SocialMediaStrategy
2022-2025
1.0 Introduction
Socialmediahasbecomeanintegralpartofourdailylives.WhetheritissharinganInstagramstorywithyourfriends,shoppingviaaFacebookad,watchinga weeklyvlogbyyourfavouriteYouTubeinfluencer,orretweetinganinterestingtweetbyapolitician:socialmediaisnolongerjustusedtomaintaincontactwith yourfriendsandfamily.Nowadays,companiesandorganizationshaveincorporatedsocialmediachannelsintotheirDNA,astheyrecognizethattheuseofsocial mediaisessentialtogetintouchwithcertaintargetgroupsandtoeffectivelypresentthemselvestotheworld.
Weknowthatsocialmediaisoneofthekeywaystomaintaincontactandbuildacommunity,butwhatdoweactuallymeanbysocialmedia,andhowdopeople usetheseonlineplatformsintheirdailylives?Socialmediaisacollectivetermforonlineplatformsthatenableuserstopublishcontentwithorwithouteditorialor professionalintervention.Besidesuser-generatedcontent,interactionanddialoguebetweenusersarekeyfeaturesofsocialmedia.Itisforthisreasonthatsocial mediaisreallyhumanwork.Itplacestheusersatthecentre,andthecommunicationthatresultsfromitiscompletelynatural.Donotusesocialmediatoimpress people;useittomakeanimpactonpeople.
Someinterestingfacts:
• In2020,1.3millionnewusersjoinedasocialmediaplatformeveryday(Hootsuite).
• Eachpersonspendsanaverageof2hoursand25minutesperdayonsocialnetworks(Hootsuite).
• Onaverage,Millennialslogontosocialmediaforanaverageof2hoursand38minutesperday,whileGenZlogsinfor 2hoursand55minutes(WorldEconomicForum).
• Itisnosecretthatsocialmediaplatformsplayabigroleinourdailylives.Theseonlineplatformscanbeusedtoengagewith currentfollowers,toreachnewtargetaudiences,andultimatelytocontributetoapositivereputation.
Itcannotbedeniedthatsocialmediamustbegivenaprominentplaceinourorganization.However,inordertomaximizeourengagementwithcurrentand potentialfollowers,ourplatformsmustbeorganizedmoreeffectively.Doingsowillalsoallowustoanalysethedialoguetakingplaceontheplatformsandto optimizenotonlythechannelsthemselvesbutalsotheworkingmethodsaroundthem.Inthisway,wecanincreaseourreach,optimizeouronlinereputation,build arealcommunitywitheachother,andmaintainthestrongandreliablebrandnameoftheUniversityofGroningen.
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2.0 Ourthreeoverarchinggoals
Witharichheritageandanacademictraditiondatingbackto1614,theUniversityofGroningenisanacademiccommunitywithastrongsenseofbelongingand acultureofinnovativeteachingandresearch.Withinthiscommunity,wecanbecurious,askquestionswithanopenmind,andengagewitheachotherandwith society.Inthisway,theUniversityenablesitsstudentstobecomeactive,independent,critical,andresponsiblecitizensoftheworld.Innovation,open-mindedness, andespeciallyengagementwithsocietyarethereforeattheheartofthebrandstrategyoftheUG.TheyareessentialtoourUniversity’sfuture.Therefore,theyare theinputforourthreesocialmediaobjectivesforthecomingyears.
2.1
Optimizingonlinereputation
Ourfirstsocialmediaobjectiveistooptimizeouronlinereputation.WewillmaketheUniversityofGroningenmoreattractiveonlinefordifferenttargetgroups,and wewillpaycloseattentiontotheneedsandwishesofourfollowers.WealsowantpeopletotalkabouttheUniversityonsocialmediaplatforms,sothatwecan optimizeourreputation.Wewilldosoby:
• Increasingourshare-of-voiceonthetopicsofacademicfreedom,integrity,inclusion,sustainability,andopenness.
• Carefullymonitoringsentiment,whichwillallowustoseewhetherusersofplatformshavepositiveornegativeinteractions.Incasesofnegativeinteraction,we willofcourseinterveneinanappropriatemanner,sothatwecanrestoreourreputation.
• Beingconsistentinallourcommunicationsinlook,feel,andtoneofvoice,inordertostrengthenourcorporateidentity.Thisway,wewillbemoreeasily recognizedonsocialmediabycurrentandpotentialfollowers.
Ourshare-of-voice
2.2 Increasebrandawareness
Oursecondsocialmediaobjectiveistoincreaseourbrandawareness.Increasingourbrandawarenessisveryimportantbecauseitmakespeoplerememberus moreoftenandmorequickly,anditmakesyoutopofmind:ifpeoplewanttoknowsomethingaboutacertainsubject,theyaremorelikelytoapproachorvisitthe brandtheyrememberonline.Wewillincreaseourbrandawarenessby:
• MaximizingourorganicpresencebypostingmorefrequentlyonInstagram,TikTok,andLinkedIn,sothatthealgorithmmakesusmorevisibleonthesocial mediaplatforms.ForInstagram,thismeansanoptimalfrequencyoffourfeedpostsperweek.Wealsowanttosharestoriesdaily.ForLinkedIn,thismeans fourposts,andforTikTokatleastonevideoperweek.
• Listeningcarefullytoourfollowersandrespondingtotheirneeds,sowecanoffermorerelevantcontentthathasahighchanceofbeingsharedinalarger network.
