Social Media

Social media is not just an avenue to share our content, it is part of the Northwest Passage project. It should share the same values and standards as our other content.

Northwest Passage uses social media for two main purposes:

  • to share content (news, music, videos, articles) about the northwest music scene
  • to connect fans of the northwest music scene
  • to promote Northwest Passage original website content

Platforms

Northwest Passage has a presence on a few of the major social media platforms. To keep the project manageable, there are no plans to expand to other platforms, such as Instagram or YouTube.

Voice

Writing for social media should follow the style points outlined in the Voice and Tone section.

Guidelines

The following guidelines describe additional recommendations that refer specifically to social media:

  • Do not use clickbait-type headlines in social media. (e.g. This Pearl Jam member said THIS when asked about a new album)
  • When including links to other websites, be sure to use the original source, not a news aggregator. Be respectful of the content’s original author.

Frequency

On Facebook, no more than two posts per day, unless needed for multiple album anniversary/landmark event posts. Posts meant to build engagement such as song posts and survey questions should be saved for less active days.

No such frequency restrictions exist on Twitter. Use general rules on quality content and Twitter etiquette.

Post length

There are no specific length requirements (other than the imposed limits) but in general, the shorter, the better! Facebook posts with no image or article post should be kept to 40-50 characters. The maximum character count on Twitter is 280 characters.

Images

Use an image or an article share on each post on Facebook. Survey questions are the only exception (however, make sure to keep the text under 50 characters on Facebook). Images or article attachments should always be used on Twitter if available and appropriate.

Other accounts

When possible, link the account mid-message as opposed to the end, unless the name of the account would break the flow of the post.

Hashtags

Hashtag usage should be restricted to Twitter and should be limited as it breaks the flow of the post.

A few guidelines:

  • Use hashtags only when it adds value to the post.
  • No more than two hashtags should be used on a single post
  • Whenever possible, link to an account instead of using a hashtag. (e.g. @soundgarden instead of #Soundgarden)

Reposting

Reposting of other pages’ content is encouraged, as a way to give our audiences additional content of interest from other pages.

  • Reposting can be done with or without additional comment.
  • Comment only when you have something of value to add. It is not required to add a comment if the original post stands by itself.
  • Use the new Twitter retweet functionality; absolutely no old-style retweets on Twitter

Below: improper RT style

Visual Guidelines

(This section TBA)

Engagement

Northwest Passage is a people project. Engagement with followers and fans is encouraged. Do not respond to trolling or spam. Reward top engagers with follows on Twitter or a “Top Fan” badge on Facebook.

Types of posts

Social media posts on Northwest Passage include, but are not limited to:

Article Shares (original)

Content posted on the Northwest Passage website should be the top priority for social media posts. Articles should be shared upon publication, and re-posted whenever appropriate. It should be obvious from the post that the linked article is original content. If needed, introduce the article with “Read more on Northwest Passage”.

On Facebook, ensure that the article title, image and description displays in the link post. Use the Facebook Object Debugger if these elements do not display properly.

Once a link post is created, the page URL is no longer needed and should be removed.

Article shares (other sites)

News involving relevant bands, musicians and events should be shared on our social media channels. The same rules that apply to article shares of Northwest Passage content apply to other link posts.

Song shares (Facebook)

Links to appropriate songs can be posted at any time. These are best used when there is a lull in other social media posts, or if the song posted can be related to a recent (or future) post.

Other guidelines:

  • Providing additional text is not necessary, but is strongly recommended when posting less-known bands.
  • Use the official music video when available.

Album release anniversary

Post should be in the format “On this day in [YEAR], [ARTIST] released their [CARDINAL NUMBER] album, [ALBUM NAME] on [RECORD LABEL*].” Can be followed with a fact about the album or survey question. A photo of the album should always be included with the post.

Record label should only be included if the album was released on an independent label.

Landmark event (“On this day”)

Post should always start with “On this day in [YEAR],” followed by a short description of the event.

Whenever possible, link to original Northwest Passage content. In the absence of an appropriate article or list, use a photo depicting the event. The Northwest Passage custom quote graphic can also be used in lieu of a photograph.

Birthday

Birthday posts should always include a photo of the featured person. If no such photo is available, use a band photo or link a video that features the artist.

Survey questions (Facebook)

Questions should be kept at 85 characters or less, so the large font is used. This is the only post that does not require a photo.

Photos

Photos can be posted with or without comment, if the photo subject can be easily identified.