#TU101

It seems that nothing is a more effective marketing tool than guerrilla social networking. A perfect example would be the explosion of the #TU101 hashtag on Twitter last Sunday, July 7^th. The hashtag was started by a rising senior who thought it would be a great idea to start a conversation on things to know upon coming to Temple University. It didn't take long for the trend to catch on and students began to share their own advice, experience, and quirks that come along with being a Temple Owl. Within the hour, the trending topic jumped to the number one most tweeted topic in the Philadelphia area. As more students discovered the trending topic, more students tuned in and contributed to the conversation. Eventually, it wasn’t just current students joining the conversation. Incoming freshman began asking questions and receiving tips that I’m sure every freshman wish they had before college. In just a few short hours #TU101 went from the top hashtag in the Philadelphia region to the third most discussed hashtag nationwide!

While people expressed a few grievances about the school, the overall tone of the conversation expressed adoration for Temple. Without a marketing team, this hashtag not only boosted the morale of the students and generated pride for Temple University, but also raised awareness to incoming students of the great opportunities that the school has to offer.

So how was this spontaneous campaign so effective? It is a relatable topic. Temple University has over 35,000 students and each one of them has a story to share or, in this case, a tweet to send. If you have a topic that you want to share you don’t necessarily need a social media team behind you. All you need is a simple, relatable topic that can generate a conversation.

Have you started a trending topic? How effective was it? We would love to know!