One of the best, most realistic ways for college-bound individuals to get a feel for a university is to see first-hand perspectives of current students.
From the Office of Marketing and Communications, the new Bradley Influencers Program aims to provide these insights. The program, which launched at the end of October, employs Braves who produce content about their student experiences and aspects of campus life.
In charge of the initiative is Bradley’s social media specialist Adam Katz. A Bradley graduate from the class of 2019, Katz had wanted to create an ambassador program since starting as a marketing coordinator in January 2022. He says he is proud to see it finally up and running.
“Just being able to get it off the ground and getting the word out about it has been really rewarding,” Katz said. “The rewarding part is just seeing the work that [the influencers] do and the different voices they have.”
So far, the Bradley Influencers Instagram and TikTok pages have garnered 165 and 45 followers, respectively. Past posts include merch hauls, introductions to the student influencers and takes on popular trends.
With a minor in social media marketing, student influencer Delaney Giles says her approach to creating content requires her to adjust her mindset.
“It’s kind of difficult for me not to look at things from a marketing or advertising perspective,” Giles, a junior sports communication major, said. “With that first video, we knew we were all doing the [merch] haul, and my thought process was, ‘I’m going to make it like something I like watching.’ … I don’t want to post something I wouldn’t want to watch myself.”
Giles’ merch haul video currently has nearly 3,500 views on Instagram.
Katz says the student influencers have creative freedom when developing new ideas to attract and grow a diverse audience.
“They can post anything that screams, to them, what campus life is. Whether it’s them just walking across the quad on a nice day or if they’re part of a club, kind of an insider view of what that club is,” Katz said.
Although he gives them artistic liberties, Katz still acts as a guide for the influencers to ensure that the content they produce aligns with the university’s brand and values. During their first group meeting, Katz says he provided the necessary information on language, texts and logos to use for posts.
Official planning for the program began a few months ago when a Google Form was sent out to gauge interest. The five influencers chosen were selected based on their ability to best represent various student demographics.
“They show inclusivity of the different departments and clubs across campus,” Katz said. “It’s just a way for everybody, whether they’re alumni, current or prospective students, even their families, to really understand what Bradley is.”
Although initially unsure about joining the program, Merari Velazquez agreed to participate to challenge herself with a new experience and meet new people.
“I have an Instagram and a TikTok, but it’s not like I’m an official influencer really dedicating myself to this. I just wanted to try something new,” Velazquez, a senior professional sales marketing major, said. “I’ve gotten to grow my network a little bit more, and it’s just a learning moment.”
Velazquez’s perspective contrasted with Giles’ views due to her knowledge of social media. With a general love for consuming content, Giles felt prepared to step into the role.
“I definitely thought it was a cool idea, something I had never really heard of another school doing before,” Giles said. “I’ve always been kind of drawn to social media and the impact it has on people.”
In the future, Katz hopes to broaden the influencers program to collaborate with campus offices and student organizations that better showcase diversity at Bradley in the long term.
“Eventually, I’d like to involve every department to really show what they do and what they have to offer,” Katz said. “I can see this program working out for the benefit of the university and hopefully lasting for a long time.”