• Activelyencouragingpeopletosharecontentortoparticipateinsocialmediaformatsandactivities.
• Investigatingwhetherwecansetupapartnershipwithaninfluencerwhocanusetheirnicheifwewanttoconveycertainmessagesonacademicfreedom, integrity,inclusion,sustainability,andopenness.
• Boostingoneposteachmonthinaminicampaigntoeffectivelyreachpotentialfollowersbeyondourcurrentgroupofregularfollowers.Thisway,thenumber offollowersshouldgrowquickerthaninthepreviousyears.
Wewillincreaseourourreach+engagementrate.2.3
Boostcommunitymanagement
Whencommunicatingonline,contactswanttofeelliketheyaretalkingtoa‘realperson’ratherthanarobot.Ifwepaymoreattentiontocommunitymanagement, wecanincreaseourreachandattractnewfollowers.Ofcourse,goodcommunitymanagementalsohasapositiveeffectonoptimizingouronlinereputationand increasingbrandawareness.
• Wewillpaymoreattentiontoansweringquestionsthatwereceiveonthefeedandprivately.Anyuserwhoasksaquestionshouldreceivearesponsewithin 24hoursinsteadofhavingtowaitforacoupleofdays.
• Wewillnolongerrespondtoquestionsonlybutalsotocommentsandphotosthataresharedwithusorinwhichwe–astheUniversityofGroningen–are tagged.Thisway,wewillstarttheconversation,lowerthethresholdforfollowerstocontactus,andprovidethebestcustomercare.
• Wewillfacilitateopportunitiesthatmakeiteasierforfollowerstoconnectandhelpeachother.Forexample,wewillsetupFacebookgroupsinwhichcurrent andfuturestudentscaneasilygetintouchwitheachother.
Theultimateobjectiveistoreducetheamountofincomingquestionsbecausewewillhavecreatedabetterawarenessofwhatisgoingonandbecausefollowerswillbebetter abletohelpeachother.Ontheotherhand,wewillincreaseourengagementrate,whichwillmakeusmorevisibleonsocialmediaplatforms,therebyincreasingourreach.
3.0 TargetaudiencesoftheUniversityofGroningen
AstheUniversityofGroningen,wecommunicatewithvarioustargetgroups,bothoflineandonline.Wewillfirstmapoutthedemographiccharacteristicsofthese targetgroupsbeforezoominginonthesocialmediaplatformsandthetargetgroup-specificinformationlinkedtothem.
#Futurestudents
Thegroupoffuturestudentsisverydiverse.Notjustintermsofage,butalsointermsofculturalbackground.WecandistinguishbetweenfutureBachelor’s students,whoare16-22yearsold,andfutureMaster’sstudents,whoarealittleolder:18-25yearsold.Moreover,someofthesestudentsarefromthe Netherlands,whileothersliveoutsidetheNetherlands–eitherwithinoroutsideEurope.StudentswhoareinterestedinfollowingaBachelor’sdegreeprogramme aremainlyactiveonYouTube,Instagram,andTikTok.StudentswhoarelookingforaMaster’sdegreeprogrammecanbereachedthroughFacebook.
Theuseofsocialmediaplatformsisveryimportantforthistargetgroup.Throughvariouschannels,wecanreachnewpeoplewhomightbeinterestedinstudyingatthe UG.
#Currentstudents
AlargetargetgroupoftheUGarecurrentstudents.Thesestudentsgenerallyfallinthe18-24agegroup.Seventy-fivepercentofourcurrentstudentsarefromthe Netherlands,while25%haveaninternationalbackground.BothaudiencesfollowusonInstagramandFacebook,andarelesspresentonTwitterandLinkedIn. StudentsliketobeactiveandinvolvedwiththeUG.Wecantellbythehighengagementrateontheplatformsonwhichthesestudentsareactive,comparedto othergroups.
Weconsiderourcurrentstudentstobeaconnectingfactorwhenitcomestoreachingnewstudents.TheycanactasUGambassadorswhoenjoysharingtheir experiencesofourUniversity’scontentwiththeirownnetwork.Itisthereforenecessarytostayintouchwiththistargetgroup,andtoofferthemsupportwhere necessary.
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#Alumni
Accordingtoourdatabase,theUGhad144,126alumniasof2018.OuralumniarepredominantlyofDutchnationality(followedbyChinese,German,and Indonesian).MostofthemliveinGroningenandthesurroundingareas;areaged20-29and30-39,followedby40-49;studiedatFEB,followedbythefaculties ofArts,BehaviouralandSocialSciences,Medicine,andLaw(whichisalsoreflectedinthestats);andgraduatedwithaBachelor’sdegree,Master’sdegree,or doctorandus(formerDutchcombinationprogramme).Ofthealumni,8.22%(11,853)havedonatedtotheUniversityatleastonce.4.52%arecouples/livetogether aspartners.
Oursocialmediagoalforalumniistogettheminvolvedandengagedwithourcontentonboththealumnisocialmediaaccountsandoncorporatesocialmedia accounts.Sinceouralumnirangeinagefromrecentlygraduatedyoungprofessionalstopensioners,weengagewiththemonplatformssuchasInstagram, Facebook,LinkedIn,andTwitter.Eventually,theirengagementshouldactasagatewayto,forexample,donatingtotheUbboEmmiusFundorsigningupfor furthercoursesortrainingofferedbytheUG.
