Original Content Writing - Please share how you will use the method approach explained within the article

How I will approach collecting data is I will make sure to look at the type of posts that were created. Do the posts line up with any specific events that happened in the university, or will the holiday breaks affect what posts will get more or less traction. Do the posts also line up with what is posted by the university, or would the post be an outlier compared to the usual type of content that a university social media would post.

Original Content Writing - Share how you, as a student, experience university content strategy?

I experience university content through public announcements on social media platforms. On Instagram, the only platform I’m following the main MU account, I see announcements related to school closures, but also of other smaller events happening on campus such as fun activities and student made posts made for the account.

Original Content Writing - Explain and share why universities use social media

I view why universities use social media as social media is the most up to date way of communicating with the students. Social media also allows universities to be able to announce any important details and be able to make a first impression to any possible students looking at social media pages.

Explain how the university posts share meaningful information with you

For me specifically, I use it as a way of knowing different events and what is going on on campus. Personally, I don’t interact a lot with university social media (mostly because I don’t use the same platforms as them) so the easy sharing of information doesn’t happen unless I’m searching for it. But when it comes to searching for information, it’s a good and easy way for me to find if there is an event being held or what is going on with certain clubs about meeting times and other information.

Share how you will use the method approach explained within the article

I plan on roughly following all their steps albeit from a much smaller standpoint. The first thing I plan on doing is knowing not just how much of the posts were made, but the context. I mean this by any holidays or events going on during that time, which could affect the posts themselves or the engagement. The second will be gathering the numbers, having the comments, likes, and shares separate, each with their own meaning. From there it’ll depend on what account is being used for the types of content to analyze.

Explain and share why universities use social media

Universities use social media as a way to reach out and connect with the public outside of their student body. It allows them to share information about what is going on campus and to have personal connections with others via comments. Rather than stagnant emails that only those associated with the university can receive, they can reach out to a lot more with all types of social media.

Original Content #8

University social media strategy is a method used by schools to implement marketing plans. This includes identifying their target audience and posting content to increase engagement. Social media strategies aim towards recruitment, attracting prospect students. Another goal is to boost their community involvement with alumni, current, and future students. This includes using school colors, mascots, and anything the school is known for in their posts.

Since you are a public of the university social media - explain how the university posts share meaningful information with you

Like I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been able to find out about events through the university posts that I otherwise wouldn’t have heard about. I also think that it can provide exposure to clubs/organizations that I didn’t know existed either. Last semester, my club was featured on the Millersville instagram account which drove our club’s personal instagram page and brought in some new faces to our meetings and also just brought awareness that our club exists. Experiences like this connects people to new interests that they wouldn’t have thought to look into prior. For an event example - knowing when the involvement fair is happening is really important too, I usually see that advertised on their instagram account as well.

Original Post #3

explain and share why universities use social media 

Universities tend to use social media more often because a good majority of the population has social media and uses it on a daily basis. It’s a quick and easy way to spread information to people, instead of sending emails that most people don’t even open. Considering most of the students are in their early 20s in college, social media is best by far. Other than it being quick, easy, and most direct to use, it also creates a way for students, faculty, and staff to communicate and engage on the posts. With emails, it’s not entirely possible, nor do people ever engage with an email. Social media makes it easier to share, like, comment, follow, etc.

Original Post #2

since you are a public of the university social media - explain how the university posts share meaningful information with you

The university posts share meaningful information with be by updating me on important info. This can be a variety of anything going on at the school. Since we got all this snow, an example would be of how the university posted on instagram about our days we had off due to the weather and any form of delays. Another example could be posting about clubs or events that pertain to each major. This gives students the opportunity to join or interact and possibly get more experience in our future careers.

Original Post #1

Share how you, as a student, experience university content strategy?

As a student, I mainly experience university content strategy through instagram. Lots of important information, events, off days, etc. are posted on there for me to find. It gives me the opportunity to interact with our community as students and help give the university feedback/engagement.

Meaningful Info

4 days ago, MU on instagram posted a reel of academic exploration day, but they curated it in a way where it is eye catching and appeals to a younger audience by doing a TikTok trend. By posting in this way, it grabs the attention of current students to see just what “someone heard” and is texting about. On social media, we do not expect long paragraphs to get our information, we expect quick blips of info that is just long enough to be informative, but short enough so we do not lose interest before the post gets to the point. The information is timely, as the academic exploration is tomorrow, the 16th. I would interpret this content differently than an alumni would. This content was designed for current students.

Why should Universities use social media?

Universities, like Millersville, make content that is designed for their audiences, but their audience has different sub-communities. Students, parents, alumni, and faculty will all see the same content, but just interpret it different. Using social media helps increase their engagement, which in turn helps reach potential students or alumni that want to get involved. Staying present and with the times helps more people know about their university, sparking interest.

University Content

Millersville University’s instagram and how its audience interprets the posts differ from current student to alumni. An alumni may view the posts as nostalgic, but a current student may just see the post as a current activity. Like in the textbook, a post of the swan is just a fond memory to some, while the current students may be excited to see the swan while walking to class. This shows that this content is rhetorically situated. It has multiple discourse communities that are engaging with the content. While I am a current student, I am now strictly online and in another state, so seeing photos of the swans makes me miss walking around the beautiful campus.

Definition of university social media strategy

My working definition of a university’s social media strategy is how a university shares information with a specific public to spread a specific message. These messages have specific goals, such as increasing applications, generating revenue, or informing the public. I would say these strategies thrive on interaction and engagement; if a strategy receives no attention, it is not a successful application of that strategy.

Why universities use social media

A main reason universities use social media is to promote their institutions and showcase why students should apply. Most university posts focus on applications and new semesters to attract more applicants. Universities like to highlight on their pages specific events that might interest students, such as community fairs, student showcases, and career opportunities. Overall, universities use social media to promote why students should attend them rather than other schools.

Feeling a part of a community is a great way to be involved and build your learning with fellowship. I am a part of millersvilles chapter of Fellowship of Chirstian Athletes (FCA) we meet on thursday nights at 8:30 at grace baptist church and it is always a great time. It definatly makes me feel a part of something.

Original Content 3, Week 4

Since you are a public of the university social media - explain how the university posts share meaningful information with you.

As a commuter, I rarely receive news from peers who also go to Millersville University about events and festivities. Without Millersville’s posting on Instagram, I would be heavily uninformed about fun events and stories on campus. For example, I unfortunately missed the Fall Involvement Fair because I just transferred to the school and was not following any accounts that talked about the event. However, now that I follow Millersville’s main Instagram, I saw the post about the Spring Involvement Fair. This post gave me the date, time, and more details! I was able to go and look into multiple clubs, and I even signed up for a couple to try them out! To conclude, without universities sharing information on social media platforms, many students, including myself, would miss out on many activities presented by the university. These students would lose social and networking opportunities.

Original Content 2, Week 4

Explain & Share why universities use social media.

Everyone is online today, especially the young adult generation who are enrolled in colleges. These students do not sit down and read a newspaper while sipping coffee. Instead, they sit at cafes and scroll on their phones or laptops while drinking a latte. Clearly, news on the Internet would be seen more than news written nowadays. Thus, universities had to update where they posted new information or reminders, so they now post on social media. Club meetings, festivals, weather reports, and more are all updated on social media pages, like Instagram. Universities that use social media to provide students with information are more likely to have more interaction and engagement for festivities than those universities that do not share on social media.

Original Content, Week 4

Explain & Share your working definition of university social media strategy.

University social media strategy is the idea of creating a structure for universities to post on social media to engage their audiences in daily activities or other reminders. This concept helps universities create a digital profile for their publics to find information.