The platform has grown tremendously in recent years. The majority of our followers live in Groningen (18.5%; we assume they are students), followed by Jakarta (2.6%), Amsterdam (1.9%), Utrecht (1.0%), and The Hague (0.9%). The majority of our Instagram followers are between the ages of 18-24 (37.7%), followed by 25-34 (40%); 1.2% percent are between the ages of 13-17. Besides the fact that we can reach young people through Instagram, we are convinced that the account is best used in communicating to current students. We are growing by 100-150 new followers every week, but we occasionally have outliers with 300 new followers.
The content we offer is currently focused on reach – we choose to share photos of the University of Groningen and the student cities of Groningen and Leeuwarden. We do not take the majority of the photos ourselves; we often repost from other users. In addition to posting photos, we increasingly often post videos because we have noticed that video content scores better. In our Stories, we often share student blogs, events, and activities that are organized by the UG or another party. We share polls, quizzes and takeovers – which the public appreciates. We very actively manage the community on the channel: under the posts and in the Direct Message box, we try to respond quickly with a ‘twinkle in the eye’.