#Academics–withinandoutsidetheUG
Abroadandinternationaltargetaudienceconsistingofprofessors,lecturers,andresearchers.MostofthemarequiteactiveonTwitterandLinkedIn,buttheymay alsobeactiveonotherplatformssuchasInstagram.Ourgoalistoinformthemaboutwhat’sgoingonattheUGintermsofscienceandresearchandtoengage theminprojects.
#Staff
Withinthisgroup,wecandistinguishbetweenourcurrentstaffandpotentialstaff.OurcurrentUGstaff(January2019)is42%female,58%male(academicstaff) and59%female,41%male(non-academicstaff).Ouracademicstaffis40%international,60%Dutch.Ofthenon-academicstaff,6%areinternational.Ourgoalis forourstaffmemberstoengagewithourcontent—theyshouldbeourbrandambassadors.Ourcurrentstaffmembersfollowusonallplatformstheyuse.Senior (research)academicstaffarelikelytofollowusonTwitterandLinkedIn.YoungerstaffandsupportstaffareexpectedtofollowusonFacebookandInstagram.
Ourpotentialnewstaffmembers,bothDutchandinternational,areabroadaudience.Ourmaingoalistorecruitthesenewstaffmemberswithcontentbased onourEmployeeValueProposition.TheUG’srecruitmentandengagementfocusismostlyon(senior)academicstaff,withanadditionalfocusonfemale
academics.Mostacademicsarefromaslightlyolderdemographic.AcademicsareactiveonLinkedInandTwitter,aswellasarangeofmorespecificplatformslike ResearchGate.
#Mediaandjournalists–national&international
Pressandmediaareimportanttargetgroups.Ourcontentcurrentlyconsistsmainlyofnewsitemsaboutresearchorcorporatepolicy,toprofiletheUniversityof Groningen.
#Politicsandmanagement–local,regional,national&international
Thisaudienceisofgreatimportancebecauseoftheeffectonourcorporatereputation.Thisgroupisnotatallhomogeneous.Asapublicinstitution,thewaythese stakeholdersviewandvalueourorganizationshouldbemostlypositivebecausewedependlargelyongovernmentfunding.Severalpoliticiansfollowourwork quiteintensivelythroughsocialmedia.
#Groningers,Frisians, andinhabitantsofNorthNetherlands
TheUGhasbeenheresince1614.WehaveanintensiverelationshipwiththeCity(ofTalent)andtheNorthernregion(Groningen,Drenthe,Fryslan).Wewantto showtheinhabitantsoftheNorthernNetherlandswhattheUniversitycanmeanforthemandthisregion,andhowtheycaninteractwithus.Wepayattentionto specificnewsonoursocialmediachannels,andtrytoengagewiththeGroningenandNorthernaudience.Forexample,wedonotoftenpostinEnglish.
#Businessesandbusinessrelations
Sincevalorizationhasbecomemoreandmoreimportant,theUGisinvestingincorporaterelations.Thisaudienceisalsoofgreatimportancebecauseoftheeffect onourreputation.TheyengagewiththeUGspecificallyonLinkedInandTwitter.
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4.0CurrentsituationoftheUGsocialmediachannels
NowthatweknowwhichobjectiveswehaveinmindfortheUG’ssocialmediachannelsandwhichtargetgroupswegenerallydealwith,wecantakeacloserlook inthischapteratthecorporatesocialmediachannelswemanage.Below,wewilloutlinefacts&figures,targetgroup-specificinformation,andourplansforthe comingyear.
4.1 Facebook
Facts&figures
• Facebookhad1.93billionactiveusersperdayinthethirdquarterof2021(Statista).
• Facebookuseamongteenagersisgraduallydeclining.While71%ofteensstillclaimedtousetheplatformin2015,thenumberhasnowdroppedto67% (GlobalWebIndex).
• Videosperformbetterthanothercontentformats(SocialBakers).
• InadditiontothefactthatFacebookisfrequentlyusedbyretailersasanadvertisingplatform,manypeopleareactiveinFacebookgroups.
• FacebookStoriesareontherise:thiscontentformathas500milliondailyviewers(TechCrunch).
CurrentsituationattheUG
TheUniversityofGroningenFacebookpagehasover105,000followers.Despitesignsthatthechannel’sinfluenceisdecliningworldwide,westillwelcomeupto 50newfollowerseveryweek.
OurcurrentFacebooktargetgroupconsistsof50%menand49%womenaged25-34(52.7%),18-24(25.7%),and35-44(approximately10%).Lessthan1%of ourfollowersarebetween13and17yearsold.MostofourfollowersarelocatedintheNetherlands(30,122;12,752ofwhichareinGroningen)andinIndonesia (14,056).OthercountrieswhereourfollowersarelocatedareBrazil(7,820),Germany(3,950),India(3,919),andtheUS(1,979).OurfollowersaremainlyEnglishspeaking(36,621),followedbyDutch-speaking(21,192).
MostofourpostsonFacebookareaimedatabroadaudience.Weshareeventsandwebinars,internationalstudentblogs,newsarticles,andscience-related
content.Wemakelittleuseofvideocontent:mostpostsaresupportedbystaticimages.Wedocommunitymanagementontheplatform,butnotactively:we regularlyrespondtootherpeople’spostsandmanageaFacebookgroupforinternationalstudents,inwhichwepostafewupdatesourselves.
Futureplans
Basedonthefacts,thetrends,andthecurrentsituation,thesearethestartingpointsforthecomingyears:
• EventhoughourgrowthonFacebookisnotveryrapid,theplatformwillcontinuetobeanimportantpartofthemediamixifwewanttoreachprospective students,currentstudents,andalumni.
