Your #AskNAU Takeover Guide

Do you have what it takes to conduct an #AskNAU? Review our tips, tricks, and guidelines before going LIVE on @nauflagstaff ⬇️

Northern Arizona University
5 min readMay 29, 2024

Before starting — check the following:

😃You’ve thought about WHY you’re doing the takeover.
Tip: Complete our Takeover strategy sheet

🗓 You have time during the day to actively engage with our followers

  • DO sign up for AskNAU Takeover if your schedule allows you to dedicate time to answering questions & posting
  • Do NOT sign up for a Takeover if you will be in classes all day long and unable to post for an extended period of time

🔋 You’re fully charged — start your #AskNAU Takeover with a fully charged phone & clean camera

Takeover Order

1️⃣ Takeover Frame this gives the audience context on who you are & what NAU club/org you’re with 🎤🏈🤸🏼‍♂️🎨

2️⃣ Introduction Video with Question Stickerthis is your opportunity to connect with viewers & garner questions 🤳🏼🤔❓Encourage the audience to ask questions about your areas of expertise!

3️⃣ Introduction /About Us Template— Tell us about YOU! This is your chance to share your mission, upcoming events, fun facts & more 😃👀

4️⃣ Today’s Plan/Schedule — Provide an outline of what your takeover day will look like. This not only provides more insight into your day but also show when you’ll be online (and offline too) 💪💼🗓

  • Breakfast
  • Gym
  • Lab
  • Lecture
  • Club Meeting
  • Club Event

5️⃣ Outro — Thank the audience for joining you & let them know of any upcoming events. Share your handle for people to reach out! 📱👋🏼

Instagram features to use

What fun is a takeover if you don’t get to use Instagram’s many story features?

🔗 Links — some answers can be too complex for one story. Use the story link feature to direct audiences to NAU webpages on specific topics like housing, clubs, sports, etc.

TIP: Customize the link text to give more context and avoid long webpages.

📸 Add Your Photo — sometimes you can’t capture something in just one photos.

  • Use “add your photo” to share more than one image on a story!

📱 Gifs & Stickers — make your content visually engaging!

Add NAU stickers & gifs by searching

  • NAUFlagstaff
  • NorthernArizonaUniversity
  • LouieLumberjack

📊 Polls & Quizzes — keep your audience engaged. Use polls & quizzes to share fun facts, NAU history, or even to help you decide where to have lunch!

🗣 Mentions — make it easier for your club members & partners to share your content!

Some common accounts you might tag during your takeover! ⬇️

  • @VisitNAU — NAU Admissions
  • @NAU.CampusLiving — All things Campus Living
  • @NAUClineLibrary — Cline Library
  • @ NAUCampusDining — Any Campus Dining Locations

Tip: Posted already and forgot to tag? You can now go back & add them after you posted!

Best Practices for Answering Questions

  • You don’t have to answer ALL questions — prioritize NAU & Flagstaff related questions.
  • ONLY answer what you know/what you can speak to
  • Respond to DMs in our inbox directed at you
  • Answer once — answer similar questions in one explanation
  • If answering a question that involves more than one story post, add question sticker to each story post OR add text to provide context to the post
  • If you receive inappropriate questions or messages during your takeover — screenshot and send immediately to NAU Social team member

Best Practices for a Engaging Takeover

  • Be YOU — have a cool room? Use it as a backdrop. Taking an interesting class? Showcase it. Having a good lunch? Share it! Remember, social media showcases YOU and YOUR perspective 👀
  • Post Consistently — Consistently is key. Spread content throughout the day & avoid having hour gaps between story posts ⛔️
  • Answer questions promptly & creativelymake sure your answers are to the point & find ways to answer questions creatively! 🎨
  • The 50/50 Rule — Share a variety of visual content. We suggest 50% photos, 50% video.
  • Make Your Stories Stand Out — Use GIFS, draw on your stories, add additional photos! Keep thing fun & loose to keep it authentic & visually unqiue.

⚠️ What to Avoid ⚠️

  • Avoid sharing personal information — phone numbers, ID cards, addresses, passcodes. Remember, you’re sharing with ALL of NAU!
  • Don’t post others without their permission — let your friends & peers know when you’re filming.
  • Keep it clean! — avoid sharing things you wouldn’t want your parents to see.
  • Altering our account — do not change any settings on the @NAUFlagstaff account. This includes our profile picture, bio, story highlights, etc

Last Piece of Advice

HAVE FUN!

Enjoy your moment in the Lumberjack spotlight.

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Northern Arizona University

It’s always a great day to be a Lumberjack! Join the conversation and share your #NAU story.