2014 was a big year for Elizabethtown Social Media. Official E-town College accounts received over 1,700 Twitter mentions, more than 1140 retweets, 1,600+ new Facebook likes and gained at least 1,000 new Twitter followers. From Twitter-famous deans to new photo challenges here is our list of the top 14 social moments in 2014:
1. E-lympic Photo Challenge
In celebration of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the Elizabethtown community was invited to compete in E-town’s own version of the games: The E-lympics. After the opening ceremony in Russia, E-town started its 10-day Olympic-themed photo challenge with categories ranging from snow day selfies to curling. Instagram and Twitter users shared a photo for that day’s “event” and tagged it with #EtownElympics. Each day a gold, silver and bronze medal winner was chosen by the E-lympic committee to win a fun prize and, at the end, one All-Star E-lympic “athlete” was selected to win an E-town stadium blanket.
2. We Met at E-town
Blue Jay love stories — these couples met at E-town. We began this album in 2012, when we asked alumni to share their photos, and we added new stories in February 2014. This proved to be a popular album as alumni of all class years caught up with classmates through lots of likes and comments. Keep checking Elizabethtown College’s Facebook to see when you can start sending in stories and photos in 2015!
3. Tawakkol at Ware Lecture
Tawakkol Karman, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient, spoke about her views on “Women, Human Rights and the Arab Revolution” for E-town’s Annual Ware Lecture on Peacemaking. Many students were moved by her story and took to social media to express their thoughts. And Ms. Karman is active on Twitter herself!
4. Tag the Town
From April 22 through 24 students, for the second year in a row, “Tagged the ‘Town” by adorning campus with about 250 tags of all shapes and sizes to mark hundreds of items made possible by the generosity of E-town donors. A video captured the students as they did the tagging. To see what was tagged and hear more about Tag the Town see here.
5. Fletcher the Catcher
When a Facebook message to a College staff member from a local baseball fan pointed out that a man in an E-town sweatshirt caught the May 6 grand slam hit by Cody Asche, many in the E-town community took to social media and soon found out that it was none other than Dean of Faculty E. Fletcher McClellan who had caught the ball. Check out all the social media talk from that day here.
6. 2014 Commencement
On May 17, 424 traditional students and 205 continuing education students earned their degrees as part of the 111th Elizabethtown College Commencement. Over 300 people from 20 different countries tuned in to watch the graduation’s livestream. Graduates, family and friends—either on campus or watching from home–took to social media, using #etown2014, to share their congrats, photos and words of wisdom.
7. Class of 2017/2018 bond on social media
Social media has made it possible for new students to bond even before they arrive on campus. By using #etown2017 throughout the academic year, accepted and committed students were able to share all their excitement with their future classmates before the big move-in day! The incoming class of 2017 was extremely active on social media, especially between Orientation and the start of the semester; the cohort that started this past fall, #etown2018, followed suit. And now future students are already sharing their acceptance letters using #etown2019. See posts from #etown2017’s orientation week here.
8. E-town Through Your Lens
At the beginning of the fall 2014 semester, staff members from the Office of Marketing and Communications placed eight disposable cameras around campus and asked students to capture E-town through their lens. Watch the video and see what developed!
9. Homecoming 2014
2014’s Homecoming was the start of a different social media promotion. Instead of the ‘Tag You’re It’ stickers that adorned parade goers in 2012 and 2013, members of the college’s E-team walked around with giant picture frames for a fun photo-opp. Check out some of the pictures and more tweets, tagged #etownhomecoming, from this fun weekend here.
10. Fall Photo Challenge
The Fall Photo Challenge took place in November, and Blue Jays played along on Twitter and Instagram using #etownphotoaday. With categories ranging from ‘Selfie’ to ‘E-town Swag,’ every Sunday a winner won a hashtag #etowncollege t-shirt! This was the College’s fourth photo challenge—and look out for a new one this spring.
11. Top Tweet
The message about campus being closed was the top tweet from February 3, and it received most Twitter responses.
12. Top Facebook Post
The top Facebook post was from August 22: a picture of Carl, our president, helping students move in. With 292 likes; it reached 5414 viewers.
13. Top Instagram Post
These were your most liked pictures of the year on Instagram!
14. #1 Hashtag on Twitter this year
It’s always a toss-up between Homecoming and Commencement for most-used hashtag. And then there’s the old faithful: #etowncollege. In 2014, #etown2014 was the hashtag used during graduation festivities and won top honor.
What were some of your favorite E-town social media moments from 2014? Get ready for more fun photo challenges, live tweets and social media moments in 2015!
Have any suggestions for 2015? Send your ideas to social@etown.edu