President Crawford Tackles Twitter

BY ALTHEA E. PERLEY
Miami University journalism student

Miami University President Greg Crawford officially joined the Twitter community on Aug. 3, and by the end of the first day had more than 780 followers. Visit his feed today, less than two months after that first post, and you will find he now has more than 2,600 followers.

Crawford writes all of his own tweets and publishes his own content, even taking the pictures himself, then Miami’s social media manager shares those posts on more platforms. Because Twitter is targeted toward day- to-day updates of events, Miami and Crawford’s accounts often showcase the same themes.

“I try to share news about the university, but even more, I like to provoke thought and inspiration by sharing quotes on subjects I am passionate about, and reflecting on values, inclusiveness and virtues. So I also created two hashtags: #MiamiOHVirtue and #OneMiami to use for those reflections,” Crawford said in an email interview.

Crawford has a huge appreciation for social media now, even if it can be overwhelming at times. He receives dozens of messages a day and can’t respond to all of them but loves the direct connection social media allows.

Most of Crawford’s posts are inspirational, coming after he attends events at Miami that are exciting or thought-provoking. Other posts focus on recognizing the staff and faculty he meets, and then sharing their story. His most popular tweets, however, have been ones with pictures of his family’s golden retriever, Emma.

The University Manager of Social Media and Marketing Strategy at Miami University, Kelly Bennett, explained that the overall tone for all Miami accounts are “challenging, distinguished, catalytic, exciting, and classic."

"We aim to shape our posts this way by showing authentic content about the Miami experience and revealing the passion and love Miamians have for this university,” Bennett said via email.

The university is always hoping its posts will engage with prospective students, current students and alumni, while sharing news about the university and enhancing its national reputation.

Many college and university presidents have leveraged social media to raise awareness or inspire school spirit. Some have even become mini-personalities -- like former University of Cincinnati President Santa J. Ono. His Twitter feed is followed by more than 76,000 people. He even created a hashtag that is still trending on Twitter today, #HottestCollegeinAmerica, some four months after he left UC to become president of the University of British Columbia.

Crawford admits that he does look to other presidents on social media and follows them. However, authenticity and personal voice are important to him and he doesn’t ever try to imitate what they do. His focus is on Miami's Code of Love and Honor, so much so that the administration provided wallet-sized cards with it at convocation last month.

A typical Crawford Tweet: “Words Matter. Use yours to inspire, encourage, thank, and welcome, never to hurt or exclude. What you say goes a long way. #MiamiOHVirtue."

In addition to sharing his thoughts on Twitter, Miami's new president is also posting updates on Miami's Office of the President site. Crawford’s Corner offers an in-depth look at his thoughts on a variety of topics.

Photo: President Crawford included a photo of himself in his first @PresGreg post on Twitter on Aug. 3, 2016. -- Photo contributed by Miami University