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  #1  
Old 07-24-2018, 10:51 PM
YellowRose50 YellowRose50 is offline
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Question Social Media Following

My girl has a question she would like me to ask about Social Media, specifically, Instagram.

She noticed that several girls she met at orientation follow some of the sororities on the campus. She wants to know if she should as well. Rush begins in about 3 weeks.

My advice was to either follow all or follow none with the understanding they will not follow back right now. What are everyone's thoughts?

FYI: Her Instagram account is open right now and has nothing she wouldn't mind having on the front page of a newspaper.

Thanks, ladies!
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  #2  
Old 07-25-2018, 12:40 AM
ASTalumna06 ASTalumna06 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YellowRose50 View Post
My girl has a question she would like me to ask about Social Media, specifically, Instagram.

She noticed that several girls she met at orientation follow some of the sororities on the campus. She wants to know if she should as well. Rush begins in about 3 weeks.

My advice was to either follow all or follow none with the understanding they will not follow back right now. What are everyone's thoughts?

FYI: Her Instagram account is open right now and has nothing she wouldn't mind having on the front page of a newspaper.

Thanks, ladies!
My personal opinion, keeping in mind that I know nothing about what campus she's on... and know little about how Instagram works: don't follow any.

I'm assuming she's taking part in formal recruitment. Therefore, she's going to meet all of the chapters and wants to stay as neutral as possible going in. She doesn't want to even accidentally appear as though she's favoring one chapter over another, and social media can make it appear this way, even if she follows all of them.

Also, the last thing she'd want is an Instagram page subconsciously pushing her one way or the other and influencing her decisions during recruitment.

And keep in mind: not every potential member will be following the chapters on Instagram. I'd argue that most of them won't. It might appear after orientation that nearly everyone is following them, but I'd put money on the fact that it's not the case.

I don't know the membership selection criteria for these chapters, but I'm willing to bet they're not making decisions based on whether or not a potential member is following their social media pages.

Better safe than sorry!
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  #3  
Old 07-25-2018, 01:07 AM
YellowRose50 YellowRose50 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ASTalumna06 View Post

Better safe than sorry!
That is my thought!

I say don't follow and the more I think about it, since posting here, the more I agree with my instincts.

(Just like my instincts about a particular dress she wanted for one of the rounds. ha! ha!)

Thanks so much!
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  #4  
Old 07-25-2018, 01:47 PM
Cheerio Cheerio is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ASTalumna06 View Post

My personal opinion, keeping in mind that I know nothing about what campus she's on... and know little about how Instagram works: don't follow any...

Also, the last thing she'd want is an Instagram page subconsciously pushing her one way or the other and influencing her decisions during recruitment. Don't most modern chapters go on a formal recruitment social media holiday?

I don't know the membership selection criteria for these chapters, but I'm willing to bet they're not making decisions based on whether or not a potential member is following their social media pages. There are plenty of stronger and more worthwhile reasons to want/not want a woman as a sorority member.

Better safe than sorry!
.
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  #5  
Old 07-25-2018, 02:24 PM
PearlGirl13 PearlGirl13 is offline
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I have a different opinion. I follow my several sorority Instagrams from the same campus (my chapter as well as my daughter and niece's sororities). The posts throughout these summer months are clearly intended to appeal to PNMs and I believe they are effective in showing off many of the attributes and the culture of the different chapters. I have learned a lot about each of these sororities through their Instagram posts and believe that a PNM could benefit from what they see and read here.

I do agree that your daughter should follow all of the chapters (that's a lot of posts!!!) or none of the chapters and I wouldn't rule out Instagram as an quick introduction to sorority life.
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  #6  
Old 07-25-2018, 02:28 PM
granipc granipc is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PearlGirl13 View Post
I have a different opinion. I follow my several sorority Instagrams from the same campus (my chapter as well as my daughter and niece's sororities). The posts throughout these summer months are clearly intended to appeal to PNMs and I believe they are effective in showing off many of the attributes and the culture of the different chapters. I have learned a lot about each of these sororities through their Instagram posts and believe that a PNM could benefit from what they see and read here.

I do agree that your daughter should follow all of the chapters (that's a lot of posts!!!) or none of the chapters and I wouldn't rule out Instagram as an quick introduction to sorority life.
Agree, I follow my chapter and my DD is following all of the chapters at the school where she will be going through recruitment. They are definitely "marketing" themselves to PNM's and it was actually recommended by our local area panhellenic to follow all chapters at their intended school.
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  #7  
Old 07-25-2018, 05:40 PM
EliBean EliBean is offline
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My daughter got followed by a lot of girls (and possibly houses?) from different sororities after she joined some social media things for incoming students. She had no idea what to do, but she did add them back. They don't really talk or anything, but they have apparently liked things she posed on Instagram.

Was she not supposed to do that? She didn't follow anyone who didn't send her a request first.
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  #8  
Old 07-25-2018, 06:24 PM
FSUZeta FSUZeta is offline
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She did the right thing, but it is critical that she be very careful what she posts, because they are checking her out. One inappropriate post can tank a PNM.
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  #9  
Old 07-25-2018, 11:05 PM
ASTalumna06 ASTalumna06 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PearlGirl13 View Post
I have a different opinion. I follow my several sorority Instagrams from the same campus (my chapter as well as my daughter and niece's sororities). The posts throughout these summer months are clearly intended to appeal to PNMs and I believe they are effective in showing off many of the attributes and the culture of the different chapters. I have learned a lot about each of these sororities through their Instagram posts and believe that a PNM could benefit from what they see and read here.

