What exactly does 3.2 million views, 515,000 likes, 19,000 bookmarks and 513 comments on the social media platform TikTok look like? For Temple University, it’s a video of a service dog wearing a graduation gown and a graduation cap that says ‘COLLEGE IS RUFF' at Temple’s 2024 Commencement ceremony. 

The post is one of many that have launched Temple’s TikTok engagement into the stratosphere—the account has been ranked No. 2 in overall engagement across all 364 Division I universities in the nation according to Rival IQ, the leading benchmark reporting tool for social media. Temple’s other social media platforms, primarily Instagram, X, LinkedIn and Facebook, also boast high engagement for each of their respective audiences.  
 
The social media team was recently recognized for its efforts at the Social Media Masters Awards Ceremony 2024 on Oct. 23. The team, which is part of Temple’s Strategic Marketing and Communications division, earned awards in the categories of Best Brand Presence on TikTok and Best Brand Presence on LinkedIn. The awards ceremony was hosted by Social Media Day PHL, a community for marketing and communications professionals in Philadelphia. 

The team includes Associate Director of Social Media Amanda Ferrill, Senior Social Media and Community Manager Victoria Chhor, KLN ‘20, FOX ‘24, Social Media Specialist Dana Luo, CLA ‘17,  Digital Marketing Specialist Audrey Kadow and Interim Associate Director of Analytics Will Careri, KLN ‘20.
 
The wins are a follow-up to last year’s wins in the categories of Best Brand Presence on Twitter and Best Brand Presence on LinkedIn. 
 
The team was also nominated for Best Brand Presence on Instagram, Best Brand Presence on Facebook and Brand Presence on Twitter. The team’s leader, Amanda Ferrill, was nominated for Social Media Professional of the Year as well.  
 
“We are incredibly proud to be recognized among Philadelphia’s best social media teams. This achievement is a testament to the power of creativity and teamwork. I’m grateful to my amazing team, whose collaboration and dedication made this achievement possible. This is validation to our team’s commitment to continuous improvement and staying agile in a fast-paced industry,” said Ferrill.  
 
The impact of Temple’s social media presence goes beyond the laughs and smiles generated from viewers in response to cute posts. The campaigns ideated and implemented by the social media team play a crucial role in helping the university share critical information with the community and meet key strategic objectives, such as reaching prospective students and introducing them to Temple. 
 
“I am incredibly proud of both the creativity and intentional approach that the Strategic Marketing and Communications’ social media team displays on a daily basis. Their work gives a voice to the Temple brand, and the importance of that cannot be overstated. This is one of the many ways that we as a university connect with prospective students, current students, parents, staff, faculty, the surrounding community and beyond. The social media team are some of the many stars of our department, and it is great to see them recognized for their efforts,” said Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications Angela Polec.  
 
The team attributes their success to being intentional about creating engaging content through showcasing vibrant student life; staying on top of trends; increasing community management efforts; and above all, the creation of their student worker programs including social media ambassadors, student video workers and student vloggers.