Lucky 13 (followers, that is)

Posted on by Elizabeth Gonzalez

A surprise to both you and I, at the start of the semester, I did not have a Twitter account. Why, you ask? Simply put, I have never felt capable of truly capturing my voice and tone through Tweets as well as I know I can on social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. Additionally, I’ve never felt inspired or motivated to tweet because I wasn’t sure what to tweet about. Unlike Instagram and Pinterest posts, which mainly produce photo and video content, tweets are usually far more organic, random, and expressive of a thought or opinion. Furthermore, most tweets consist only of words, symbols, and emoji, making them less rich than media created on other platforms. 

For these reasons, I was initially hesitant to create a Twitter account when it was requested we do so for COM 427. Soon though, I became appreciative of the opportunity to explore and learn to navigate the platform with more guidance than I would have received should I have created an account on my own. When I created my account, I had zero followers. Today, I have 13 followers, meaning I experienced 13% growth. I expected this level of growth because I utilized the app to explore the Twitter community, discover interesting articles, study the differences in the voice and tone of celebrities and friends I follow on other platforms, and tweet what was required for class, but rarely curated Tweets that were not assigned. 

The tweets I found to be most well received by my followers were those that were timely and relatable. For example, that which I tweeted around a holiday like Halloween about Halloween candy caught people’s attention and did better than other tweets. Similarly, tweets about food and being hungry did well because everyone loves food and everyone occasionally feels hungry. I also found that engaging with other people by either replying to one of their tweets or mentioning them helped increase likes, retweets, and followers. 

The above tweet got four likes, two retweets, and earned 596 impressions making it my top tweet of all time. This tweet was random and created to express the somewhat common feeling of great satisfaction and excitement that comes from fully ripe avocados that can finally be eaten. Furthermore, the tweet contains a gif derived from a popular Youtube video, making the media more rich.

This tweet received six likes, one reply, and earned 348 impressions. The tweet is more directed towards the Syracuse student community, specifically seniors, because it discusses the new health center and gym, and having to leave the school soon after the opening of the complex. This both limited my audience and created a level of intimacy between me and those who can relate. It, too, contains a gif, also increasing media richness. 

This tweet was used as my viral meme and got three likes, one retweet, and earned 235 impressions. The tweet was more successful on Imgur and in the classroom, which I feel is a testament to my low level of Twitter engagement and small Twitter community. The tweet is a different version of a popular meme that was trending at the time of the tweet’s publication. This helped to increase its recognizability and media richness. 

This tweet earned two likes and 50 impressions. It is another mimicry meme and is a version of the popular “therapist” meme. This made it more relatable and recognizable to users who have seen different versions of the meme. 

This tweet earned two likes and 29 impressions. It is targeted at high school or college students who understand the stress of final exams and reaching out to professors at the end of the semester. I posted the tweet during midterms week, knowing more students would have exams on their minds. 

This is my most liked Instagram post that was created for COM 427. It received 66 likes and was commented on 3 times. I created this post after taking a long hiatus from this account, so its reception was primarily a “welcome back” from my followers. Additionally, this is a colorful, fun, food post, which often engages a higher number of followers because food is always trending on Instagram. I also tagged 20 foodie accounts in the photo and used food-related hashtags to boost engagement.  

This post gained 53 likes. It was targeted towards Syracuse and Central New York locals who may be familiar with Green Lakes State Park. I also wanted to capture and share the rarity that is fall foliage in Syracuse. I tagged 20 similar account, nature accounts, and photography accounts and used hashtags that included “fall”, “leaves”, and “CNY.”

View this post on Instagram

runnin into the weekend like 🥳 #nhsmc

A post shared by Enough Elizabeth (@enoughelizabeth) on

This post gained 53 likes and seven comments. It gained more comments than usual because it is a personal photo of me running a half marathon, which is a photo to which my followers can respond. I tagged 20 similar lifestyle accounts, as well as fitness accounts, nature accounts, and running accounts. I also used more fitness-related hashtags to grab the attention of different communities.

This post earned 50 likes and 4 comments. This is another food photo, making it easy to share with the Instagram foodie community. It is also a vegan recipe, which creates another point of interest for many users. 

This photo earned 60 likes. I used the geotag for the Ithaca Farmers Market to boost engagement because it is a popular destination for Ithaca and CNY locals on the weekends. I also tagged 20 foodie accounts and several vendors at the Ithaca Farmers Market. I used hashtags related to food, farmers markets, weekend activities, and Central New York. 

Over the past 12 weeks of class, I have gained an incredibly extensive amount of knowledge about social media uses, practices, and ethics. I also have a more clear and comprehensive understanding of its presence in both our world and our everyday lives. While I doubt I will be tomorrow’s Queen of Twitter, I am now knowledgeable about its uses and capabilities. I take pride in my newfound ability to thoroughly analyze tweets, Instagram posts, and even the popularity of a particular emoji in an instant, using tools like Squarelovin, Twitter Analytics, and Sysomos. I plan to use the lessons I have learned to both enhance my social media profiles, and become a more well-versed and engaged social media user. 

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