There’s no doubt about it: The days of posting flyers on bulletin boards and sending out email blasts as the sole means of promoting events are numbered.
Sure, students may glance at a creative ad while they’re waiting for the elevator, but it’s not likely to entice them in the same way that a social media post would.
Many of us know this already, and as a result, have learned how to use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as marketing tools. But social media trends continue to change, as do the ways in which students interact with our departments and initiatives.
Although it’s tough to keep up, I always try my best to put myself in their shoes. We expect students to learn all of our institutional acronyms, right? Well, I view social media fluency as a means of understanding their language.
Are you far from fluent in this language? Don’t worry; I’m here to break it down for you! There are some amazing new platforms and marketing tools out there that can help us better connect to our students — namely TikTok and Instagram Live.
I’m going to tell you more about them and help you brainstorm creative ways to utilize them.
TikTok and Instagram Live are picking up steam on the social media scene. Both of these platforms are providing new ways for our students to interact with one another and the world around them.
But what exactly sets them apart? I asked some of my students, and here’s what I learned:
There will always be some growing pains when learning new things. But fortunately, TikTok and Instagram Live are user-friendly platforms that only require a bit of practice.
If you’re interested in gaining a better sense of what sort of content your students are enjoying, use the Discover feature. It’ll show you what’s trending.
As you continue to view certain video genres, similar content will pop up on your home page. You also have the ability to “like” videos or follow your favorite creators. You’ll see these options to the right of the video. Clicking the plus sign will allow you to follow the creator, while the heart icon indicates that you enjoyed the content. Clicking either of these will also bring more of that content to your home page.
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the platform, it might be time for you to make your first TikTok! (A little user insight: TikTok is both the name of the platform and what you’d call the video you’re creating).
I’ll offer some insight on what sort of things students may want to see from you soon, but, in the meantime, here are some great guides on the technical aspect of making a TikTok:
I can assure you that this Instagram feature has less of a learning curve than its friend TikTok. You’ll be ready to go live in just a few clicks!
Start by clicking the camera icon in the top left corner of your account. Then, scroll left until you see the Live option. Your live video will begin as soon as you hit record. Easy enough, right?
While it’s simple to access this feature, I have a few tips for making the recording smooth and entertaining.
First, make sure you have a secure WiFi connection. If you’ll be broadcasting to hundreds or thousands of people, a home network may not be strong enough. So, it might make more sense to do your live video on a college campus that has an infrastructure to support multiple devices in use at once.
Next, give your viewers a few minutes to log on. Once you hit the record button, your followers will be notified that you are starting a live video, but it might take them a few minutes to find a quiet space or pull out their headphones. So hold off on officially starting until the growing view numbers starts to slow down. (You’ll be able to see how many people are tuning in, at any given moment, on the top right of your screen.)
You can certainly welcome your viewers and tell them you’ll be getting started soon but hold off on the critical content until you’ve reached peak viewership.
Another cool feature of Instagram Live involves bringing someone else into the video with you from wherever they may be across the globe. So, for example, maybe your director of study abroad is leading the video and a student who is currently abroad in France also joins to offer their perspective on the program. You’ll be able to add them in to your live once they have entered as a participant.
Lastly, I suggest having someone keep track of any questions that are coming in via comments from attendees. It could be overwhelming to answer all of them at once, especially if you have a lot of folks tuning in. If you have someone helping you — ideally across from your desk, out of view from the camera — they can jot down the best questions and pass them off to you as they trickle in.
Another quick note: You can turn off the questions feature. Students love the instant interactions of live videos so I wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you receive hateful comments or angry questions that you’d rather be able to respond to one-on-one, off-camera.
Okay, so we’ve talked about why students love these apps and the technicalities of using them. Now let’s get into the fun stuff, shall we?
We’re adding these apps to our devices because we’re hopeful they’ll bring us closer to our students. But it’s vital to be creative and intentional about how we go about it.
These online communities are sacred to our students. We must tread lightly as we produce content that is fun, informative, and relational. When we enter our students’ social media spaces, we want to be as respectful as we would be entering their physical spaces. Producing too much content or getting too involved in their everyday activities may feel invasive.
But if you’re calculated and mindful, students will hopefully encourage you to stay! That has certainly been the case at institutions like The University of Florida and IU Bloomington.
As I mentioned earlier, there are many video trends beloved by students on TikTok. If you notice something is picking up momentum, consider recreating it. Students would love to see some of their campus favorites making their TikTok debuts!
Social media is a powerful tool. Though it connects us virtually, it has the ability to bring our communities together as if we were in the same room. This generation of students is highly active, both on social media and in the world. They are not passive observers. They want in on the action, and they are ready to engage with the content you provide.
So let’s do what we do best. Let’s meet students where they are; Let’s meet them online.
How have you utilized TikTok and Instagram Live to connect with students? We’d love to hear your stories and see examples! Tweet us @themoderncampus and @ChelseaMJordan_.