedia@ramapo.edu

Last updated: July 28, 2026