If you look around today, you’re likely to see the people surrounding you looking at their phones. Some people may be catching up on news, checking the latest football scores or even sending a simple text message. Most people, however, will be on social media. According to a study by Sprout Social, a social media management platform, people who classify as Millennials and Gen Z are among the most avid users of social media. I admit to using social media a lot, and if anyone else uses social media like I do, it turns into countless hours of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or Tik Tok. In a college environment like Campbellsville University, the use of social media from students and staff is inevitable. However, I think CU does so much more with their social media presence than just posting updates or photo dumps like most people do. CU uses social media to their advantage.
One thing I believe CU does well when it comes to their social media usage is knowing who their audience is. They make videos for us, the students. Most of the time, they may just be updating us on events on campus, but it’s what they do and how they present themselves on social media that really grabs my attention. One post in particular that stood out to me was a video they did to promote their Skate Night at the Student Activities Center. They shot the video in the form of a viral Tik Tok trend, but to add a twist and relate it to the event, the woman in the video wore skates and was skating across the gym floor. Personally, I thought it was a funny twist to the trend and a unique and effective way to promote something for students. The use of viral trends that people recognize creates a sense of engagement with the audience, which also tends to be the same group of people watching these trends as they go viral.
Another thing CU does with social media that I personally enjoy is the involvement of students in their videos. Most of the videos tend to be shot, edited and sometimes completely created by students. One reoccurring segment that involves students the most are the Chapel Chat videos. These weekly videos involve a student named Jacob Hayes interviewing people and asking them a question as they leave the chapel after the Wednesday service. I think it’s a great way to get students involved in the making of the videos and just to get involved on campus as a whole. The sense of engagement is also seen in this case as they come back each week to post a new video with a new question, making the students want to come back and watch more. I know I anticipate seeing the posts every week, and I feel like most students are in that same boat.
CU’s social media presence is something that’s refreshing to someone like me who uses social media more for entertainment rather than interaction. I think the way they bring students together is a great thing to have on a campus like ours. I know I will continue to scroll endlessly through the array of apps I have on my phone, but I still believe it’s important for people my age to continue being social with one another, and CU helps with that by keeping the “social” in social media.
