A  few  weeks  prior  to  the  College  of  Letters  &  Science  Commencement  on  June  10,  2011,  UCLA  Marketing  &  Special  Events  was  approached  to  create  a  more  engaging  and  dynamic  Commencement  experience  online  through  the  use  of  social  media.    

A  heavy  marketing  push  was  made  online  through  Facebook  and  Twitter  and  various  key  campus  partners  were  notified.  A  focus  was  also  made  on  utilizing  existing  tools  and  resources  within  Facebook  and  Twitter  to  create  a  dynamic  page  for  the  Commencement  website  (http://commencement.ucla.edu).      

On  Fri,  May  27,  2011  an  updated  version  of  the  Commencement  website  went  live  with  the  following  additions:    

• A  Twitter  widget  that  live  streamed  all  tweets  containing  the  hashtag  #ucla11  • A  Facebook  widget  that  allowed  anyone  to  post  their  messages  of  congratulations  to  graduates  • A  photo  submission  page  encouraging  people  to  submit  photos  of  their  Commencement  experience  

Creating  a  more  engaging  Commencement  with  social  media  

Facebook  widget  

Twitter  widget  Photo  submission  

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Twitter  and  Facebook  An  official  hashtag  #ucla11  was  created  on  Twitter,  with  initial  communication  going  out  to  various  campus  partners  encouraging  its  use  for  all  Commencement  communication  through  Twitter.  

Starting  on  May  27,  2011  we  began  running  a  series  of  targeted  messages  via  Facebook  and  Twitter  to  promote  the  Commencement  website  and  encourage  the  use  of  the  hashtag  #ucla11.  

UCLA  Gateway  From  Mon,  June  6  to  Mon,  June  13,  2011  a  takeover  design  was  integrated  into  the  UCLA  Gateway.    The  takeover  incorporated  a  Commencement  theme  and  temporary  change  to  the  main  UCLA  logo.    When  the  logo  was  clicked  on,  users  were  redirected  to  the  Commencement  website,  which  resulted  in  687  total  click-­‐throughs.    

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MyUCLA  Starting  Thu,  June  2,  2011  a  series  of  ads  were  run  on  the  homepage  of  MyUCLA,  UCLA’s  student  portal,  that  encouraged  students  to  use  the  hashtag  #ucla11  and  visit  the  Commencement  website.  

Commencement  Day,  June  10,  2011  For  the  day  of  Commencement,  a  slide  was  shown  on  the  main  Commencement  video  screen  before  the  ceremony  began  encouraging  everyone  to  use  the  hashtag  #ucla11  and  share  their  photos.  

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We  also  had  a  member  of  our  team  on  the  field  during  Commencement  who  tweeted  updates  and  photos  as  the  event  was  happening  in  real-­‐time.  

Real-­‐time  Updates  

The  results  and  feedback  we  received  surpassed  our  expectations.    The  hashtag  #ucla11  was  a  huge  success,  resulting  in  hundreds  of  unique  tweets.  Comments  left  on  the  Commencement  website  through  the  Facebook    widget  were  heartfelt  and  conveyed  a  sense  of  pride  and  ownership  with  UCLA.    

Results  &  Feedback  

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In  the  end,  all  the  hard  work  paid  off  when  UCLA  became  a  trending  topic  on  Twitter  the  day  of  Commencement.    

Trending  Topic  

Trending  topics  capture  the  hottest  emerging  trends  and  topics  of  discussion  on  Twitter  and  reflect  newsworthy  topics  that  are  occupying  most  people's  attention  on  Twitter.  

Many  factors  were  key  to  the  success  of  our  social  media  involvement  with  Commencement.  They  included:    

1. Notifying  key  partners  and  outlining  strategic  plans  in  advance  2. Constant  engagement  with  our  audience.  From  May  26  to  June  13  approximately  45  tweets  containing  the  

hashtag  #ucla11  were  sent  out  from  the  UCLA  Twitter  account  and  5  Facebook  posts  were  made.  3. Consistent  and  key  messaging  across  various  social  channels  4. Marketing  outside  social  media  channels  such  as  MyUCLA,  the  UCLA  Gateway  and  the  Commencement  slide  

shown  before  the  ceremony  

Keys  to  Success  

UCLA  Facebook  (week  of  June  6  –  June  13,  2011)  • New  Likes:  2,579  (+9.7%  compared  to  previous  week).  • Post  Views:  840,753  (+53%  compared  to  previous  week).  • Post  Feedback*:  1,550  (+36%  compared  to  previous  week)  *The  number  of  likes  and  comments  made  on  UCLA’s  news  feed    

UCLA  Twitter  (week  of  June  6  –  June  13,  2011)  • New  followers  added:  267    

     For  more  information,  please  contact:    Mike  Takahashi,  Web  Strategies  Manager,  mtakahashi@support.ucla.edu    

By  the  Numbers