Influencer Marketing

Student Influencer Program

screenshot from UAB student influencer webpage

In November 2019, I collaborated with my manager to launch The University of Alabama at Birmingham's first Student Social Media Influencer Program. It was an opportunity to reach the student body in a personal and authentic way.

We were looking for two boys and two girls who were culturally diverse, highly involved on campus, and had a significant Instagram presence.

We projected that the program would run for four months, the length of the Spring 2020 semester. After the semester ended, the influencers would be compensated $500, and new applicants would have the opportunity to apply the following term.

Goals:

Increase following by helping potential students sample the UAB college experience
Increase awareness of resources and services available to current students.
Increase engagement through unique and uplifting conversations about the UAB brand.
Increase the reach of UAB campaigns and events to drive participation.

screenshot from UAB student influencer webpage

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Students could apply by submitting an application and audition video. To raise awareness for the program, I collaborated with the creative team to produce social media posts and stories. We utilized Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat to spread the message.

We received amazing feedback from the student body and this is directly illustrated in the Instagram insights below!

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Facebook Live

Another way student influencers boosted are social media engagement was through hosting the Facebook Live of the 2019 Homecoming Parade. We had previous student hosts; however, problems were encountered when they were not knowledgeable about key members of the UAB faculty and organizations in the parade. Also, audience retention and engagement rates were low.

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I had the idea that we could employ student influencers to host and provide commentary for the parade. In addition, we could provide them with talking points and the line-up for the parade beforehand, as well as schedule rehearsals to practice. This was one of my favorite projects I worked on, and check out the metrics below for the audience's reaction!