Inspiration, passion, storytelling, and community are just a few words you see being discussed when it comes to social media practices. However, they are also attributes and characteristics that are part of the University of Louisville brand.
We had some excitement these past few days here in Louisville – our men’s basketball team beat Michigan to become national champions! It is a very exciting time for all of us who are part of the UofL community. Everyone takes pride in what it means to be a Louisville Cardinal from students to faculty, as well as the community and city itself.
What has captivated the nation has been the storyline and character of the team not only on the field, but off the field as well. While we are celebrating the players, coaches, and athletic staff who have been part of this historic season for the team, we also have to think about those that were working behind the scenes to engage, update, and share insights and stories on social media for UofL.
Here are a few professionals I would like to highlight as the social media champions for athletics and academics for UofL:
- Jeff Rushton: At the University of Louisville, we have a great director of digital media who has lead the charge to transforming UofL as a leader in social media. Jeff Rushton not only is active across all of the academic social media platforms, but he also is engaged with making sure all members at UofL (staff and faculty) are aware of the university’s social media practices and feel part of the community. Jeff has been a wonderful resource and always engaged with the latest technologies. We are very lucky to have Jeff lead the way for us in social media for the university.
- Nick Stover: Nick is the director of social media and engagement for athletics and is listed under the Twitter handle @ULFlyingCard, where he updates and shares stories behind the scenes so people feel part of the community. From pictures to Ptchs to exclusive updates, Nick allows everyone to get a glimmer to what it is like to be at UofL and part of the athletics team not only across the various social media platforms, but also on the social media hub for UofL, which was used for the Sugar Bowl and the NCAA BB Championships. Nick has done a great job with all of the social media strategies and messaging this year.
- Ptch Team: UofL formally partnered with the Ptch team this year to become the first university to use this app for visual storytelling and video creation for athletics. This was part of their social media strategy this year where Nick and his interns had the opportunity to create the first collegiate Ptch community and would share stories and updates across all of the various sports teams. From practices to press conferences to meets to national championship games, all of these stories were captured and shared on Ptch.
- Social Media Interns for Athletics: I have often said that there appears to be an army of interns working for athletics, but they do need to have a large team for the amount of work that does into sharing, creating, and updating fans and other audiences about what is going on with UofL athletics. I have several students in my classes who are interning with athletics – and it is exciting to see what great opportunities they have been able to get from this experience. Students interested can apply for the internship here.
In summary, the University of Louisville has not only succeed on the field in their respective sports and in the classroom, but also on social media. It has been very exciting to be part of the innovative, strategic, and engaging practices of social media both at the university level and in athletics. We have a great group of professionals and students who make it all happen.
The University of Louisville is not only a leader in athletics and academics, but also in the evolution and application of social media strategies.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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