Social Media

University Channels

IMC manages and promotes the following official Pepperdine channels:

Social Media Committee

The Social Media Committee is a sub-committee of the Integrated Marketing Group that:

Supports the University community in using social media to further the Pepperdine mission and advance its strategic plan.
Contributes to the recommendation of social media policy and guidelines for the University.
Contributes to research related conversation and new advances in social media tools and mediums.
Serves as a place to share ideas for school/department specific campaigns and initiatives.

The committee, which meets monthly includes content creators from across the University including the five schools, athletics, and alumni affairs:

Alumni Affairs: Kendall Boshart

Athletics: Sarah Otteman

Graziadio Business School: Audrey Gilmore

GSEP: Cathy Javier

IMC: Mallory Holcomb *Committee chair

Libraries: Alice Tsay

Caruso School of Law: Chelsea Audibert

School of Public Policy: Melissa Espinoza

Seaver College Admissions: Ben Holcomb

Seaver College Alumni: Dennis Lawrence

To learn more about the Social Media Committee, please contact the social media committee member from your area/school or committee chair Mallory Holcomb.

What is the purpose of social media at Pepperdine University?

At Pepperdine University, we commit to the following five strategic goals:

Advancing learning, knowledge, and scholarship
Developing resources
Building community
Respecting diversity and promoting global understanding
Honoring God and heritage

We believe the strategic plan of Pepperdine University, including our commitment to those five themes specifically can be strengthened through social media internally and externally through the following goals:

Increase recruitment for Pepperdine University's undergraduate and graduate schools
Strengthen Pepperdine University's national reputation
Increase engagement among target audiences such as prospective students, current students, faculty/staff, parents, alumni and donors
Establish affinity through similar qualities, ideas, or interest with target audiences
Strengthen, promote and support fundraising efforts for Pepperdine University

Generation Z has never seen a world without a platform for their original content. As the members of this generation become the largest group of social media users, universities and colleges have a unique opportunity and responsibility to engage with them and with their other target audiences through social networking and on mobile. Relating specifically to Generation Z, research has found:

Generation Z says that 27 percent of a brand's purpose on social media should be to provide knowledge and skill, while 26 percent of a brand's purpose should be to provide entertaining content.
42 percent of Z's feel that social media has a direct impact on how they feel about themselves
On average, Gen Zs check their phone every 3 minutes
Marketers have a span of 8 seconds to reach teens until they keep scrolling

How are Pepperdine University's social media accounts managed?

Main Pepperdine University accounts are managed by the University's social media manager who is a part of the Integrated Marketing Communications team. All other official Pepperdine accounts are managed and monitored by official representatives across the various schools, departments, and campus organizations. Social media representatives from the University's five schools, athletics, and alumni affairs staff participate in Pepperdine's social media committee that meets monthly.

What other target audiences can be reached and engaged via social media to accomplish Pepperdine's main goals?

In addition to prospective students and current students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents of students, and donors constitute the University's target audiences.

There are 7.6 billion people in the world
53 percent of the population is classified as an internet user. This has grown 7 percent from 2017
42 percent of people are active social media users
39 percent of people are active mobile social users

Facebook

18–29year-olds have an 88 percent usage
82 percent of Facebook users have attended at least some college
People spend an average of 35 minutes of Facebook each day
400 new users sign up for Facebook every minute

Twitter

36 percent of 18–29-year-olds use Twitter
28 percent of Americans with a college degree use Twitter
74 percent of Twitter users say they use their account to get news
85 percent of small- and medium-sized business owners say that Twitter is crucial to customer engagement

Instagram

72 percent of teens use Instagram
59 percent of 18–29 year olds use Instagram
71 percent of US businesses use Instagram
80 percent of Instagram users follow a business

40 million students and recent graduates are on LinkedIn
13 percent of users are between the ages of 15 and 34
41 percent of millionaires use LinkedIn

What type of content will I find on Pepperdine's social media accounts?

Content found on the Pepperdine social media accounts includes, but is not limited to, University news, community events, thoughts related to higher education, engagement opportunities, student and alumni stories, and landscape/campus shots.

General Hashtags

#Pepperdine
#PepperdineUniversity
#College
#University
#GoWaves
#PepperdineWaves
#PepperdineStory
#PepperdineTradition
#Malibu

Athletics Hashtags

#WavesUp

Seaver College Hashtags

#PepperdineBound
#SeaverCollege

Alumni Hashtags

#PeppAlum
#PepperdineAlumni
#PepperdineProud

Event Hashtags

Pepperdine New Student Orientation #PepperdineNSO
Pepperdine Commencements #PeppGrad19

How do I get my content posted on Pepperdine's accounts?

If you would like to request for your content to be posted on Pepperdine's main University accounts, please fill out this Google Form. Please be sure to be logged-in to your Pepperdine Google account before you request. You can also reach out via email with any other questions: social@pepperdine.edu.