I do agree that your daughter should follow all of the chapters (that's a lot of posts!!!) or none of the chapters and I wouldn't rule out Instagram as an quick introduction to sorority life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by granipc View Post
Agree, I follow my chapter and my DD is following all of the chapters at the school where she will be going through recruitment. They are definitely "marketing" themselves to PNM's and it was actually recommended by our local area panhellenic to follow all chapters at their intended school.
A question: when you say they're "appealing to" and "marketing to" PNMs, what does that mean? Are they posting relevant recruitment information, or are they posting pictures and videos of what they want sorority life to look like?

I guess I'm still seeing more downsides to following each sorority's page rather than the benefits. But perhaps I could be convinced otherwise.
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  #10  
Old 07-26-2018, 02:11 AM
TXDG TXDG is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ASTalumna06 View Post
A question: when you say they're "appealing to" and "marketing to" PNMs, what does that mean? Are they posting relevant recruitment information, or are they posting pictures and videos of what they want sorority life to look like?

I guess I'm still seeing more downsides to following each sorority's page rather than the benefits. But perhaps I could be convinced otherwise.
I follow my chapter as well as the chapters my area’s alumnae group supports. One of those is doing a great “what made me want to be a DG” series in IG Stories and I’ve been impressed with how genuine the responses are....everything from “our philanthropy directly impacts a family member” to describing the feelings they had during recruitment (home, family, feeling empowered, feeling welcome, accepted) to silly stuff. Way better than those recruitment videos they do these days!

I’m 110% team “Follow ALL” - and do it now. It shows your daughter is very interested in becoming a sorority woman.
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  #11  
Old 07-26-2018, 08:06 AM
PearlGirl13 PearlGirl13 is offline
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Most of the posts that I am seeing from the sororities focus on "Sisterhood" which I think is often the part of being in a sorority that is the hardest to describe or appreciate until you have been a part of it. There have been brief interviews between a big and her little and stories about homesickness and how new sisters helped through those early, new college days. The posts show pride in their sister's accomplishments - academic, athletic, leadership...

Of course everyone posts their best pictures on social media, and these posts are no different, but they are images of real young women with captions written by real young women that present a positive, genuine image of sorority life.
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  #12  
Old 07-26-2018, 10:31 AM
YellowRose50 YellowRose50 is offline
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Smile

Thanks so much, everyone! We really appreciate your input!
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  #13  
Old 07-29-2018, 01:09 AM
ASTalumna06 ASTalumna06 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXDG View Post
I follow my chapter as well as the chapters my area’s alumnae group supports. One of those is doing a great “what made me want to be a DG” series in IG Stories and I’ve been impressed with how genuine the responses are....everything from “our philanthropy directly impacts a family member” to describing the feelings they had during recruitment (home, family, feeling empowered, feeling welcome, accepted) to silly stuff. Way better than those recruitment videos they do these days!
Perhaps those recruitment videos are what I'm picturing, because those tend to be the norm when perusing YouTube and a good number of sorority websites. I would like to think that the vast majority are turning over and speaking truly about what sorority life actually means.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PearlGirl13 View Post
Most of the posts that I am seeing from the sororities focus on "Sisterhood" which I think is often the part of being in a sorority that is the hardest to describe or appreciate until you have been a part of it. There have been brief interviews between a big and her little and stories about homesickness and how new sisters helped through those early, new college days. The posts show pride in their sister's accomplishments - academic, athletic, leadership...

Of course everyone posts their best pictures on social media, and these posts are no different, but they are images of real young women with captions written by real young women that present a positive, genuine image of sorority life.

If this is true, great!

But again, I don't want to think that a PNM's experience is negatively affected because it's incorrectly perceived that she's following one sorority's page over another.

Also, consider KSUviolet's latest post, which considers what happens when recruitment is over: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?t=244367
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Last edited by ASTalumna06; 07-29-2018 at 01:18 AM.
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  #14  
Old 07-30-2018, 05:09 PM
mkaytay mkaytay is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EliBean View Post
My daughter got followed by a lot of girls (and possibly houses?) from different sororities after she joined some social media things for incoming students. She had no idea what to do, but she did add them back. They don't really talk or anything, but they have apparently liked things she posed on Instagram.

Was she not supposed to do that? She didn't follow anyone who didn't send her a request first.
No one had responded to this yet, and I know it's a big topic among PNMs so I thought I'd throw my 2 cents here.

Actives and chapters will also follow PNMs as part of the overall recruiting of your DD. Sometimes these follows and comments mean she is a PNM the chapter is really interested in, and sometimes it's part of their general PR campaign prior to recruitment. There's no way to know without having inside chapter knowledge, but no matter what they want her to associate the good vibes of a insta follow or comment with their sorority so she will rank them higher.

Chapters, especially at big schools, also use social media as a way to further differentiate PNMs. If a PNM doesn't know anyone in the house well, but has good grades, got in recs, was involved in stuff in HS, then the chapter will look at your social media and say "is there anything questionable here? does she seem like I'd want to hang out with her? are there things she may have in common with some sisters?" At big schools, especially since RFM, the first round cuts can be sizable and social media is another way to winnow down the list of PNMs you only talked to for 20 minutes.

On the follow back side, it's fine with individual actives to follow those that follow you. For chapters, I agree that you either follow all or none.
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