Klondike Takes on Homecoming

This year was sadly my last homecoming at Ohio Northern. After four years of celebrating this weekend with alumni, this was definitely one of my busiest years. I participated in the Zeta Tau Alpha homecoming float, attended the ZTA alumnae luncheon, promoted the American Marketing Association at the tailgate, enjoyed the carnival rides and cotton candy with friends, attended the Sigma Phi Epsilon Balloon Glow and managed to make it to “Dancing with the Ada Stars”. It was a jam-packed day, but I completely loved every minute.

As part of my day, I was assigned a social media project. My class participated in a live tweeting session during one event during homecoming. I highlighted the parade for my live Twitter session. At the end of the day, I wrapped up my tweets with a Storify so check it out!

                                                                                              

The social media project opened my eyes to ONU’s social media usage, or lack thereof. To give a brief synopsis, ONU’s Facebook account only managed to make one post for the entire weekend of events. In perspective, the university only posted one photo album, and it wasn’t until the day after homecoming. This equated to 124 likes and three comments for this campuses’ largest annual event.

Top 5 ONU Facebook Failures

1. ONU failed to engage with any homecoming attendees.

2. Talking is utilized more than listening.

3. There was no community involvement with the Facebook page.

4. Photographs were the only content shared on the page.

5. Homecoming was never mentioned until the event ended.

ONU’s Twitter made about three posts during Homecoming. The content of the tweets were also undesirable. ONU only posted information about the Homecoming Queen and King and only replied to other ONU Twitter accounts. This accounted for a total of 26 favorites and seven retweets for the entire homecoming weekend.

Top 5 ONU Twitter Failures

4. ONU never engaged with its audience through replies, conversation or retweets.

1. ONU only replied to other ONU Twitter accounts.

2. There was no hashtag for the homecoming weekend.

3. Photographs were the only content shared.

5. ONU did a poor job of explaining or promoting the events held during Homecoming.

I have a few suggestions for ONU to add some spice to its social life. The university needs to focus on building its community, specifically on Facebook. ONU can do this by focusing on engaging and listening to its audience rather than pushing information and content through its channels. Also, the school should have created a hashtag to help with conversation and monitoring the event.

For now, the school is on the right track by documenting the events with photography and having social media accounts. ONU has made an effort to promote its events and give students information. However, the overall experience of Homecoming could have been enhanced through more social media interaction. ONU definitely has a long way to go in its social media usage, but at least they know how to plan a fun homecoming weekend.