• Wewillcontinuetopost3-4timesaweekonaverage,butwilloffermorevideocontentonthepage–atleastonceaweek–andstartwithFacebookStories, whichwillallowustoincreaseourreachandattractnewfollowers.
• WeknowthatourFacebookfollowersarerelationshipbuilders.The‘communityfeeling’isbecomingincreasinglyimportantonFacebook,sowewilloffer differentwaystoachievethis.WewillstartseveralFacebookgroupsandtakestepstoimprovecommunitymanagement,whichwillenableustoanswer questionsfromourfollowersfasterandbetter.
4.2 Instagram
Facts&figures:
• Attheendof2019,InstagramStorieshad500millionmonthlyactiveusers(Statista).
• 67%ofGenZand57%ofMillennialsusetheplatform,comparedtoonly38%ofGenX(GlobalWebIndex).
• 98%ofmarketerssayInstagramisthemostinfluentialplatformforinfluencermarketing(SproutSocial).
• Postingvideosresultsinmoreinteractions.
• 83%ofpeopleuseInstagramtodiscovernewproductsandservices(FacebookforBusiness).
CurrentsituationattheUG
Theplatformhasgrowntremendouslyinrecentyears.ThemajorityofourfollowersliveinGroningen(18.5%;weassumetheyarestudents),followedbyJakarta (2.6%),Amsterdam(1.9%),Utrecht(1.0%),andTheHague(0.9%).ThemajorityofourInstagramfollowersarebetweentheagesof18-24(37.7%),followedby 25-34(40%);1.2%percentarebetweentheagesof13-17.BesidesthefactthatwecanreachyoungpeoplethroughInstagram,weareconvincedthattheaccount isbestusedincommunicatingtocurrentstudents.Wearegrowingby100-150newfollowerseveryweek,butweoccasionallyhaveoutlierswith300newfollowers.
Thecontentweofferiscurrentlyfocusedonreach–wechoosetosharephotosoftheUniversityofGroningenandthestudentcitiesofGroningenand Leeuwarden.Wedonottakethemajorityofthephotosourselves;weoftenrepostfromotherusers.Inadditiontopostingphotos,weincreasinglyoftenpostvideos becausewehavenoticedthatvideocontentscoresbetter.InourStories,weoftensharestudentblogs,events,andactivitiesthatareorganizedbytheUGor anotherparty.Wesharepolls,quizzesandtakeovers–whichthepublicappreciates.Weveryactivelymanagethecommunityonthechannel:underthepostsand intheDirectMessagebox,wetrytorespondquicklywitha‘twinkleintheeye’.
Futureplans
Basedonthefacts,thetrends,andthecurrentsituation,thesearethestartingpointsforthecomingyears:
• InstagramwillbethemostimportantchannelfortheUniversityofGroningen.WewillmakeeveryefforttoincreaseourreachonInstagram.
• Wewillfurtherprofessionalizetheplatformandthecontentthatweoffer.Thismeansthatwemuststartworkingwithfixedformats,sothatwecansafeguard theUG’scorporateidentityandbeconsistentinourcommunications.ThisappliestoalldepartmentsandfacultiesthatareactiveonInstagram.
• Wewillbefillinginsomeofthecontentinadifferentway.Becauseourtargetgrouphasbecomeolder,wewillnotonlyoffercontentforfuturestudentsbutalso forourcurrentstudents.
• FollowersareincreasinglyusingInstagramtoreadimportantupdatesabouttheUG.Therewillbeaslightchangeinthecontentofourposts.Inadditionto sharingfunandrelatablecontent,wewillalsobemoreinformative.
• WewillstartcollaboratingwithotheraccountsthroughSharedReelsandInstagramLivesformoreexposure.Facultiesaccountscanmakeusco-ownerof theirvideocontent,sowecanpostitasacollab.Inthiswaywecouldcreatemoreexposureforthefacultycontentandwecouldincreasereach.
• Wewillincreaseinteractions–notonlywithnewfollowers,butalsowithourcurrentfollowers–byusingtakeovers,livestreams,polls,andotherfeaturesmore often.
• Inordertomaximizeourreach,wewilladvertiseregularorganicposts.
4.3 Twitter
Facts&figures:
• Twitterreached211milliondailyactiveusersinthethirdquarterof2021(Statista).
• Tweetswithhashtagsgenerate100%moreengagement(Twitter).
• 93%ofTwitterusersareopentobrandsengaginginconversations,suchasofferinghelpandsupport(Twitter).
CurrentsituationattheUG
Twitterisstillthemainplatformforspreadingnews.Itisarelativelyformalplatform,whichallowsustoshareinformationeasily.Theaccount@univgroningen currentlyhas58,700followers.Thismakesusthesecond-mostfollowedDutchuniversity.In2020,thenumberoffollowersgrewfrom54,100to56,600.Forthe timebeing,thissteadygrowthappearstobecontinuinginto2021,despitetheloweractivity.
Ouraudiencenowmainlyconsistsofstaff(specificallyacademics),themedia,politicians(whoretweetresearch,forexample),andmembersoftheBoardofthe University.Thelattergroupisitselfveryactive.Inparticular,RectorMagnificusCiscaWijmengaandPresidentoftheBoardJoukedeVriesactivelyuseTwitterand areretweetedbyusalmostdaily.Studentsaremainlyinformedthroughothersocialmediainanycase:Twitterismorepopularamongusersinhigheragegroups (approximately60%oftheusersarebetween35and65).
