Connecting campus: Go behind the scenes with the university's social media team

Whether celebrating an athletic win, promoting a campus event or sharing groundbreaking research, the University of Arizona's social media team is on a mission to connect with Wildcats past, present and future. 

With her phone in hand, Estrella Sevilla is the creative force turning University moments into posts that resonate with the community. As a social media specialist in University Marketing, Sevilla combines creativity and planning to bring the campus to life online.

"Our social media approach really falls into four main areas," she said. "First is content creation and strategy – determining what we're sharing and why. Second is the actual process of creating and posting, which can vary significantly by platform. Take Instagram, for instance: Stories, reels and the feed all require unique strategies. Third is community management, where we engage directly with our followers and respond to questions. Lastly are analytics: assessing what works and how to fine-tune our approach to fit into our broader communications strategy."

Whether using lively Instagram stories or insightful LinkedIn posts, Estrella and her co-workers strive to capture the University's diverse community, showcase research achievements, and connect with students, faculty, staff and alumni alike.

The social media team is active on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube, and maintains accounts on BeReal and Snapchat. 

"On Instagram, we are much more focused on student-centered content, whether that be current students or prospective students looking to learn more about life at the university," Sevilla said. "Whereas on LinkedIn, we are a lot more focused on sharing the accomplishments of the university, and the impact that our researchers have on their given field."

Learning to speak in the "voice" of the university on social media takes work, Sevilla added, including becoming familiar with the University brand, mission and goals, as well as the research and innovations for which the university is most known.

From fashion to passion

Sevilla said her first interactions with social media occurred as a child in chat rooms and blogs, where she made friends, chatted and played games. Before long, she found Myspace and a virtual world opened before her where she could share fashion, music and life experiences. 

"I started seeing social media as a place to connect with people who liked what I was doing," Sevilla said. "I remember learning how to make GIFs and graphics, getting excited about a band or celebrity, and suddenly I wasn't just a fan – I was part of a community. Social media became more than just sharing. It was a way to belong, to find others who were as passionate as me, and to keep learning and creating."

Sevilla first discovered her love for fashion as a child, crafting dresses for her dolls and flipping through magazines in the salon with her mom. That interest became a passion when Sevilla's older sister, Lilia, took her to a student fashion show in Monterrey, Mexico. 

Watching young designers confidently debut their creations inspired Sevilla to believe she could do the same.

"I have always lived in a larger body. I am very tall," she said. "As a teenager, trying to find things that were trendy and true to myself – while still fitting in – I had to be creative. My mom bought me one pair of dress shoes, and I struggled to find another pair. I wore them to every quinceañera, painted them so many different colors, embellished them, and changed them so many times."

Now a part of the social media team, Sevilla said she uses her years of experience as a fashion blogger and social media manager to help students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members learn more about the University. 

"How people use social media is very important," she said. "It doesn't matter if it's fashion, higher education or your fan base – you need to understand people's behaviors when they consume social media. We use that knowledge to build our strategy and decide what type of content to create."

Wildcats on the web

While there is no "typical" day for members of the social media team, Sevilla said she often starts her day by checking inboxes, comments and posts to see how the online community is interacting with the university. After surveying the virtual landscape, Sevilla responds to any pressing questions or concerns – and then works on whatever project, goal or activity is most pressing for social media, whether that be a post, video or analytics.

So, how does an idea become a post? 

Sevilla said students and faculty and staff members should work with their college or unit communications/marketing team to identify possible content – and then relay developed concepts to the social media team. From there, Sevilla and social media director Emily Stulz identify possible platforms and content strategies, whether that be a post on one of the main social media platforms or helping the college or unit post on their own profiles.

While the social media team crafts many of its own messages, Stulz and Sevilla said they cherish the opportunity to collaborate with different campus partners in order to not only tell their stories but share with the University community the various resources and experiences available on and off campus.

"Collaborating with other units lets us share crucial resources like Campus Health, the Libraries or Think Tank in a way that feels natural and impactful," Stulz said. "They are experts and have resources developed for students, so when we create content with them it feels more accurate and insightful. We get to amplify their message across our platforms, ensuring it reaches audiences where they are."