WashU’s brand on social media showcases the work, impact and collaborative nature of our vibrant community. These brand guidelines are intended to align university social media accounts under WashU’s brand umbrella to strengthen our overall social media footprint and convey what it truly means to be a part of WashU’s community.
Naming conventions
We are WashU, and these standardized account names are designed to enhance brand recognition and make it easier for our community and external audiences to identify and engage with our official social media channels. Adhering to these naming conventions ensures brand identity and ultimately strengthens WashU’s digital footprint and reinforces our institutional identity.
@WashU + The school, department, center, institute and initiatives
Important notes:
- Caps options differ per platform. For example, on Twitter, you may alternate between upper and lower case; however, on Instagram, all letters in handles are automatically lowercase.
- Underscores are not permitted after the U of WashU.
Handle examples
- @WashUArtSci
- @WashUBrownSchool
- @WashUMed
- @WashUOlin or @WashUbusiness
- @WashUSamFox
- @WashULibraries
- @WashUAlumni
- @WashUStudentAffairs
- @WashUMusic
- @WashUgephardt
- @WashUervins
- @WashUISP
Page names
The different social platforms have different character count limits. In some cases, page names may need to be shortened to meet platform requirements.
Page names must always lead with WashU.
School departments, centers, institutes and other groups should lead with WashU and follow with their department name. As stated in all the brand guides, WashU must always be represented as WashU and not “Wash U.”
Page Name Examples
- WashU Arts & Sciences
- WashU Brown School
- WashU School of Medicine
- WashU Chemistry
- WashU Gephardt Institute
- WashU Student Affairs
- WashU Alumni
- WashU Environmental Studies
- WashU Ervin Scholars
- WashU Danforth Scholars Program
- WashU Institute for School Partnership
Profile images
Profile images are a brief touchpoint for audiences and are followed by your handle or page name, depending on the platform.
There are three categories of profile images:
- Central/primary university channels – Central – Reserved for WashU’s official accounts
- School accounts
- Departments: Academic, CFUs, Student Affairs, Libraries and so on
Profile images are supplied by University Marketing and Communications and provided on Pixel. Deviating from profile branding guidelines is against policy.
School profile image Examples
Department profile image Examples
Cover Images
By incorporating photography of campus landscapes, architecture, interiors, and environments into our profiles, we aim to convey a sense of place and connection to our university’s physical space.
- LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and X allow cover images.
- Text, logos and other graphic elements added to cover image photography are prohibited.
- A selection of options that meet the dimension requirements of the platforms is available on Pixel. University MarComm updates cover images on the first day of a new season.
Facebook Cover Image Examples
Bio and About section
Your WashU affiliation must be included in your bio, about and info sections and tagged when possible (for example, on X and Instagram tag @WashU).
Hashtags
WashU’s primary hashtag at this time is #WashU. All other versions of our official name should be retired.
University accounts posting on WashU’s behalf should always include #WashU in their captions on Instagram to aid in curating life at WashU in this space.
Note: The effectiveness of brand hashtags is ever-evolving and should be used, created and marketed strategically.