Choosing the right channel
Last changed: 07 October 2025
Channel selection should always be based on your target audience. This means choosing where your audience is – and why you want to reach them. It’s usually better to focus on one well-managed channel than to try to be everywhere without a clear purpose.
Social media channels used at SLU
This overview mainly focuses on the use of social media in communication with external audiences.
Facebook is primarily a platform for staying in touch with people you already know. You can create both pages and open or closed groups.
For work purposes, you must use a Facebook page rather than a personal profile. Creating a personal profile for an organisation violates Facebook’s user rules and may result in both that profile and your own being deleted.
A page also gives you access to statistics and allows you to post without using your personal account. Be careful to switch users when commenting or posting to ensure the sender is the correct one.
When creating a new page, choose an easy-to-find name and avoid abbreviations. Remember that building an audience takes time — if few people follow the page, few will see the updates.
This channel requires active moderation of comments.
Common accounts:
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slu.sweden – aimed at a broad audience; content often derived from SLU news.
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SwedishUniversityOfAgriculturalSciences – primarily for international prospective students; communication in English.
X (formerly Twitter)
(The account is currently paused.)
X is a microblogging platform where users share short posts of up to 280 characters. It is open to everyone — you can follow any public account, and anyone can follow you. It is also a useful platform for reaching journalists and opinion leaders.
Comments and actions by other users on X cannot and do not need to be moderated, as they are not SLU’s responsibility.
Common account:
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@_SLU – used for press releases and other information relevant for reuse by other SLU accounts.The account is also used to highlight SLU profiles and accounts, making it easier for followers to find them. SLU also uses X for real-time communication during conferences, academic ceremonies and similar events.
Instagram is a platform for sharing photos and videos, primarily via mobile devices. Choose Instagram if your content is visual and fits the habits of users who are active on the platform. Around 90% of Instagram users are under 35, making it especially effective for reaching younger audiences.
Tag images with #slusweden.
This channel requires active moderation of comments.
Common accounts:
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slu.sweden – managed by the Department of Communication; mixed images from across SLU with an official tone and event coverage.
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slu.student – managed by the Department of Communication; mainly targets prospective national students, with content created by current students.
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studyatslu – managed by the Department of Communication; targets prospective international students. Communication in English.
YouTube
YouTube is used to share videos and is an effective way to reach younger audiences. It functions both as a search engine and a social media platform.
Videos uploaded to YouTube can easily be shared through websites or other social media channels.This channel requires active moderation of comments.
Common accounts:
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Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet – external marketing materials.
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SLU, Learning and Digitalisation – internal videos, primarily educational materials.
LinkedIn is a professional social media platform used to build and strengthen the university’s brand, employer brand and individual professional profiles.
This channel requires active moderation of comments.
Common account:
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SLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences