Social Media Guidelines

Attention spans are short; write copy to match. We’ve developed character limits based on best practices for each of our channels:

Twitter: A maximum of 107 characters.
Facebook: A maximum of 300 characters.
LinkedIn: A maximum of 200 characters.
Instagram: A maximum of 250 characters.

TWITTER TIPS
Let’s take a closer look at Twitter. While Twitter has expanded to 280 characters, the channel still thrives on concise content. Please keep the following in mind:

• Tweets should only have one idea and one call to action
• Abbreviations, when appropriate, can help keep the tone casual and save space.
• Only use extra characters when required to get the point across.
• Use contractions (e.g., “don’t” instead of “do not”). Bonus: This also keeps the tone casual and conversational – a crucial part of our brand voice. We’ll talk more about this in the Genentech Voice section below.

Strategic hashtag use helps us engage Genentech in active and thoughtful online conversation. Some platforms use hashtags, while others don’t.

Twitter: Yes, we use hashtags.
Facebook: Sometimes. We use hashtags to tie our posts to conferences, awareness months, and other larger campaigns. Unlike Twitter we don’t use hashtags for common terms like #ClinicalTrials.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn now supports hashtags, so use them to tie our posts to conferences, awareness months, and other larger campaigns.
Instagram: Yes. Like Twitter, we’ll hashtag common terms; it’s best to fit those into the body of the copy, though it is also common practice to add relevant hashtags at the end of a post.

TWITTER AND FACEBOOK TIPS
Here are some things to keep in mind as you use #hashtags and @mentions in Twitter and Facebook copy:

Make sure your hashtag is saying what you mean. For example, GPA is a serious medical condition, but on social media #GPA is always Grade Point Average.

Make sure your mentions are tagging the right people/organizations. Many Twitter accounts and Facebook profiles have similar names – make sure you’re using the right one. For example, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s Twitter handle is @SVLeadershipGrp. Whereas @SVLG is a Japanese graffiti artist. Always check!

Include hashtags in the copy to save space and avoid repetition. For example, write “Our #Oncology team discovered…” instead of adding “#Oncology” at the end of the tweet or post. Also, be mindful not to use the same hashtag twice in a tweet or post.

Make sure your hashtag is connecting with the bigger conversation.

• Research already-established hashtags before inventing new one
• Using the #TBT (Throwback Thursday) hashtag in social posts is a good way to add a long tail to content that was posted in recent weeks. #TBT is also a great way to feature posts about company history.
• Add #Breaking ahead of a tweet or post linked to a press release or news story
• Use relevant hashtags for events/publications, but don’t force a connection if there isn’t one

For consistent formatting and readability, capitalize words in hashtags. For example, write #BreastCancer, not #breastcancer.

This last one is just for TWITTER:
Don’t use hashtags or the @ symbol when referring to Genentech booth numbers, as Twitter sometimes treats those as clickable assets.

This guidance is relevant for EVERY PLATFORM.

The Genentech voice is casual and conversational, but still professional. We’re eager to share our stories, but we’re always humble about our achievements.

We recommend checking the Voice section of the Editorial Guide for more on this. For now, here are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Write in a friendly, conversational style.
• Use active voice (not passive voice); it’s much more personal.
• Say “we” and “our” (not “Genentech” and “Genentech’s”).
• Don’t brag. Always be humble, and make an effort to shine the spotlight on other players in the story (e.g., our collaborators, a nonprofit we worked with, etc.).
• Avoid buzzwords such as “commitment,” “pride” and “innovation” that sound important but often mean very little.
  • Likewise, avoid saying “in honor of/in celebration of X disease awareness month”.
• Be mindful of your tone and how it relates to the topic you’re writing about. Humor might be appropriate for a tweet about our kids’ science education programs, but definitely not for a tweet about bladder cancer.
• When writing about a patient story, please use the person's name rather than referring to them as “one man” or “a woman.”
• Don’t use two calls-to-action in one post, i.e., one in the post copy and one in the link description/Twitter card headline
• Make sure social posts, calls to action, titles, and blurbs from metadata aren’t repetitive. (For example, if the call to action is “Learn More” don’t include “Learn More” in the tweet copy, headline, etc.)

This guidance is relevant for EVERY PLATFORM.

The stories we’re writing about are incredible ones: stories about the urgent needs of people living with serious illnesses, the obstacles faced by scientists and the moments when everything falls together – or falls apart. Our social media channels are how many people find our articles—so let’s reel them in with great social content!

Pull your content directly from the articles. Quote, paraphrase or summarize to convey an article’s messages, and always be specific.

Don’t repeat what you said in your LinkedIn post in your Facebook post. Or in your Twitter post or Instagram post. Each post should have fresh copy and present a unique idea.

• Use your posts to cover all the points of a story. Don’t just restate the same point again and again.

Don’t force a timely/topical connection when there isn’t one. Having a hook to an outside event, conference, publication or presentation is nice, but don’t try to create a connection where none exists.

• Here’s an example of what not to write: “Sunday is the longest day of the year. Spend the extra time checking out how the immune system breaks the rules in ppl w/ #MS”

TWITTER TIP
Try a Twitter quiz or poll. Not appropriate for every story, but can be an interesting way to diversify content. Note that these are great for social engagement, but not for driving traffic to gene.com.

Follow these tips on how to pair copy with assets.

Use a variety of assets. Use a variety of images (header images, pull quotes, illustrations) as well as any video or audio for posts driving to the same content.

Relevant for EVERY PLATFORM. Remember that all social content must be CORA approved.

When sharing/engaging with outside links (liking, retweeting, etc), make sure neither Genentech nor competitor products are mentioned or advertised on site. This includes links to articles in which the medicine is mentioned.

To ensure transparency for Genentech online, as well as comply with recent guidance from the FTC any campaign where we’re paying to have other groups or individuals post content on behalf of the company must contain the language “Sponsored by Genentech.” #sponsored, #ad, #spokesperson are not sufficient on their own.

• If a third party organization has their own format required for legal reasons, please inform the digital team so we can find a solution.

• Twitter quiz (see 'Bring The Story To Life' above)
• Gradient quote cards (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Quote cards with photo
• Native video (Facebook, Twitter): Note that clips in the 15-30 second range are best.

• Global Note: If you’re using the header image for an article, you won’t need to create an image for social as the various channels will pull the image and blurb from the metadata
• Make sure an image is bright enough, and not overshadowed
• Make sure image relates to copy, especially if the image is tied to an infographic
• Make sure to choose an image that is visually appealing; we want users to click on the post!
• Make sure image is clear on mobile
• Avoid using text on an image, and save text for copy in post
  • If text must be included (i.e., for infographics), make sure text is legible on mobile and follows infographic guidelines
• When posting social on an infographic, header image should be second choice for posts. Make sure to piece out the infographic from Adobe Illustrator, and separate modules into post. Make sure copy correlates to individual stats in post. Make sure image follows infographic guidelines, and should be text that is large enough to read on mobile
• Note: If you're creating a new infographic to accompany any social content, it must be approved first by both the brand and corporate social team.