Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University
Electronic Communications: Social Media
Silver
As the new academic year approached, we recognized the need to evolve our social media strategy to better align with the habits and preferences of incoming students. With two sessions of student orientations on the horizon, we saw an opportunity to refine our Instagram approach, focusing on vertical Reels and user-generated content (UGC) to enhance engagement and relatability. This shift was centered on creating student-specific content that resonates deeply with our audience.
The strategy, implemented in August 2023, aimed to strike a balance between authenticity and quality by leveraging both student-created and professionally produced videos. By adhering to best practices, such as optimizing for vertical orientation and concise timing, we captured the attention of Gen Z students, encouraging more interaction with our posts. Our goals were clear: to increase video views, shares, and saves, all while fostering a stronger connection between students and our content.
The results have been significant, with video views soaring by 189%, shares by 138%, and saves by 131% - all executed by a ‘team of one’ social media department.
What was the most impactful part of your entry?
The most impactful part of the entry is the quantifiable success of the new Instagram strategy, particularly the dramatic increases in key metrics such as video views (189%), shares (138%), and saves (131%). These statistics not only demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategy in engaging students but also provide concrete evidence of how a well-executed social media plan can drive meaningful connections with the target audience. We’ve also seen a spike in interest of student outreach to us about contributing their voice and content, without us needing to ask.
What challenge did you overcome?
1. Challenge: Our Social Media ‘Team’ consists of one social media manager who handles content creation, strategy, community management, paid efforts, etc. A challenge that was overcome was getting buy in from our videographers to assist in content creation and shoot/edit vertically before having metrics to show or quite understanding the ‘why’ yet.
2. One Thing Learned: One key takeaway from this experience is the importance of aligning content strategies with the specific preferences and behaviors of the target audience. In this case, students are looking for content that they can relate to - and want to share their experiences with others as well!
Contact:
Virginia Hilton
hiltonva@evms.edu