31 antennae already use Instagram. That doesn’t sound much, compared to the fact that almost every antenna is present on Facebook. But: the number of locals is rising quickly. And they make very good experiences, other than Twitter, which is stagnating in AEGEE. Often Instagram is used to give a backstage view of the antenna’s activities. The Golden Times spoke to seven antennae, which are all very enthusiastic about this communication tool: AEGEE-Bergamo, AEGEE-Moskva, AEGEE-Baki, AEGEE-Izmir, AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg, AEGEE-Salerno and AEGEE-Minsk.

AEGEE-Bergamo: “Let Instagram be your AEGEE storyteller”

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  • Antenna: AEGEE-Bergamo
  • Instagram name: aegeebergamo
  • Media on Instagram: 102
  • Followers: 439
  • Following: 261
Bergamo stickers
A map of Europe with stickers in the AEGEE-Bergamo office.

GT: Since when do you use Instagram?
Paolo Ghisleni, former AEGEE-Bergamo president: We officially started last July, even though we gave it some try before. We started simultaneously with our successful cultural project “Bergamo is Europe” in order to give it the proper launch by an empowered social visibility.
Why do you use it? What is the role of Instagram in your antenna PR?
We have recently updated our netiquette, giving to Instagram an “experimental role” within our range of social media. For “experimental” I mean that we decided to let it be independent, so not connected to Facebook yet, and to give the access credentials to any AEGEE-Bergamo member. This allows us to be potentially wherever an AEGEE-Bergamo member is.
How often do you post pictures?
Any time that a member feels like posting! Seriously speaking, we try to keep a good pace: one of the pillars of engagement is the frequency of posting, and we are doing our best to apply this rule.
What kind of pictures do you post?
Of course, anything related to AEGEE – in any of its aspects – is a good candidate for posting, but we set anyway some guidelines in our netiquette which should limit the inappropriate contents.
What is the feedback that you get?
We are aware that the overall audience of Instagram is still much smaller compared to Facebook. This in mind, we are very satisfied of how things are going with Instagram, which was the starting points of some of our contents that eventually went viral – for example the “beds picture” of our Summer University.
Any advice that you have for other antennae that want to use Instagram?
My advice is to have an initial period of complete freedom, when either just the board or all the members are allowed to tell through images the interesting facts of the antenna’s daily life. Moreover, this freedom would help the people to get used to it and to its powerful features such as hashtag, geotag and effects. Instagram is deeply underrated within AEGEE, unfortunately. I’ve heard so many times about the complexity of explaining how cool AEGEE is and how frustrating it is not to be able to spread the passion we feel for our association. Well, now we can count on a very powerful tool in our pockets: let Instagram be your personal AEGEE storyteller.

 

AEGEE-Moskva: “Explain what is on your picture”

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  • Antenna: AEGEE-Moskva
  • Instagram name: aegee_moskva_official
  • Media on Instagram: 47
  • Followers: 270
  • Following: 371
AEGEE-Moskva also posts videos on Instagram
AEGEE-Moskva also posts videos on Instagram

GT: Since when do you use Instagram?
AEGEE-Moskva: We made an Instagram profile one year ago, but the usage of it stopped as there wasn’t a person who was responsible for it. Now we made another profile: aegee_moskva_official. It has started to work on 27th of November 2014.
Why do you use it? What is the role of Instagram in your antenna PR?
You know, images can explain much better than words. It’s a tool for telling international instagramers about our daily life!
How often do you post pictures?
It depends on the events. For example, we posted pictures twice a day during our New Year’s Event “Capital Cities”. After it was over, we posted between two and four pictures a week.
What kind of pictures do you post?
We use it to tell about interesting details of our events and AEGEE-Moskva’s life or some interesting facts about Moscow.
What is the feedback that you get?
People find our Instagram and follow it. Now we have 270 followers. And all our images get many likes. It can be from 25 up to 60 likes and people comment on them.
Any advice that you have for other antennae that want to use Instagram?
If your target audience is international, please use English for your comments – and don’t be afraid to explain what is on the picture!

 

AEGEE-Bakı: “Funny fragments of our AEGEE life”

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  • Antenna: AEGEE-Bakı
  • Instagram name: aegeebaki
  • Media on Instagram: 114
  • Followers: 1617
  • Following: 658
aegeebaki Shirt
A vintage shirt of AEGEE-Baki looks good on Instagram

GT: Since when do you use Instagram?
AEGEE-Bakı: It is already for 84 weeks that we are using AEGEE-Baki’s instaprofile.
Why do you use it? What is the role of Instagram in your antenna PR?
Instagram is one of types of PR, but we use Instagram for fun as well since there we can upload our photos from non-formal meetings, or different funny fragments of our AEGEE life.
How often do you post pictures?
Usually we post once a week.
What kind of pictures do you post?
All kinds of pictures.
What is the feedback that you get?
The feedback that we get is quite good, since lots of our members prefer to look through our pictures that we post on Instagram.
Any advice that you have for other antennae that want to use Instagram?
Keep calm and use Instagram!

