About the Episode
About the Episode: Miami University's toddler campus tour reel saw 33% more engagement than other admissions content on their main channels and won a Gold Case Circle of Excellence Award. How can we show our campus with the actual joy and excitement a prospect might feel visiting for the first time? Through the eyes of a toddler, of course. The reel featured Gerod Harder's two and a half year old son, Wesley, exploring key campus spots, attending a class, and taking snack breaks. The reel received over 100,000 impressions on Instagram — 3 times the average of other videos that month. It has been one of the university’s highest performing posts and received positive comments from internal and external audiences alike.
Key Takeaways:
- Creative Content Wins: Miami University's toddler campus tour generated nearly 100,000 views and won a Gold Case Circle of Excellence Award for its innovative approach to showcasing campus.
- Family-Focused Engagement: The video resonated with Miami University’s social media audience, tapping into their love for campus beauty, cute kids, and pets—key elements that drive engagement.
- Embrace New Ideas: Even unconventional ideas, like featuring a toddler on a campus tour, can drive substantial results. Don’t be afraid to take creative risks with your social media content.
Episode Summary
How a Toddler Became Miami University’s Social Media Star
In today’s episode, host Dayana Kibilds chats with Gerod Harder, Associate Director of Social Media at Miami University, about a standout social media tactic that took the school’s engagement to new heights. The story begins with an unexpected turn of events—when Garrett’s childcare fell through one day, he decided to bring his son, Wesley, to work with him. This led to the creation of a campus tour video from the perspective of a two-and-a-half-year-old, an idea that emerged from a brainstorming session where Gerod and his team wanted to show campus visits in a fresh, engaging way.
Gerod explains how the Miami audience on Instagram loves posts that feature kids, dogs, and the beauty of the campus. This toddler tour managed to combine all these elements, creating a delightful piece of content that resonated with the university’s target audience—prospective students, young alumni, and current students. With adorable moments like Wesley sitting in class and interacting with campus traditions, the reel turned out to be a big hit.
Planning and Execution: Snacks, Camera, Action!
Gerod shares the behind-the-scenes details of how the video was shot. Since it wasn’t a heavily scripted production, Gerod allowed his son to explore the campus while capturing his reactions to various parts of the tour. With a camera in hand, Gerod filmed the key areas he wanted to highlight, including Miami's Career Center, campus robots, and even Miami's iconic seal—where Wesley narrowly avoided stepping, thanks to some quick dad reflexes.
One of the video’s challenges was working with an unpredictable toddler, but Gerod managed it by coming prepared with snacks to keep Wesley in a good mood. The entire production was filmed on the fly, relying on Gerod creativity to piece together the final edit.
Results and Recognition: A Viral Success
The reel's performance exceeded expectations, generating nearly 100,000 views—more than double the average engagement for Miami University’s social content. Additionally, it amassed over 100,000 impressions and became one of the top three most-viewed posts for the month. These impressive metrics helped Miami University win a Gold Case Circle of Excellence Award for the reel, further showcasing the power of creative, family-focused content.
Gerod emphasizes how the support from his leadership team allowed this unique idea to flourish. With minimal cost and maximum creativity, the toddler tour reel not only engaged Miami’s social media audience but also earned praise across campus from fellow faculty and staff.
Advice for Higher Ed Marketers: Take Creative Risks
For higher ed professionals looking to replicate this kind of success, Gerod advises experimenting with new, bold ideas, even if they seem out of the ordinary. The key to success in social media marketing, he notes, is testing new concepts and learning from the results—whether they succeed or fail. He encourages marketers to focus on bringing joy and fresh perspectives to their content, which can resonate strongly with audiences.
About The Enrollify Podcast Network
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Mission Admissions and Higher Ed Pulse.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30. Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders, innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success.
Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution.
Whether you’re looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.
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