Ohio University’s social media ranks Top 5 in the nation, No. 1 in the state for engagement

Ohio University’s social media is top of the line, ranking No. 5 in the nation among every NCAA Division I higher education institution. This is the third year in a row OHIO placed in the top six.  

Released on Aug. 16, Rival IQ’s 2022 Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report ranked OHIO No. 5 overall. When looking at specific social platform rankings, OHIO ranked No. 48 on Instagram, No. 21 on Facebook, No. 6 on Twitter and No. 37 on TikTok.

OHIO is also ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

Rival IQ surveyed 358 Division I colleges and universities between June 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022. According to the report, “aerial shots and classic views of Ohio University’s iconic Athens campus and surroundings brought about tons of nostalgia-themed engagements” helped OHIO secure the overall fifth place.

“We are so proud of the work we’ve done for our social audiences in the past year,” Eli Burris, BSJ ’16, social media and content marketing manager, said. “We cheered hometown hero Joe Burrow and the Bengals all the way to the Super Bowl; welcomed students back to Athens after a year away because of COVID; announced an R1 classification for the University; and so much more. The love and connection that Bobcats feel for Ohio University and Athens is very special.”

Burris has been a part of the OHIO social team for three years and was recently promoted to manager this past winter. A new social media and content marketing team was developed to support the University’s social media and content efforts.

The social media and content marketing team is led by Burris and Donna Gallo, senior director of digital content and engagement, along with Elise Holbrook, senior social media specialist, Jalyn Bolyard, content marketing specialist, and Jordan Schmitt, BSJ ’22, content marketing specialist.

Top performing posts throughout the year included cheering on hometown quarterback Joe Burrow in the Super Bowl by showcasing local pride and by tweeting short wits. Throughout the year, top posts also included beautiful pictures of campus, plus those taken by current students.

Between July 2021 to July 2022, OHIO’s Instagram page grew 28% from 63,678 to 81,524 followers, OHIO’s Facebook page grew 5% from 107,808 to 113,667 likes, and OHIO’s Twitter page grew 6% from 74,313 followers to 78,520.

In the Rival IQ release, OHIO was also the featured university account for Twitter. With an engagement rate two times more than the Higher Ed median, OHIO was applauded for creating content that Bobcats understood and highlighting user-generated content.

Rival IQ also highlighted the “gorgeous campus shots” that OHIO posted often for the #WallpaperWednesday trend.

OHIO’s social feed reaches all over. OHIO’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts combined for a total of 91 million impressions and 4 million engagements from July 2021 to July 2022.

This year’s rankings were the first to also look at TikTok accounts. OHIO’s TikTok account grew a whopping 167% from 3,220 followers last September to 8,590 as of July 2022, with over 10,000 followers at the time of article publication.

According to Rival IQ, “the university shook it up on TikTok by handing the account over to current students, who brought a fresh and funny perspective to the university’s social.”

“Getting to completely shake up our TikTok account since starting in this position in January has been an absolute dream,” Holbrook said. “Content like this is my favorite kind of thing to produce and working with a student like Juliana is an incredibly rewarding experience. If you want to make social content that connects with students, you must get students involved in the process. Not only is it a great learning experience for them, but they know exactly what will connect with their peers. Juliana is a vital part of our team, we’re lucky to have her.”

Juliana Colant, a junior journalism news and information major, works as a social media student employee. Many may know her as the face of the OHIO TikTok channel.

“Working on the TikTok account and seeing its growth firsthand has been incredibly exciting and rewarding! The community that has grown from our following is remarkable. The content views may fluctuate, but it’s the followers that make the account so special,” Colant said. “With OHIO socials, we reach such a wide audience, from alums to current students to potential students and can bring them together. It is exciting to see people engage with the content.” 

Part of Colant’s weekly duties are brainstorming and developing video content for the University’s TikTok account, along with Holbrook.

“I am so thankful to be a part of the social media team,” Colant added. “Elise and Eli are not only great mentors but also simply amazing people. They allow me a lot of creative freedom to explore my ideas and constantly open doors for me to grow my skill set. I know I can count on them for constructive feedback, advice and support.”

In addition to the Rival IQ rankings, OHIO’s TikTok Channel is award-winning. University Communications and Marketing won an University and College Designers Association (UCDA) Design Award with an honorable mention in the “Video in Social Media Campaign” category for the 2021 Founder’s Day TikTok.

The social media and content marketing team is thankful for colleagues across the University and especially the University Communications and Marketing’s news, photo, video and design teams’ support that aided in the top content.