THE SOCIAL
The popular social media platforms Instagram and TikTok give colleges a way to show what it’s like to be a student there. BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE
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COLLEGE 101 • WINTER-SPRING 2022
its presence by Rival IQ, a social-media analytics organization. That is up from No. 6 in 2020 and No. 189 in 2019. During that time, the university focused more intently on highlighting experiences, traditions, academics, photographs and lighthearted student-led videos that help connect people to campus. “We have a ton of success with user-generated content from students who share pictures and posts,” Burris
says, adding that it serves as just another way for potential students to experience what it would be like to attend college there. At University of Findlay, mascot Derrick the Oiler makes frequent appearances on Instagram and TikTok. “We did a segment for several weeks where Derrick stands in a spot on campus and when students find him, he tosses out free T-shirts,” says Natasha Lancaster, communication and design
ABOVE: ELI BURRIS
chool spirit, mascot takeovers and campus tours are just a few of the ways Ohio colleges are capitalizing on the incredibly popular social media platforms Instagram and TikTok to highlight the many facets of student life. “When you scroll through the feed, you can get a sense of what it would be like to go to school here,” says Eli Burris, social media specialist at Ohio University in Athens, calling Instagram and TikTok the “front steps” of the university’s brand and a first point of contact for most 16- to 18-year-olds who are looking at colleges to attend. Ohio University ranked No. 4 for