Atthemoment,wemainlyuseTwittertosharenewsaboutresearchandcorporateaffairs(forexample,newsabouttheUniversityoftheNorth).Thereisnow lessinteractionwithourfollowersthroughcomments.Engagementwithfollowerscontinuesincertaincaseswherethereiscriticismoranenquiryaboutdegree programmesattheUG.
Futureplans
Basedonthefacts,thetrends,andthecurrentsituation,thesearethestartingpointsforthecomingyears:
• Inthenearfuture,Twitterwillhavealessprominentroleduetoloweroccupation.Asoutlinedpreviously,theinteractionwithothersinparticularwillbecome morebasic,althoughurgentquestionsorcriticismwillofcoursecontinuetobeansweredinatimelymanner.
• Wewillcontinuetoregularlypublishnewsaboutresearchandcorporateaffairs.
• Accountgrowthisnolongeragoal.
4.4 LinkedIn
Facts&figures:
• LinkedInhasmorethan800millionactiveusersin200countriesandregionsworldwide(LinkedIn).
• Asofthesecondquarterof2021,60%ofLinkedInuserswerebetweentheagesof25and34(Statista).
• In2020,LinkedInwasvotedthemosttrustednetwork(BusinessInsider).
• Morethan46%ofallsocialmediatrafictocompanywebsitescomesfromLinkedIn(LinkedIn).
• Personalstoriesarebetterreceivedthanbusinessupdatesfromcompanies.
CurrentsituationattheUG
LinkedInistheUG’slargestplatformintermsoffollowers,withmorethan200Ksubscribers(158Ksubscribersandfollowersin2019–agrowthof26%).The majorityofourfollowersliveinGroningen(38.7%),followedbyAmsterdam(13.7%)andUtrecht(8.1%).OurfollowersonLinkedInaremostlyalumniandcurrent staffmembersinmostlyseniorpositions(33.47%)versusentrypositions(33%).Mostareemployedinthesectorsofeducation(12.7%),businessdevelopment (10.7%),healthcare(8%),operations(7,1%)andresearch(6.3%).Amajorityofourfollowersworkinlargecompanieswith1,000-5,000employees(21%)orin substantialcompanies(10,000+employees).
Wehaveincreasedthefrequencyofourposts,becauseweseethatoursubscribersappreciatetheupdatesandwedogainhundredsofnewfollowerseveryweek.
PostsaboutUGresearchleadtohigh-leveldiscussion.CommentsonLinkedInaremostlydirectedattheresearcher,ratherthantheinstitution.Therefore,LinkedIn isapreferredchannelforresearchcontentandcorporatecontent.Itisalsoanexcellentplatformtohighlightthesuccessesofourstaffmembersandresearchers.
Inaddition,weuseLinkedIntohighlightourmultidisciplinarypartnerships,bothwithinternalandexternalstakeholdersandonalocal,national,andinternational level.
Futureplans
Basedonthefacts,thetrends,andthecurrentsituation,thesearethestartingpointsforthecomingyears:
• WeknowthatLinkedInusersnotonlywanttoreadaboutscientificresearch,butalsowanttolearnmoreaboutcareeropportunitiesattheUGandwhatthe universityisdoinginthefieldofpeopleandtheenvironment,sowewillfurtherincreaseourreachbyofferingagreatervariationincontent.Besidessharing science-relatedcontentandevents,wewillstructurallyintegrateupdatesfromHRandtheCommunicationsOficeinthecontentmix.
• Onthisplatform,thetoneofvoicewillremainformalbutthecontentwillbemorepersonal.
• Despitethefactthatwearegrowingsignificantlyeveryweek,wearegoingtousemorevideocontenttogeneratemorebrandawareness. Wewilldoactivecommunitymanagementontheplatformtoopendialogueoncertaintopics,toincreasethereach.
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4.5 TikTok
Facts&figures:
• AsofJanuary2021,TikTokhas689millionactiveusersworldwide(DataReportal).
• In2020,TikTokwasthemostdownloadedapp(Apptopia).
• 41%ofTikTokusersworldwideareagedbetween16and24yearsold(GlobalWebIndex).
• TheengagementrateonTikTokismuchhigherthanonotherplatforms(InfluencerMarketingHub).
• TikTokusersspendmoretimeontheappcomparedtousersofothersocialmedia:in2019,anaveragesessiononTikToklastednearly11minutes( Statista).
CurrentsituationattheUG
Inthesummerof2021,theUGlaunchedTikTokasapilotbecausethisplatform–anditsusers–areentirelynewtotheUniversity.Wepostfun,shortvideos everyweekandwemakesurethatusersoftheplatformcaneasilyidentifywiththem.Withinafewmonths,theaccounthasgainedover3Kfollowersandourmost popularvideohasareachof273,8K.
Futureplans
Basedonthefacts,thetrends,andthecurrentsituation,thesearethestartingpointsforthecomingyears:
• WewillpaymoreattentiontoTikTokbydelvingdeeperintothetrends,andbypostingregularlyontheplatform:atleastonceaweek.
• BecausethetargetaudienceonTikTokisveryyoungcomparedtotheaudiencesonothersocialplatforms(16-24years),wewillcreaterelatablecontentwith atwinkleintheeye:we’regoingtocreatehumorousandengagingcontentandweshouldbenotafraidtopushtheboundaries.
• Wewillincreaseawarenessbyparticipatinginchallenges,usingpopularhashtags,andorganizinglivestreams.
