Capital University accelerates impact on social, boosts engagement by 164%

"My position covers every step of the social media process," says Primmer. "I create and edit content — from graphic design to copywriting — and publish it using Sprinklr. I assess the performance of the content and keep up with trends and changes in all algorithms, while also creating and running social ads." While this may sound like a lot to keep track of, Primmer says that "behind every single step is a strategy that I built when I came into this position." 

With so many different social accounts to manage, including the university’s presence on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn, as well as the Conservatory of Music and the college president’s social media accounts, Primmer needed a unified tool that could simplify the process of creating relevant content, publishing across platforms at the right times, managing campaigns and analyzing performance. Sprinklr offered it all. 

Automated scheduling, publishing and reporting for all-in-one management 
Capital University uses Sprinklr Social to bring all its social platforms together in one place. Primmer relies on the integrated editorial calendar to schedule posts for the university’s various social media accounts, using detailed insights to publish at the ideal time for each platform. The built-in reporting function provides real-time account and performance monitoring in easy-to-use dashboards, helping inform future campaigns. 

"Social media is the perfect balance of creativity and analytics because it tells you right then and there if your post crushed it or was an absolute flop," Primmer says. "The monthly dashboard gives us a clear view of our followership, engagement and performance. We can see whether it’s gone up or down and adjust our strategy going forward."

This reporting capability has fostered trust among the university’s executives. Primmer can present the results at board meetings and effectively demonstrate the value of her team and their campaigns. She says, “My boss can hop into the dashboard and see how well everything is going, which helps him understand why we’re investing in Sprinklr’s platform.” 

Social listening inspires deeper audience engagement 
With Sprinklr Insights, Primmer and her team of three interns have access to the platform’s social listening capabilities, which monitor for keywords to find online conversations about the university. 

"We know how awesome it is here and what’s going on on our campus, but we wanted to get a better understanding of who Capital University is to everyone else" says Primmer. "What are parents saying? What are alumni talking about? What’s in the news about us?" She says Sprinklr had the most advanced social listening available, "which made our decision a no-brainer." 

Sprinklr Social Listening gives Primmer insights into audience behavior, preferences and opinions, allowing her to react quickly and refine Capital University’s social marketing strategies. For example, Sprinklr identified that students in the athletic department are frequently mentioned on LinkedIn. Now, Primmer can join the conversation and celebrate their achievements there, strengthening the school’s relationship with student athletes. 

The solution also enhances crisis management by providing Primmer with real-time notifications about incidents occurring on campus or negative comments online. This allows her to respond promptly and address concerns, ensuring open communication and maintaining trust with stakeholders.

Driving authentic audience connection with real-world content 
To drive community engagement, Primmer focuses on creating authentic content that resonates with prospective and active students, alumni and parents alike. On the first day of the school year, she stood near the central campus fountain with a chalkboard and asked passing students if they wanted to take a classic, first-day-of-school picture. She then created a collage to post on Instagram and Facebook, using Sprinklr. 

"The parents went crazy and the students loved it too," Primmer says. "They would see it and say, 'Oh my gosh, look, that's my friend!' A few football players also volunteered to do it, so the coaches and athletic department ended up sharing it. It drove a lot of engagement, and everybody was so excited." 

This focus on sharing on-campus experiences will continue to drive Capital University’s social media strategy going forward. Primmer is currently onboarding interns on her team to Sprinklr, so she can assign them their own campaigns and generate more community-focused content. For example, one upcoming alumni campaign will highlight where graduates are now to show prospective students the opportunities that come from attending Capital University.