Storytelling
Telling the North Alabama story
The Office of Enrollment Marketing & Digital Communications (EMDC) is far from the only group tasked with telling the University of North Alabama’s story. Every employee has the opportunity to do so through the use of imagery and words, both written and spoken. Below, you’ll find simple tips and tricks to take your storytelling to the next level.
Visual Storytelling
Authentic, but Intentional
Our photos serve as an immersive peak into student life at UNA. This is accomplished by focusing on faces and interpersonal moments rather than an event as a whole. Highlight experiential and interactive details at lower angles with warm, bright lighting. When in doubt, remember: These photos are meant to inspire future attendance—show students why they want to get involved!
Laughs > Smiles > No Emotion
Students need to know how it feels to get involved. That’s why it’s best to avoid photos with emotionless faces. Smiles convey happiness, but genuine laughter can make someone’s joy palpable.
Light is Key (Make it Bright!)
Brightness is a key factor in both visibility and storytelling. In fact, it brings to life UNA’s Latin motto, “Veritas lux orbis terrarum,” which translates to “Truth is the light of the world.”
Campus Beauty is Always a Win!
It’s no secret that UNA boasts one of the most beautiful campuses around. In fact, tours have proven to be our best promotional tool. So, the next time you need a new image, it may be as simple as stepping outside with your phone in hand!
“Blurple” vs Purple
UNA’s iconic shade of purple is beautiful… but cameras don’t always capture it correctly. Due to lighting and other factors, our purple can come across as a mix between blue and purple. Or, as we like to call it, “blurple.” Luckily, this can easily be adjusted in most free photo-editing apps, as demonstrated in the image to the right.
Social Media Best Practices
In addition to effective imagery, follow these guidelines to get the most out of your social media presence at UNA:
Be the Guide, not just the Messenger:
- Offer value / knowledge / perspective
- Speak a universal language (keep it accessible)
- Share insights, not just announcements
Showcasing the Student Experience:
- Give your students the platform on occasion; let them share
- Focus on the value your specific program or office offers to students
- Capture and share the individual experience, not the collective one
Use Prescribed Icons for Your Accounts:
- Download these preferred icon images or create your own
- Lean into the icon itself; stay away from text in order to maintain legibility across all platforms
Don’t:
- Put links where they don’t go or use QR codes for digital posts
- Post conflicting, confusing, or incomplete information
- Use generative AI — ethics aside, it portrays inauthenticity and lack of intention
Storytelling Language
3 Rules
- Make the student the hero of the story
- Start with why then how then what
- Keep language accessible
The student is the hero. You are the guide.
Our university provides students with the support and resources they need to excel. That said, ultimately, it’s the student who utilizes what we offer in order to reach their goals and improve their lives. This should be reflected in everything we write, and say, about UNA! For example, when highlighting a way in which UNA supports students, don’t lead with what we do for them. Instead, focus on empowering students in what they will accomplish with our guidance.
Start With “Why”
Students have much to consider when choosing a university, but facts and details alone don’t seal the deal. To some degree, all of our choices are influenced by emotions and feelings of connection (or lack thereof). So, although what we do for students matters, it’s important we lead with why we care about our students’ success and how we follow through on our promise to guide them every step of the way.
Example: Do you have something special to offer the world and just need the opportunity to prove it? (our “why”) Through intimate learning environments and programs focused on workforce mobility, the University of North Alabama’s (UNA) dedicated faculty and staff offer an excellent education with affordable tuition. (our “how”) Let UNA grow your world. (our “what”)
Keep Language Accessible
Many of our students join us at the start of their academic journeys. By keeping our language simple and accessible, we ensure that our message is easily understood. Below, you’ll find examples of inaccessible vs accessible language.
Inaccessible:
- Matriculate
- Cohort
- Pedagogy
- Asynchronous
- Synchronous
- Experiential Learning
- Interdisciplinary
- Academic Advisor
Accessible:
- Start classes / enroll
- Group of students / class group
- Teaching approach / way we teach
- On your own schedule
- Live online
- Hands-on learning / real-world experience
- Across multiple subjects
- Success Coach / Academic Guide