WVU went from being afraid to embrace social media in 2011 to becoming leaders in higher education social media by 2016. They created a personality for their social media accounts, set goals, and celebrated successes. By focusing on video and creating social-first content, their video views increased to over 4 million in 2016. Their social media success was due to investing in the platform, taking risks with new strategies, and always innovating with the changing social media landscape.

1. BECOMING A
SOCIAL-FIRST UNIVERSITY
How WVU went from forgotten to followed on social media

2. EX OF HOW GOOD WE ARE
THAT’S ME!
@DOBIEST

3. LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW WE WENT FROM
THIS TO THIS

4. IN 2011, WE WERE SCARED
TO EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA.

5. LIKE … THIS SCARED.

9. WE CREATED
A PERSONALITY.

11. WE FINALLY
SET SOME GOALS.

14. …BECAUSE THEY
CREATE GREAT CONTENT.

15. WE CELEBRATED SUCCESSES.
AKA we did a lot of reports

16. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
YEAR IN REVIEW
VIDEO ON SOCIAL / 2016
total videos edited
or organized by UR
76
of views came
from Facebook
93 percent
views on YouTube,
Facebook and Twitter
OVERALL /
4.3 million
average views
per video
56,848
/ 5 lowest-viewed videos: Guarding the Nation’s Tomb, WVU Ask An Expert: Election Law
101, It’s On Us/Peer Advocate Campaign, Introducing the all new iServe.
/ Of the 76 videos, 14 were considered “successful” based on views.
2017 RECOMMENDATIONS /
/ Based on 2016 numbers, we should produce more videos focused around key moments/events.
/ This was the first year we produced videos that kept up with popular YouTube trends to reach a
younger audience. We must continue to do that with pump-up/review/get-to-know videos.
/ Due to the success of videos with President Gee, we should try video statements in crucial
moments instead of the traditional written statement.
TOP VIDEOS / Short, social and pump-up style videos were the most successful in 2016.
Gee Mails and videos around events/accomplishments also performed well.
Traditions video
1.3 million views
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
11. 12. 13. 14.
Holiday lights
(submitted)
333K views
Gee Mail
Macy’s Parade
322K views
Flood reaction
(first video)
303K views
Fall video
291K views
NASA robotics
200K views
Meet Ginny
134K views
Meet Troy
103K views
Gee Mail
Back to school
98K views
Gee Mail
Bow ties
91K views
May graduation
83K views
Gee Mail
Gee-SPN
75K views
Meet Carder
69K views
Gee Mail
Bucket list
68K views
15.
Monday Night
Lights (360)
53K views
In 2015, we learned video was becoming a more important external marketing tool.
This year, we proved to be higher ed leader in this area. Our numbers are impressive.

17. THIS GUY
SHOWED UP
ONE DAY.

21. WE STARTED
SNAPCHAT

22. THEN,
EVERYTHING
CHANGED.

23. WE BECAME LEADERS OVERNIGHT.

24. HERE’S WHY WE’RE CONSIDERED
HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS.

25. WE ARE CREATING
SOCIAL-FIRST CONTENT.

27. Flags

31. Z

32. WE’RE FOCUSING ON VIDEO.

33. “IN FIVE YEARS TIME,
FACEBOOK WILL DEFINITELY
BE MOBILE, AND IT WILL
PROBABLY BE ALL VIDEO.”
- Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook executive

34. VIDEO VIEWS LAST YEAR
4 MILLION

35. Z

36. Z

37. SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN?

38. IT TAKES A TEAM.
2011 2016

39. WE MUST INVEST
IN SOCIAL MEDIA.

40. A LITTLE STRATEGY
GOES A LONG WAY.

41. RISKS? TAKE ’EM!
THEY’RE WORTH IT.

42. ABOVE ALL ELSE,
ALWAYS INNOVATE.

43. THANK YOU!
Tony Dobies
Anthony.Dobies@mail.wvu.edu
@DOBIEST