The Making Of A Social Media Star…

Posted on by Sean McKenna

Okay, so “social media star” might be a stretch, a very big stretch, but over the course of this semester my social media presence has grown!  At the start of this semester, my Twitter account had 3 lone followers.  Jump to December, and my account has welcomed 12 followers, bringing me to 15 loyal fans.  How did I get here?  I found that my tweets  that used hashtags and mentions often brought in followers.  I also found that as I followed other accounts, my follower count grew as well.

If you were wondering how I came to “star” status, I will deep dive into some of my star tweets.  Drum roll please for my ultimate tweet…

This tweet, which praised the QUEEN Keke Plamer received 1,123 impressions, 2 engagements and an engagement rate of 0.2%.   Despite receiving relatively low engagement when compared to my other tweets, this tweet was able gain more impressions than any of my other tweets because of its hashtags and mentions.  Not only did I mention Keke Palmer, who was already trending at the time, but I used the popular hashtag #ICYMI.

Now for my second place tweet, or the best tweet because second is the best…

This tweet was ~iconic~ gaining 613 impressions, 18 engagements, and and engagement rate of 2.9%.  Additionally, it received 1 retweet and 5 likes.  I believe that this tweet worked because of its fun GIF and numerous hashtags like #SpookySzn, which was trending at the time of the posts because it was the beginning of October.

The bronze place tweet…

Making waves.  This tweet is still nostalgic, and nostalgia works.  Despite its impressive stats: 403 impressions, 16 engagements, and a 4.0% engagement rate, I am certain that its four picture collage of the breathtaking Sydney, put this tweet on top! Not only was this tweet visual, but the use of the hashtag #bondibeach, one of the most famous beaches in the world, made this tweet a star.

An obvious contender. An obvious star…

This next tweet was fun, sassy and sweet! With 389 impressions, 8 engagements, and an engagement rate of 2.1% it is undeniable that Honey Boo Boo and a birthday make for an epic combination.  GIFs can be an excellent way to resonate with your followers and beyond.  Additionally, the mention of a birthday, and the hashtag werk, created engagement like no other.  Birthdays are an excellent way to interact with audiences and it shows.

Nine – Nine!!!…

What better way to find your place on a social media platform than to connect with like minded individuals.  Thus, it was no surprise that Brooklyn Nine-Nine prevailed.  This tweet featuring the one and only Gina Linetti was far superior to some of my other tweets.  In fact this tweet had 341 impressions, 13 engagements, and an engagement rate of 3.8%.  It also received 1 retweet and 3 likes.  Once again I believe that the use of a GIF helped this tweet shine, while I also believe that if I included other hashtags such as #halloween, #brooklynninenine or even #ginalinetti, this tweet would have done even better!

Network, network, NETWORK!…

Not only was this tweet in support of a SU alumna, but it was an amazing networking opportunity.  Despite its number, 340 impressions, 15 engagements, and and engagement rate of 4.4%, this tweet formed a connection.  I believe that the success of this tweet came from community. Both Geena and myself attended Syracuse University and Newhouse.  Mentioning both Newhouse and Geena in the tweet made for a lot of engagement.  Additionally, the use of the video link was sure to have resonated with my audience.  This tweet also got a response and a retweet from Geena herself!

Brands with a message are brands I love…

I was shocked that this tweet made my top ten, but a good brand message goes a long way.  Although I was hoping for more from this tweet, the use of the mention feature as well as an empowering hashtag made this tweet resonate with a few of my followers.  This tweet gained 268 impressions, 3 engagements, and an engagement rate of 1.1%.  I think that if this tweet was posted later in the semester it might have done better, but the ability to connect with small brands or micro influencers is certainly a way to build your social presence.

Sunny days prevail…

This tweet was small but mighty.  With 215 impressions, 10 engagements and an engagement rate of 4.7%, this tweet showcases the power of a video.  Everybody love the sun, and everybody in Syracuse loves the sun even more.  The use of the video as well as the short caption and hashtag made this a power tweet!

*Halsey could never*…

The power of voice in undeniable!  Once technique we learned in class was importance of establishing your voice.  In doing so I tried out a few famous voices and landed on Halsey’s.  Some of ways that Halsey connects with her followers is through the use of emotion and short sentences.  Because of this, I tried to create a tweet that told a story with emotion and quick banter.  Additionally, the use of the GIF and a few hashtags helped this tweet get 206 impressions, 2 engagements, and an engagement rate of 1%.

Last but not least…

Everyone needs some motivation, advice, and reassurance.  I found that creating a tweet that included an article as well as the writer was something that really resonated with my audience.  This tweet had 193 impressions, 7 engagements, and an engagement rate of 3.6%.  Additionally, this tweet was liked by 4 people one of them being the author of this piece and another being Geena, who I had made a connection with in a previous tweet!

Overall, my tweets earned 6.0K impressions over the semesters.  Thus, the making of a Social Media Star!

Leave a Reply