• The Iowa Now email, sent every Thursday by the Office of Strategic Communication, shares timely news and information of interest to the majority of faculty and staff. Examples include:
  • News or information that most of campus needs or wants to know, such as the hiring of a new administrator or a major campus construction project
  • Events of broad interest to campus
  • Resources that can help a majority of faculty and staff
  • A deadline that employees are required to meet
• To submit to Iowa Now, send your request to Tricia Brown (tricia-brown@uiowa.edu) and Kayli Reese (kayli-reese@uiowa.edu). Please include a link where people can see more information, a suggested headline and email text of 30 to 40 words, and, if possible, a horizontal photo. 
• Not all items submitted for Iowa Now can be included. We suggest considering another form of communication in addition to Iowa Now. 

• When considering your primary audience, the answer may not be “all of campus.” If your communication does not meet the qualifications of the university’s mass email policy, you might consider an alternative email resource that delivers news and information to faculty and staff.

Here is a list of existing email newsletters, their audience, content requirements, frequency, and contact person. Please be selective about the audience and topic. 

• Digital sign displays in campus buildings are effective for promoting events or sharing reminders or brief information. 
• Content on digital signs can be text, images, animations, video, and audio. You can also display your message on multiple digital signs. 
• After deciding on your primary audience, look for digital signs in places that the audience frequents. 
• We have included a list of digital signs on campus, contact information for the manager, and a link to the digital signage being displayed in that area. 

• Printed signs or posters are effective for promoting events or highlighting resources. Many buildings across campus have places to post signs that many people pass every day.
• Think about where your audience spends time when considering where to post a sign. 
• Branded colors, graphics, icons, or photos will help draw people’s attention. 

• Social media can be a great tool to reach a wide audience because many people use it in at least one form. 
• The @uiowa accounts on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram are managed by the social media team in the Office of Strategic Communication. 
• Many colleges and departments also have social media accounts. If your department is active on social media, encourage your employees to follow those accounts to receive up-to-date information. 
• Even if you are using another form of communication, your college or department’s social media account may be a good secondary option for your primary audience. 
• Choose the right platform for your content:
  • Instagram: Best for visually appealing content, and you can use the stories feature on Instagram for updates and reminders. Primary audience is current and prospective students.
  • Twitter/X: Great for sharing quick, real-time updates or event reminders. Make sure to keep posts concise. Analytics show a varied audience. 
  • Facebook: Best for more in-depth posts or event pages. Primary audience is UI alumni; secondary audience is parents.
  • LinkedIn: Great way to share academic achievements. Primary audience is alumni; secondary audience is current faculty and staff.
• Here are some best practices for posting on social media:
  • While you should still use a professional tone, make sure language in your posts is approachable. 
  • Avoid posting too frequently in a short amount of time; that can overwhelm followers. 
  • People tend to scroll quickly on social media, so keep posts short and use a headline, bold text, or visual image to grab attention. 
  • Think about when your audience is most likely to be online, such as at lunchtime.
  • While social media is more informal, remember that you are still representing the university and your department.

• If the primary audience for your communication is a specific group of people, you can see if that group has an upcoming meeting where you can share the information in person or virtually. 
• Speaking to a group in person can be effective because people can ask questions directly if needed.
• This method is best for communicating changes to university or departmental operations or workflows, or explaining a new resource; it is not effective for announcing events. 

• The University of Iowa events calendar is where all UI-sponsored events should be listed.
• Make sure you think about your audience when posting on the events calendar. The calendar allows you to tag your event for specific audiences, interests, types, and departments. 
• Keep in mind that your event may not be intended for a general audience of everyone on campus; think about who would be most interested in attending.
• The title of your event should be understandable to general users and should not include acronyms or abbreviations. 
• We have included helpful information for adding events to the UI events calendar.

