3 of the best ways universities are using…Instagram video

Trends in media consumption show an exponential growth in the use of online video. In 2016 alone, there was a 200% growth in the online video advertising industry. How have universities taken advantage of this increasingly popular digital platform? At GKP we’ve collated a few of our favourite uses of Instagram video from the past month.

3. Cambridge. Scenic. Picturesque. Or in other words, the perfect Instagram material. It’s no wonder why the university has adopted Instagram video as a platform to offer virtual tours around its 31 colleges. No longer will a picture suffice to capture the regal beauty of Downing College or the peaceful gardens of Newnham. And with virtual tours gaining twice as many views than likes on your average photo - the numbers speak for themselves.  

2. The immersive experience of virtual tours is great, but what about your students studying at university? How can you incorporate them into your videos without mistakenly capturing them drunk, hungover, or dozing off in the lecture theatre? Brunel University has come up with an ingenious idea where current students share their tips on how to write the perfect personal statement. It’s a case of killing to birds with one stone, here – prospective applicants get to meet current students and whilst they’re at it, they’re given a helpful reminder to spellcheck that dreaded personal statement. 

1. Lastly, we just love how our friends at the University of Hertfordshire have utilised Instagram to host its ‘Sixty Second News’, giving us all a snapshot into life at the university. From welcoming their new international arrivals, to announcing the student nominees of the Royal Television Awards – it’s all there in one, tidy, weekly round-up. 

Gerard Kelly & Partners (GKP) is a communications consultancy specialising in education PR, social media, marketing and communications management
for UK schools, universities and business.