Higher ed influencers: OSU social media accounts recognized as best in Big 12, top 5 nationwide

Higher ed influencers: OSU social media accounts recognized as best in Big 12, top 5 nationwide

Monday, December 9, 2024

Media Contact: Page Mindedahl | Communications Specialist | 405-744-9782 | [email protected]

Oklahoma State University's social media accounts have been ranked No. 3 out of 365 Division I schools nationwide, placing OSU atop the rankings in Oklahoma and the Big 12 Conference.

The top 10 rankingsfor social media engagement were recently published by Rival IQ, an independent company that analyzes consumer interaction across social platforms to produce a highly regarded annual document called the "Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report."

The rise of OSU's social media presence over the past few years has been meteoric. Just two years ago, it was 118th before leaping to the No. 83 spot last year. Now, it sits at third in the "2024 Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report." OSU also ranked the highest among other DI schools in the state, topping the University of Oklahoma (180) and the University of Tulsa (190).

Hayley Hagen, OSU's digital communications manager, said the university's rise to the top of the conference rankings is the result of teamwork and determination.

"It takes a village to be No. 1 in the Big 12," Hagen said. "We work with our partners across the OSU System to make content that stands out and drives engagement. Thanks to that collaboration, we've been able to build a social media brand with an underdog mentality and dominant results."

Social media engagements include comments, likes and link clicks. A higher engagement rate indicates that content resonates with audiences. The average engagement rate for higher education accounts is about 3%. In the 2023-24 academic year, OSU accounts more than doubled that with a 7.6% engagement rate.

OSU Chief Communications Officer Lance Latham emphasized social media's critical role in connecting with the Cowboy family and highlighting the transformative impact of OSU's dedication to the land-grant mission.

"At OSU, we strive to be innovators in everything we do, including the content we post to social media," Latham said. "Social media is part of the DNA of the OSU brand and a vital tool that connects the university with current students, alumni, parents and the rest of the Cowboy family. This well-deserved recognition is reflective of the team's strategic approach to social media and everyone across the OSU System that has contributed to our growing and shared success."

The other Big 12 universities that made the Rival IQ top 100 list are the University of Houston (24), Baylor University (27), University of Cincinnati (56), Texas Tech University (71), University of Utah (76) and Iowa State University (92).

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