• Pitches to local media—especially to The Daily Iowan—can work well with certain types of information. Here are some examples:
  • https://dailyiowan.com/2024/12/09/ui-receives-gold-rating-for-sustainability-efforts/
  • https://dailyiowan.com/2024/11/06/college-of-pharmacy-dean-receives-national-funding-for-ovarian-cancer-research/
  • https://dailyiowan.com/2024/10/07/a-look-at-the-uis-plan-for-a-new-school-of-earth-environment-and-sustainability/
• If you aren’t sure whether information you would like to share more broadly with campus and the community would make a good media pitch, reach out to media relations managers Chris Brewer (chris-brewer@uiowa.edu) and Steve Schmadeke (steve-schmadeke@uiowa.edu) in the Office of Strategic Communication for consultation.

• Is there a specific group of students that would benefit most from your information? Students in a specific college? Students who are interested in study abroad? There already may be an email product for that group, and you can ask to have your information included. 
• When considering your primary audience, the answer may not be “all of campus.” If your communication does not meet the qualifications of the university’s mass email policy, you might consider existing email products being sent to students.

Here is a list of existing email newsletters for students, their specific audience, their content requirements, frequency, and contact person. 

• Social media is where most students get their news and information, making it an important communications tool. 
• The @uiowa accounts on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram are managed by the Office of Strategic Communication social media team. Instagram has been extremely effective in reaching students.
• Encourage students to follow a college, department, or unit social media page so they can receive the most up-to-date information. 
• Choose the right platform for your content:
  • Instagram: Best for visually appealing content, and you can use the stories feature on Instagram for updates and reminders. Primary audience is current and prospective students.
  • Twitter/X: Great for sharing quick, real-time updates or event reminders. Make sure to keep posts concise. Analytics show a varied audience. 
  • Facebook: Best for more in-depth posts or event pages. Primary audience is UI alumni; secondary audience is parents. Some students may use Facebook, but it is not their primary platform.
• Here are some tips for posting on social media:
  • Tailor posts for students’ interests and needs and use a conversational tone. Keep posts short and concise with a headline or bold text to grab attention. 
  • Students like to engage with posts, so encourage comments, likes, and shares. You can also ask questions or use polls to encourage interaction and get feedback. 
  • Students tend to engage more when they feel they have a voice. If there is an opportunity to do so, encourage followers to share their own photos or experiences related to an event or topic. 
  • Avoid posting too frequently in a short amount of time; that can overwhelm followers. 

• The University of Iowa student mobile app is a great way to reach students directly on their phones, where they are likely paying the most attention. 
• Students can quickly access academic information such as academic advising, course information, financial aid, U-Bill, and more. They also have easy access to services and resources.
• At this time, the student app is focused on sharing news and information related to a student’s academic success. Only specific news and information is currently being shared; not all requests will be granted.
• To see if your news or information could be a good fit for the student app, email Adam Martensen (adam-martensen@uiowa.edu) or Teri Schnelle (teri-schnelle@uiowa.edu)
• You can also download the app by searching the app store for “University of Iowa” or from the ITS website to see the app and to determine if your communication fits this channel. 

• Digital sign displays in campus buildings are effective for promoting events or sharing reminders or brief information. 
• Content on digital signs can be text, images, animations, video, and audio. You can also display your message on multiple digital signs. 
• After deciding your primary audience, look for digital signs in places that the audience frequents. (For students, think IMU or Main Library)
• We have included a list of digital signs on campus, contact information for the manager, and a link to the digital signage being displayed in that area. 

• Printed signs or posters are effective for promoting events or highlighting resources. Many buildings across campus have places to post signs that many people pass every day.
• Think about where your audience spends time when you’re thinking about where to post a sign. 
• Branded colors, graphics, icons, or photos will help draw people’s attention. 

• The University of Iowa events calendar is where all UI-sponsored events should be listed.
• Make sure you think about your audience when posting on the events calendar. The calendar allows you to tag your event for specific audiences, interests, types, and departments. 
• Keep in mind that your event may not be intended for a general audience of everyone on campus; think about who would be most interested in attending.
• The title of your event should be understandable to general users and should not include acronyms or abbreviations. 
• We have included helpful information for adding events to the UI events calendar.

• On-Campus employment, part-time positions, internships and full-time positions for undergraduate and graduate students can be advertised at Handshake.
• The Handshake help center provides step-by-step directions for employers and departments to advertise career building and experiential learning opportunities.