Campus Communications Guide
We employ a variety of channels and methods to share messages across campus with specific audiences or the entire campus community. Depending on timing, budget and how many people your message affects, using one method or a combination can help your message reach the right people in a strategic, targeted way.
When planning a message for some or all of the campus community, ask yourself these questions:
Who is this message for? Defining your audience will help determine which communication methods are most effective.
When do I want them to receive it? Timely or urgent messages work best with digital communications, while longer-term messages can be sent via methods that require more lead time to incorporate graphic design, targeted language and more personalized communication.
What do I want them to do when they receive the message? Ensure that your message contains a specific call to action appropriate for the method of communication. Links, QR codes or phone numbers can be added to different communications methods to share additional information.
With your messaging goals defined, read through these internal campus communication resources to determine what channel or method works best for your message and how to use them.
Channels for Sharing Internal Messages
Daily digest with university announcements sent to the university community every weekday morning.
Ideal use: Sharing non-urgent events or announcements with a broad audience How to use: Visit the UM Today portal and select “Create new announcement.” The portal can also be found in the myOleMiss Employee tab. Email the webmaster, Robby Seitz, to request posting permissions if needed.
Pros and cons: These are easy to submit without MarComm support and reach the entire audience, but people may skip some or all UM Today messages. UM Today messages are not curated, so they typically contain content that is not relevant to some recipients.
Note: Do not select “Send express email right now” when you are scheduling your announcement if the message is not urgent or of immediate importance to the entire audience.
A standalone email sent via UM Today that is delivered as a separate email in the inbox.
Ideal use: Share urgent information or items of immediate importance with a broad audience.
How to use:
- Visit the UM Today portal and select “Create new announcement.”
- Select “UM Memo-Important” as the message category, and select “Send express email right now.”
- Email Robby Seitz to request posting permissions if needed.
The weekly student email newsletter is managed by MarComm and written by student interns. The email is delivered each Tuesday during the Fall and Spring semesters to share useful and engaging information for students, such as events, academic reminders and school-spirit promotional items.
Ideal use: Share timely and engaging information with students. How to use: Email The Powder Blue staff to request that information be added to the corresponding weekly issue, ideally a week in advance.
Pros and cons: Students are conditioned to look for news and useful information in The Powder Blue, but may miss it if they don’t open the email.
The weekly faculty-staff email newsletter is delivered Monday and includes useful and engaging information for employees, such as events, HR information, training opportunities and news.
Ideal use: Share timely and engaging information with faculty and staff.
How to use: Email MarComm to request that information be added to the corresponding weekly issue, ideally a week in advance.
Pros and cons: Faculty and staff are conditioned to look for news and useful information in the Red & Blue, but may miss it if they don’t open the email.
Designed email sent to an email list with the help of the web team in MarComm via myEmma, the university’s authorized email marketing platform.
Ideal use: Send an important, targeted message to a segment of the university community. The main criteria for an email is to include a clear call to action and that it not be used for something a webpage should do.
How to use: Follow the steps outlined by our Marketing & Brand Strategy team. Once the appropriate trainings have been completed, our web content team trains users to have and work in their own sub-accounts as editors, pending a review of those emails by MarComm for brand adherence, design and accessibility before delivery.
Pros: The appealing design makes recipients more likely to read these messages, which is reflected in the open rates. myEmma provides analytics on open rate and click-throughs to gauge the message’s reach and impact. This kind of message will require more time to create, but this medium generally performs well.
Mounted digital displays in academic spaces via a university network operated by MarComm, Emergency Management and IT
Ideal use: Share content that follows Hotty Toddy TV guidelines.
How to use: Review the guidelines. Submit content to MarComm through the online request form for review/approval at least three business days prior to the display start date. The lead time allows MarComm to create your message as it will appear on the digital displays.
Pros and cons: Content will be the same on HTTV displays across campus, so the probability of people viewing your message is high. The repetition of content may encourage some to ignore these.
Mounted TV digital displays operated by the units in the facility where they’re located.
Ideal use: Share announcements specific to the students, employees and visitors of that facility.
How to use: Design slides with appropriate dimensions for the digital board that are accessible and update often. MarComm can help determine whether a message is accessible. Review the university’s digital signage policy.
Pros and cons: Content must be seen by those who walk by to be effective, but it’s easy for offices and departments to maintain content, change it, or solicit content from student groups.
Note: These are good places to include QR codes for more information. QR codes can be generated for free at qr-code-generator.com.
Branded text messages sent to freshmen and sophomores about Student Affairs programs and services.
Ideal use: Promote community and share campus and operational information to freshman and sophomore audiences.
How to use: Email Ryan Whittington for help determining whether your message works for Fin and for help in drafting the content.
Pros and cons: Although character limits can pose a challenge, the content goes straight to the phones of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Fin attempts to keep messages infrequent enough so that students don’t block its number.
MarComm operates the official Ole Miss social media channels, as well as the Ole Miss Student Hub account to promote on-campus student services.
Accounts include:
- Ole Miss Instagram: @OleMiss
- Ole Miss Twitter/X: @OleMiss
- Ole Miss TikTok: @olemiss
- Ole Miss Facebook: /olemiss
- Ole Miss Student Hub Instagram: @OleMissStudentHub
- Ole Miss Student Hub Twitter/X: @OleMissStudents
- Ole Miss Student Hub Facebook: /OleMissStudents
Ideal use: Share brand-adhering messages with the university community and beyond, including prospective students.
How to use: Email Webb Lewis for assistance determining whether if a message is appropriate for social media.
Pros and cons: Social media accounts are seen by many viewers who are keen to interact, but be mindful not to saturate the social media channels with many disparate messages.
Reminder: QR codes should never be used on social media.
Yard signs can be staked into the ground around campus for a limited period of time. Street banners can be hung from lampposts on campus following a special permissions process.
Ideal use: Promote an event or cause that potentially impacts the entire university.
How to use: Submit the content to MarComm by contacting Hilarie Bain. Additional permissions are needed to hang street banners.
Pros and cons: Physical signs can have high visibility, but also incur printing costs.
Reminders: Yard signs can include QR codes, but banners should not include them. All artwork for banners and signs must receive prior approval via the brand review process. Please make sure to remove yard signs in a timely manner as soon as the content is no longer relevant.
Letters or notices can be printed and mailed to all employees via university printing and campus mail.
Ideal use: Share detailed information pertinent to many employees that is not time sensitive to account for delays in checking mailboxes.
How to use: Email MarComm for questions.
Pros and cons: Personalized mail may encourage higher readership, although some employees may not check mail regularly.
Merit Pages is a marketing software application that offers a very effective way for departments to share their good news about students to both internal and external audiences. Email Benita Whitehorn for questions about or permissions to use Merit Pages.
Ideal use: Share personalized press releases about individual student accomplishments with students’ hometown newspapers and via social media.
How to use: Share student accomplishments that may have a narrow focus or include numerous students directly with the students’ network.
Pros and cons: Merit Pages announcements regularly generate high levels of engagement and are shared widely by students and their families across their social media networks. It takes a little extra time to make sure the announcements and distribution lists are correct, but the return on time investment is high.