• Wewillencouragecollaborationswithstudentsandotherpartiestogeneratemorereach.
4.6 YouTube
Facts&figures
• YouTubeisthesecondlargestsearchengineintheworld,afterGoogle(Alexa).
• YouTubeexpectstoseeasignificantincreaseinthenumberofusersinthefuture:by2025,thenumberisexpectedtoreach2.8millionusers(Statista).
• 77%of15-35yearoldsintheUSuseYouTubeonadailybasis(Statista).
• Usersaged18andoverspendanaverageof41.9minutesonYouTubeeveryday(Hootsuite).
CurrentsituationattheUG
YouTubeisoneofthebiggestsocialmediaplatformsusedbymembersofseveraltargetaudiences.Currently,wehave32Ksubscribers,ofwhich54%aremale and46%arefemale.Theyaremostly18-24(42.4%),followedby25-34(26.4%),35-44(11.2%),and13-17(7.4%).MostsubscriberscomefromtheNetherlands (25.2%),followedbyIndia(10.2%)andtheUnitedStates(4.6%).OurYouTubeaccountisfoundthroughtraficfromexternalchannels(22.6%)aswell:Google Search(29.4%),theUGwebsite(7.1%),andtheUGLinkedInaccount(5.2%).
ThereisnofocusonYouTubecontentmanagementattheUG,andthereisnostrategyinplace(forexample,ahero-hub-hygienestrategy).Thereisalackof emphasisonkeywordoptimization,findability,consistencyinourcorporateidentity,andcommunitymanagement.Thereisalotofpotentialinthisplatform,butwe wouldhavetoincreaseoureffortsonthechannelconsiderably.
Futureplans
Basedonthefacts,thetrends,andthecurrentsituation,thesearethestartingpointsforthecomingyears:
• WemustinvestinYouTube,becausemanyGoogleandYouTubeusersvisitthisplatformtofindinformation.TheUniversity’sYouTubechannelmustbea perfectsearchengineifpeopleinterestedintheUGwanttogatherinformationonvarioussubjects.
• ThecreationofaYouTubestrategyisnecessary,notonlytodeterminetheobjectiveandtheset-upofthechannelbutalsotodrawupguidelinesforvideos anddescriptions,whichmustbemetbeforetheycanbepublishedontheplatform.
• Wemustreducethenumberofadminrolestocreatemoreoverview,structure,andconsistency.
4.7Reddit
Facts&figures:
• In2020,Reddithad52milliondailyactiveusers(Reddit).
• Asofautumn2021,theRedditapphadmorethan13milliondailyactiveusersworldwideoniOS(Statista).
• MostRedditusersintheUSaremen,but15%ofUSadultssaytheyusetheplatform(Statista).
CurrentsituationattheUG
TheUGiscurrentlynotactiveonRedditbut,becauseitisregularlymentionedbyRedditors,thereappearstobeanopportunityforcommunitymanagement. AsubredditfortheUniversity(r/universityofgroningen)usedtobeactiveatsomepointbutitwasbannedduetoalackofmoderationanduse.Thisbancanbe appealedbycontactingtheRedditcustomerserviceincasethereisawishtoreactivatethesubreddit.Currently,mentionsoftheUGoccurmostfrequentlyon ther/Groningensubreddit(9.6kRedditors),inwhichprospectivestudents,currentstudents,andalumnidiscussvariousUG-relatedtopics.Someofthepostsare relatedtochoosingadegreeprogramme,findingaccommodation,ordiscussingtheirexperiencesasstudents.
ContentonRedditismostlyuser-generatedandbrandsdonotfrequentlypost.Instead,brandsorbusinesses(inthiscase,theUG)canopenandmoderatea subreddit,addrelatedcommunitiesandusefullinks,and‘brand’theircommunities–butdonotnecessarilyhavetocreatecontentthemselves.Thisisleftuptothe users,whousesubredditstoaskquestions,postphotos,andshareexperiences.
Futureplans
Basedonthefacts,thetrends,andthecurrentsituation,thesearethestartingpointsforthecomingyears:
• WehavenoobjectivetoexpandourRedditpresenceintermsoffollowersandreach,sowewillclosethisplatform.
4.8 WhatsApp
NearlyeveryoneinEuropeusesWhatsApp.WhatsAppcanbeconsideredasocialmediumduetoitswiderangeofsocialfeatures:messaging,profilecreation, photo/videosharing,statusupdates,stories,andmore.WedonotcurrentlyuseWhatsAppinourworkanddonotconsidertheplatformasocialmedium.However, wewillnotcompletelyexcludetheuseofthisplatformifwenoticethatacertaintargetgrouphasaneedforcontactviaWhatsApp,orifwerolloutacampaignin whichtheplatformplaysacrucialroleinboostingcommunitymanagement.
4.9 Countryspecific:China
ThisisnowmostlymanagedbytheUG’sChineserepresentativeandamemberoftheInternationalMarketingteam,withthesupportofastudentassistantwithin theInternationalMarketingteam.AsidefromanonlineadvertisingcampaigninChinatodriveupourfollowingonWeChat,wearenotplanningondoinganything
majorwithWeChatthisyear.Wehavespentquitealotoftimeandbudgetinsettingitupbutitisnowprettymuchupandrunninginthewaywewouldlikeit.Atthe moment,weuseitasawaytohostinformationabouttheUniversityandwepostaweeklyChinese-languageblogaboutstudentlife.Wecurrentlyhaveover3,100 followersonWeChatwhile,twoyearsago,wehadjustover1,000followersontheplatform.Wearegrowinginnumbers,albeitslowly.
