Best of CASE Europe Region Award
 

Institution: University of Limerick

Title of entry: Authentic Ambassadors: University of Limerick’s Student Social Media Officer Programme

About this entry: UL’s Student Social Media Officer (SSMO) programme is an initiative designed to hand over creative control of one of the university’s fastest-growing communications platforms – TikTok – to students.

In an effort to engage with current and prospective students in a way that was accessible, engaging and above all authentic, UL’s MarComms team began AY 22/23 by recruiting students from across the university to create content for UL’s TikTok.

By providing a supportive, flexible environment, training materials, equipment, and payment for their efforts, UL MarComms developed a team of the most authentic ambassadors possible – delivering content that vastly outperformed what went before.

With sales messaging kept entirely to paid marketing campaigns, SSMOs had freedom to pitch anytime for content they were passionate about. The result is an eclectic, engaging mix of trending content, day in the life, societies, sports, cultural occasions, events, and social/wellbeing initiatives designed to encourage bravery and the embrace of new challenges – all tied together by an authentic student voice.

The impact of student-led content from a diverse group of creators was. From September 2022 to September 2023 UL’s TikTok following grew by an incredible 40% - despite already being the most followed third-level account in Ireland.

Engagements improved exponentially, with shares on content Sept 22 – 23 representing a trifold increase on the previous Academic year. Alongside outstanding metrics there has been incredibly positive feedback from both the SSMOs and the wider student body. As one follower recently commented: “You slay, every time.”