Digital and Social Media Communication
Digital and Social Media Communication
This domain tests platform strategy, content production, community management, and escalation in an NCAA athletics setting. The exam expects you to balance speed, rights, accessibility, and compliance.
Core rules
- Match voice and format to platform and audience. A recruiting graphic, a game-day update, and a crisis statement serve different purposes.
- Clear rights before posting highlights, photos, music, or user-generated content. Broadcast and championship footage may have separate restrictions.
- Make content accessible: captions, alt text, sufficient contrast, and plain-language captions.
- Follow institutional and NCAA rules for student-athlete names, images, likeness, recruiting content, and institutional marks. Route uncertain NIL or recruiting posts to compliance.
- Monitor comments and direct messages with an escalation path. Do not argue with fans; move threats, harassment, or legal issues to the right office.
- Use analytics to improve: reach, engagement, click-through, and sentiment are not the same.
Worked example
A buzzer-beater ends a conference game. The social team wants to post immediately. It confirms clip rights, uses the conference-approved highlight, writes a caption naming the student-athlete, adds alt text and captions, and tags the conference account. It avoids commercial music and does not imply an NIL endorsement. A moderator watches comments; a threatening reply is escalated, not answered. Reasoning: speed is balanced with rights, accessibility, compliance, and safety.
Traps that cost marks
- Posting copyrighted footage or music because “it was on TV.”
- Engaging in public arguments with fans or critics.
- Assuming a personal athlete post is an institutional endorsement.
- Treating high engagement as proof of correct messaging.