Maximizing Communications Toolkit

NOTE: This toolkit was created to help Wake Forest staff members maximize communications about their events and programs. Expect revisions and additional resources in the future from University Marketing and Communications as our new Executive Director of Internal Communications starts to assess opportunities to improve processes and tools.

Determine what needs to be communicated

• Is this an event, program, training, or conference?
  • If yes, is RSVP or pre-registration required?
• Or do you just want to share general information or updates?

Identify your audience

• Staff, faculty, and/or students?
• Limited to people within a specific school/program/department/major, or open to all?

Consider the timing of your communication

• The more lead time you can give in communicating an event date, the more likely you will be able to attract attendees.
  • 6-8 weeks before an event: share a Save the Date let people know that an event will be coming
  • 4 weeks out, open registration (if applicable) and/or promote the event broadly
  • 1-2 weeks out, remind people of the event 
  • 1 day before the event, send an email to registered attendees reminding them to attend

How to share your news/event information with University Marketing and Communications

The University Marketing and Communications website has a form to Share Your News:

• If you have news to share with the Wake Forest community, please choose “University Announcement.” The UMC team submissions will evaluate these for inclusion on the Inside WFU website and internal newsletters (information aimed at parents and families or the Daily Deac blog should also be submitted here.

Wake Forest tries to avoid sending standalone emails. Instead, we encourage campus community members to share news and event information in existing internal e-newsletters:

• Inside WFU e-newsletter goes to all faculty and staff every Thursday afternoon
• WFU Should Know e-newsletter goes to all students (undergrad, grad, and professional) every Thursday afternoon. It does not include events (see below)
• Next Week at Wake: Student Edition goes to all students (undergrad, grad, and professional) every Friday around noon. This publication pulls all events from the Events Calendar and The Link (typically student events) that will take place in the next week, so students have a digest of upcoming activities.

How to Submit Events 

• For student-only events, submit them on The Link, our student engagement platform (if you have access), or submit them to the Events Calendar.
  
• For faculty and staff events, submit them to the Events Calendar.
  
• Events open to the whole campus and/or the local W-S community should also be submitted to the Events calendar.
  

Additional Ways to Amplify Your Events 

Social Media

• When submitting graphics for SAC Newsletters & Social Media platforms:
  • Set the Size: Ensure your graphic is 1080×1080 pixels.
  • Save the File: Save the graphic as a .JPG or .PNG file.
  • Upload to Google Drive: Save the file to your Google Drive folder and set the visibility to “Open to Wake Forest University” so it can be downloaded.
  • Share the Link: Submit the file link on the SAC Newsletter Topics Form.
  • Include a Blurb: Provide a blurb of what you’d like shared in the newsletter and on SAC’s social media platforms.

• How to Make Someone a Collaborator on Instagram
  • Create a New Post: Open Instagram and tap the “+” button to create a new post.
  • Select Your Content: Choose the photo or video you want to share and edit it as usual.
  • Go to Tagging Options: Before sharing, tap “Tag People” or “Add Collaborator” (depending on your app version).
  • Search for the Collaborator: Type the username of the person you want to collaborate with. (i.e. @wfusac on Instagram)
  • Send Collaboration Request: Tap their profile and send the collaboration request.
  • Share the Post: Once they accept the request, the post will appear on both of your profiles.
  • Note: Both accounts must be public or follow each other if private.

Other campus publications

Consider submitting your event information to:

• Staff Advisory Council e-newsletter (staff events only)
• HR newsletter
• Individual dept/school/program e-newsletters (e.g., Dean’s Digest)
• Digital screens on campus

Help event attendees remember to come to the event: Use the ‘Add to Google Calendar’ option in your communications:

• Create your event in Google Calendar
• Select the event you want to share
• Click the three dots to open the option menu
• Click “Publish event”
• Copy the URL and paste it onto the words “Add to Google Calendar” in your communications

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This toolkit was adapted from the excellent resources on the Campus Life Marketing & Communications (CLM) website