2021 has been full of significant milestones: students returned to campus — many coming to Ann Arbor for the first time; groundbreaking research discoveries were made to combat COVID-19; Michigan was ranked No. 1 by The Wall Street Journal; and fans returned to the stands, just to name a few.
As yet another means of strengthening community connections and providing engaging ways to consume campus culture and information, UMSocial doubled-down on vertical video, launching new strategies for both Instagram Reels and TikTok leading up to Spring Commencement. These efforts were met with great success, growing our audiences significantly and driving new followers across multiple platforms. In 2022, we anticipate vertical videos to only become a more vital asset for engaging students and serving as an outlet for sharing creative content.
With an astronomical year of engagement in 2020 as a result of the world being forced to move online, 2021 brought continued success in other areas such as follower and impression growth. Across all platforms, our emphasis on adding value throughout our content, whether it be regarding public health guidance, mental health resources, research impact, crucial societal conversation, advocacy or awareness, we experienced a multitude of big wins with our communities, sharing more than 6,400 posts on the University of Michigan’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube channels. From the first day of classes to a record-breaking year for admissions, here are some of the top social media moments at U-M from 2021:
No. 1
Maize & Blue
Unprecedented Collaborations
Nursed Back To Health
Donuts On The Diag
Winter Wonderland
No. 1
Pride Month
Enchanted
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
A Big Win
A 13,000-Year-Old Campsite
Existing Drugs Kills COVID-19
Marching Band 9/11 Tribute
Record-Breaking Admissions
A Very Good Morning
World-Class Collaborations
M Day
Masks at Michigan
U-M Student Battles Brain Tumor With Help of Michigan Medicine
YOUTUBE
This Is Michigan: Caring Throughout Crisis
Michigan News: Lake Huron Sinkhole
UMSocial: The Leaders The World Needs Now
Livestream: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2021 Symposium
Fall 2021 Leadership Series: U-M Chief Health Officer Checks In
VERTICAL
Ding Dong — First Day of In-Person Classes
@uofmichigan Let the 2021 Fall term begin! Have a great semester, Wolverines! 〽️ #GoBlue #UMich #CollegeLife #UofM
Parents and Family Weekend
@uofmichigan Shoutout to all the #Wolverine families and the #Michigan memories made during Parents and Family Weekend! 💛💙 #UMich #GoBlue #CollegeLife
A Michigan Tradition
@uofmichigan It’s a #Wolverine tradition! 💛💙 #UMich #UofM #Michigan #CollegeLife #GoBlue
Treat Yo Self
@uofmichigan It’s a beautiful day in A2! Take some time to enjoy the last day of fall break. #CollegeLife #GoBlue #Michigan #UMich
Snowball Fight
@uofmichigan Ready, Set, Snow! ❄️ #Michigan #UMich #GoBlue #CollegeLife
