Mar 6, 2018
NAU Social Recap: February 2018
The return of winter and more social changes
February brought with it more snow and more social changes.
As we discussed last month, Facebook continues to be a watch and learn process. The current social algorithm places an emphasis on interaction — in particular comments.
Looking for ways to engage? Try these Facebook features.
This month, Snapchat and Instagram also stepped up their game with new updates. However, Snapchat’s redesign has Instagram winning over more users. Not only has Snapchat seen more criticism, but story views have gone down too due to the placement of stories within the app.
So many changes — what does all this mean for you? With Spring Break coming up it’s the perfect time to go through your closet, get rid of the clutter and revisit your social plan.
Facebook — mastering the art of the share
68,728 likes (+664), 29,659 people engaged
When it comes to measuring success on Facebook — we continue to put a premium on shares. Shares extend your network and your reach, building a stronger Lumberjack community, brand recognition and credibility.
Most Shared Post
Our most shared post of the month? The last day of February that resulted in Flagstaff’s above normal snow totals for the month.
Another way to connect with your audience? Share inspiring and motivational quotes. In fact, we start off each week with a #MotivationMonday post and this one was our best performing of the month (and year) so far.
Most Comments
Our top post for comments this February was the announcement that the VS Pink Bus was heading to campus. While this post originally seemed fitting for a younger audience (Snapchat/Instagram), it performed exceptionally well on Facebook — generating 210 comments.
Lumberjack tip: If you’re unsure if it’s the right channel for posting, try it out and see what happens. Review the stats and fine tune your strategy from there.
Most Clicks — Make your links check them twice
Always, always look at your post performance. You’ll see numbers that you won’t find on the surface. For instance, our post about the Grand Canyon Semester had 361 likes and 26 shares. A deeper look at the post showed that it received 1,278 clicks.
The same analysis goes for our Lumberjack love blog post and FB Live with NAU’s Physical Therapy Clinic. The posts did well on their own but looking at the data shows our audience was not just scanning through the Facebook feed but taking action and clicking on links we shared.
Twitter — current trends
35,370 followers (+294), 1.54M impressions, 752 mentions
When we want to get things out, and get it out fast — Twitter is our go to platform. Whether it’s snow, a Lumberjack love note, or special guests on campus (like the PINK bus) — Twitter posts reach our audience and get them clicking too.
With so many trending hashtags and days of celebration it’s a good idea to keep a content calendar. Review your calendar each month and look for annual days/celebrations you can easily refresh and share 👇🏼
Lumberjack Tip: Always check your stats. If you’re sharing useful information, the clicks will come.
And finally, don’t forget to bring your witty side 😉
Instagram — capturing the beauty of NAU
27,251 followers (+451), 48,601 likes
Snow for the win. Our most liked and most engaging posts for the month all involved winter scenes on campus and in town.
The surprise of the month? Our post for National Pizza Day which received our most comments — 118.
Why did this one perform so well? We paired pictures of all the pizza spots in town with a simple caption —
Snapchat — inside look
23 total stories posted, highest view count = 2.3K, highest screenshot = 93
Our February calendar included: Super Bowl Predictions, Behind the Scenes with the Department of Public Safety, NAU Career Fair, National Pizza Day, National Radio Day, Healthy Food Shopping, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year Celebration, NAU Ice Hockey Game, Black History Month events including Flagstaff: South of the Tracks exhibit, Fall Enrollment, HRM Savvy Soups Tasting, PINK Bus on Campus, Paws Your Stress, NAU Grad Fest and NAU Physical Therapy Clinic.
Updates to the social sphere
Instagram is now allowing you to schedule your posts through third party apps (Note: There have been some reports of lower engagement when posting in this manner, so it’s up to you to do everything you can to increase it). Include hashtags in your posts, include a Call to Action in your caption, and use Instagram Stories to drive people to your post.
Instagram Stories
— GIFs — now you can add GIF stickers to you stories! This is a great way to liven up your posts. Or, create your own on Giphy.
— New fonts — now there’s different fonts available for your Instagram Stories, which means the creativity is in your hands.
Snapchat
If you haven’t heard, Snapchat had a major update that not too many people were very happy about.
The new updates have made it harder to view people’s stories. As result, Snapchat isn’t clicking the way it used to be — in fact, our views have dropped by over 50%.
What can you do to counter this? Use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories to drive your audience to Snapchat.
A look ahead: waiting on spring