ThisplatformisalsomanagedbyourChineserepresentative.WehavethebiggestfollowingofanyDutchuniversity,butwearenotplanningondoinganything majorwiththeplatform.TheUGaccountonWeiboismainlyusedtopostupdatesthroughouttheyear.Twoyearsago,wehadaround24,113followersonWeibo; now,wehave70,753followersontheplatform.WemayexpectaslightfurtherriseinfollowersafterdoingsomeonlineadvertisinginChina,butnotmuch.
FacultiesareverywelcometocontributetoourWeiBoandWeChatintermsofcollaboratingwiththemtomakecontentforChinesesocialmedia.
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5.0 Content
Nowthatweknowhowweusethevariouschannels,whatthetrendsare,andwhichtargetgroupswearereaching,itisimportanttomakeuseoftheseinsightsby translatingthemintotheUG’scontentguidelines.
5.1Personalizingcontent
Thismaybeobviousbutusersofonlineplatformslikefeelingthattheyarecommunicatingwithactualpeopleratherthansimplywithabrand.Theyfeelbetter understood,moreinvolved,andtheirtrustincreases.ThisisalsobeneficialfortheUG:anincreaseoftrustamongusershasapositiveinfluenceonouronline reputation.Howarewegoingtopersonalizecontent?
• We’regoingtolistenbettertoourtargetgroupsbycloselymonitoringtheUG’ssentimentandaskingforinputmoreoften,sothatwecanofferrelevantcontent attherighttime.
• Storytellingwillbethecommonthreadincontent,tobringmessagestolife.Thisway,wecanshowwhatwearedoinginthecommunityandthatweareaware ofourimpactonpeopleandtheenvironment.
• WewilladapttheUG’stoneofvoicetothetargetgroupwithwhichwearecommunicating.
• Theuseofuser-generatedcontentremainsimportantinordertoincreasebrandawarenessandreach.
5.2Increasingtheuseofvideocontent
Fromourownandothers’experience,weknowthattheuseofvideocontentisindispensableinthesocialmedialandscape.Videocontentcapturesthe imagination,attractsattentionononlineplatforms,andisagreatwaytoincreasebrandawarenessandengagementwiththetargetaudience.
Itisimportanttomapoutthecustomerjourney–beitthatofstudents,staffmembers,orexternalstakeholders–sothatviewerscanidentifywiththecontentofthe video.
Whenproducingavideo,weneedtocarefullyconsiderwhetheritwillbetime-specificorwhetherweareproducingcontentthatcanalsobeusedinthefuture. Inaddition,duringproductionwemusttakeintoaccounttheplatformforwhichweareproducingthevideo.Eachplatformhasitsownspecificationswhenitcomes tovideocontent.
Thefirstfewsecondsofavideodeterminewhetheraviewerwillcontinuewatchingornot.Themessageorobjectivemustthereforealwaysbeclearatthestartof thevideo.
5.3Professionalizingcontent
BesidestheUG’scorporatechannels,almosteveryfacultyordepartmentwithintheorganizationhasitsownmixofchannels.Tomakeourownandothers’ channelsmoreprofessional,itisnecessarytotakethefollowingsteps:
Ifyouworkwithsocialmediaplatforms,thensomeflexibilityisdesirableincaseyouneedtocapitalizeonthemoment.Butinordertostructurethepostingalittle better,wearegoingtoworkwithrecurringthemes,whichwecanspreadoveralongerperiod.Themesfromthebrandstrategy–academicfreedom,integrity, inclusion,sustainability,andopenness–areperfect.
Consistencyincommunicationsiskey.InadditiontotheUGtoneofvoice,wewillworkwithfixedformats,whichwillbeavailabletotheentireUGcommunity.
Ifyousetupanaccountorwanttoprofessionalizeitfurther,thereareanumberofthingsyouneedtotakeintoaccount.Youcanreadabouttheminthe SocialMediaBestPractices2022.
6.0Monitoring&communitymanagement
Socialmediaisnot(ornolonger)justaboutsendingoutmessages;itisalsoverymuchaboutbuildingacommunity.Inaddition,socialmediaplatformsarenow usedforcustomercarepurposes.Byhavinggoodcommunitymanagement,theUGcanfacilitatediscussionsandquicklyhelpcontactswithquestionswithout passingthemfrompillartopost.WewillalsobeabletocontainanynegativitysurroundingtheUGbrand. Bycommunitymanagement,wemeanwhathappensafterandbeyondyoursocialmediapublishing.Itispartcustomerservice,partlisteningtotheinternet,and partbeingactiveindiscussionsthatrelatetoyourbrand.Withgoodcommunitymanagementinplace,weareabletooptimizeouronlinereputation.
6.1Monitoring
Bymonitoring,wemeanlisteninginonandtrackingconversationsthatrelatetotheUniversityofGroningen.Weneedtoknowtheonlinesentimentaboutthe Universityandwhattopicsaretrending.Thisway,wecangettoknowourcurrentandprospectivefollowersbetter,respondtotheirneeds,andbuilduptheirtrustin theUG.Therefore,weareusingCoostotomonitorourprogresswithoptimizingtheUniversity’sonlinereputationbykeepingtrackoftheUniversity’sshareofvoice forkeyterms.
