When the Bentley Women's Basketball team went to nationals in 2014, it was a big deal. Dozens of students took overnight buses to PA to cheer on the undefeated team and the rest watched on giant screens at Bentley.
We built upon that excitement on social media, developing two hashtags: #UnfinishedBusiness (playing off our business reputation) and #FinishedBusiness when we won the championship. Engagement exploded that night, with Facebook posts reaching over 1 million people, photos and videos receiving over 200 shares, and notifications from alumni, friends, and students tagging us skyrocketing.
I frequently created content for Bentley's Facebook, taking photos around campus, asking alumni for memories and advice, sharing events from student organizations, and more. This steady online presence allowed both for current students to stay informed and alumni to feel a bit of nostalgia, leading to a 179% increase in followers.
We ran frequent campaigns to encourage user-generated content during campus events, such as the one below asking students to show us what family meant to them during Parents & Family Weekend.
19 students shared photos on Instagram and Twitter during the 3-day contest. We then asked our followers to select the winners by voting via likes on Facebook, with several entries receiving over 300 votes.