At the end of 2020, with Zoom fatigue running high, how could the Yale Alumni Association reach our alumni in new and exciting ways? We turned to leveraging our fastest-growing social platform: Instagram. Our goal was to generate an atmosphere of excitement in the virtual space while increasing Instagram engagement among our existing audience. To meet this goal, we developed and launched a collection of on-platform digital stickers and story effects (commonly referred to as a “lens”) designed to inspire our audience to create their own sharable content, effectively acting as social media ambassadors. Working within the constraints of available staff time and talent and without additional budgetary support, we leveraged free resources to make our ideas a reality. This Instagram content was launched in coordination with the Yale Alumni Pep Rally, a week-long virtual events series with support from campus partners. After publishing, we saw measurable increases in Instagram impressions, engagements, profile actions, and follows.
From the Judges
Fun, interactive and innovative use of Instagram! With Zoom fatigue running high, the Yale Alumni Association focused on their fastest-growing social platform. They met alumni where they were and came up with creative ways to engage them. We think this project is an effective engagement tool for young alumni, an audience several institutions strive to reach.