6.2Engaging
Whenwelookforengagementwithourtargetgroups,wemeanthatwewanttokeeptheconversationaliveandthatwewanttocontacttheminanoriginalway. Communitymanagementiskeyifyouwanttomaintaincontactwithyourfollowersandattractnewones.Therefore,wearescalingupourcommunitymanagement activitiesinanefforttoencourageconversationabouttheUG: WeneedtoencouragefollowerstosharemorecontentabouttheUniversityofGroningen.WecandosobyrespondingtopostsinwhichtheUGistagged.This canbedonebysimplylikingthemorcommentingonthem. WehavetokeepthebrandpersonalityoftheUGandthecorrespondingtoneofvoiceinmind,butwecanadaptourwayofcommunicatingontheplatformandto thetargetgroup.Weshouldnotbeafraidtoaddsome‘twinkleintheeye’inourcomments,especiallywhenwetalktocurrentandprospectivestudents. Weneedtobemoreproactiveaboutengagingwithourcommunitybyincorporatingcommunityengagementpostsandformatsintoourpostingschedule.
6.3Moderating
Moderationisveryimportantwhenitcomestooptimizingonlinereputationmanagement.Inmoderatingourplatforms,weareweedingoutcommentsand conversationsthatdonotaddvalueandtroubleshootingcomplaintsornegativecomments.WeuseCoostoformoderationtogetanoverviewofallcommentsand conversations.Wecanthenundertakethefollowingactions:
Ifwehavereceivednegativecommentsandtheydonotaddanyvalue,wewillhidethemonthechannelifpossible.
Ifwereceiveaquestionorcommentthatcouldpotentiallyposearisktoouronlinereputation,wewillcontactthespokespersons.
Hidingorignoringnegativemessagesdoesnotmeanthatwedonotenterintoadialogueifafollowerasksusacriticalquestion.
6.4Measuring
Bymeasuring,wemeananalysinghowourbrandisperceived.Inordertobeabletoproperlyassesshowourposts–andtherebythethreesocialmediaobjectives thatwehavedefinedforthecomingyears–arereceived,wewilluseCoostotogenerateamonthlyanalysisofthesocialmediachannels.
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7.0 Organization
Withourtargetaudiencesandchannelsinmind,howarewegoingtodevelopourorganizationinawaythatallowsustoproducecontentandmonitorthesocial mediaspheretoreachourgoals?
Thepreviouschaptersmadeitclearthatweneedtogothroughvariousprocessesandstepstoachieveourobjectives.Onepart–whichwehavenotyet discussedbutwhichisveryimportantinachievingourobjectives–istheorganizationoftheContentteamandthecooperationwithotherdepartmentswithinand outsidetheUG.
7.1Teamexpansion
ThetasksassignedtotheContentteamandwhicharesocialmedia related are: social media management, webcare & community management,contentcreation,andsocialmediaanalysis. Managingthesocialmediachannelsisnowtheresponsibilityofthe DigitalContentCoordinator,whiletherestofthetasksaredivided amongvariousstudentassistants.Ifwearegoingtoscaleup thecreationofcontent–postingmorefrequentlyandusingmore differentformats–analysisoftheresults,furtherprofessionalization oftheplatforms,andoptimizingonlinereputation,thenfurther expansionoftheteamisnecessary.Thiscanbeachievedbyhiring additionalstudentassistants.Inaddition,itisdesirabletoappoint aSocialMediaManager,whocanfocusmoreonstrategyand cansetupanddevelopcampaignsandprojects,whiletheDigital ContentCoordinatorcanfocusmoreonexecutivetasksandother onlineactivities(website,newslettersandblogs)togetherwiththe studentassistants.
Communication Services Faculties Socialmedia manager+team UGtargetaudiences Digitalcontent coordinator+team7.2Groupallsocialmediaplatformsunderonepersonand/orteam
Atthemoment,thechannelsaredividedundertwodifferentteamswithintheCommunicationOfice.Inordertohavemoreconsistencyintoneofvoice,look&feel, andcommunitymanagement,itiswisetobringallsocialmediaplatformstogetherunderonepersonand/oronedepartment.
7.3BettercooperationwiththeCommunicationOfice
Socialmediachannelsarecommunicationchannels.Thatiswhyitisnecessarytonotisolatesocialmediachannelsbuttointegratethemintothemixof communicationchannels.Thisallowsustoproperlyweighupwhichchannelswecanusetogetaparticularmessageacrosstoaparticulartargetgroup.Byusing socialmediaposts,wecanoffercontentinanaccessiblewayandreinforcethethemesfromthebrandstrategy.
7.4BettercooperationbetweenCommunicationOficeandfaculties,UGdepartments,andexternalstakeholders
Itisafactthat,inadditiontotheUG’scorporatechannels,therearemanyothersocialmediachannelshostedbyfacultiesanddepartmentswithintheUGand externalstakeholdersthatalsohavealinktousasauniversity.Toprovidethecolleagueswhomanagethesesocialmediaplatformswithbettersupportintermsof adviceandcontent,itisimportantthatthesocialmediateamcanbeeasilyfoundintheorganization.Thesocialmediateamwillbecomemorevisiblebyactively seekingcontactwithinternalandexternalstakeholdersbyorganizingevents(suchastheOnlineMarketingConsultation-inDutch:OnlineMarketingOverleg), offeringconsultationhours,andprovidingadigitalspacewithintheUGenvironmentwheretheteamcanpostcontent,guidelinesandpolicies,thatcanthenbe usedorreusedbycolleagues.