 

AEGEE-Izmir: “Using the amazing communication network”

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  • Antenna: AEGEE-Izmir
  • Instagram name: aegeeizmir
  • Media on Instagram: 24
  • Followers: 211
  • Following: 101
Izmir New members
Presenting new members: a good idea on Instagram.

GT: Since when do you use Instagram?
Ayşegül Gökdağ, PR Responsible of AEGEE-Izmir: We started to use it this year at the second term with our PR Team.
Why do you use it? What is the role of Instagram in your antenna PR?
We decided to create an account because reaching to AEGEEans and other people around our city, country and world is much more easy with it. This century offers us an amazing communication network via technology – so why not using it?
How often do you post pictures?
It depends on our monthly activities. For example when we have a Social Responsibility project we photograph it, or also during our Working Group meetings, which we have periodically each week, we take photos and share them.
What kind of pictures do you post?
Everything that concentrates on AEGEE, humans, our daily life, activities and working progresses of our antenna. Just everything.
What is the feedback that you get?
We see how people react to our activities, how long they keep their connection with the AEGEE people, and of course reaching each of the member of this big family.
Any advice that you have for other antennae that want to use Instagram?
If they wish to have more visibility they can create an account, but be sure that the person in charge has an interest in social media and enough time – especially for the ones who already have an Instagram account.

 

AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg: “We use it partly to promote our partners”

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  • Antenna: AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg
  • Instagram name: aegee_spb
  • Media on Instagram: 23
  • Followers: 46
  • Following: 30
Sankt Peterburg Products
AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg is presenting the sponsors on Instagram.

GT: Since when do you use Instagram?
AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg: We use it since September 2014.
Why do you use it? What is the role of Instagram in your antenna PR?
We use it partly to promote our partners – we post pictures with their products and certain hashtags. We also use it to show our activities, local events or meetings – we are very active antenna!
How often do you post pictures?
We try to do it at least once a week, but it depends of course.
What kind of pictures do you post?
Mostly with participants of our events or local members.
What is the feedback that you get?
A lot of likes!
Any advice that you have for other antennae that want to use Instagram?
Always keep your Instagram alive!

 

AEGEE-Salerno: “We post a picture every time we create an event”

Salerno instagram 640

  • Antenna: AEGEE-Salerno
  • Instagram name: aegee_salerno
  • Media on Instagram: 56
  • Followers: 416
  • Following: 1127
Salerno Announcement
AEGEE-Salerno uses instagram for event announcements.

GT: Since when do you use Instagram?
AEGEE-Salerno: We started to use Instagram this year.
Why do you use it? What is the role of Instagram in your antenna PR?
We started using Instagram to reach a greater audience and to present our event and antenna to a wider public. Our IT Responsible manages the account. We think that today using social media is a great way to make AEGEE better known.
How often do you post pictures?
We post a picture every time we create an event, but sometimes also to explain to users what AEGEE is.
What kind of pictures do you post?
We usually post the poster of our event and pictures about the city or university of Salerno.
What is the feedback that you get?
We achieved excellent results, with an average of 20 likes for the pictures – and we have 416 followers in total!
Any advice that you have for other antennae that want to use Instagram?
Maybe an advice we can give is to post pictures often, especially during major events and not to focus only on local events but on AEGEE-Europe event and AEGEE in general.

 

AEGEE-Minsk: “Showing our antenna backstage”

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  • Antenna: AEGEE-Minsk
  • Instagram name: aegee_minsk
  • Media on Instagram: 6
  • Followers: 35
  • Following: 38
Minsk flag
AEGEE-Minsk posts news about flag and mascot stealing on Instagram.

GT: Since when do you use Instagram?
Katja Yakushyk, President of AEGEE-Minsk: We started our Instagram account right on 1st of January 2015, that’s why our first photos were with New Year congratulations. So we are only beginners now.
Why do you use it? What is the role of Instagram in your antenna PR?
We started using Instagram to simply make AEGEE-Minsk more visible for the network. Now we understand that it’s also a great tool to communicate with other antennae and also to have fun!
How often do you post pictures?
We try to post pictures every time when our antenna is having an event or meeting. As for now, there are only six photos on our page, but it’s just the beginning.
What kind of pictures do you post?
Now we have a kind of a “backstage Instagram”. You can always see pretty and well-thought-out photos on the official Facebook pages, but Instagram is different. Our aim is to create here a place where everyone can feel himself like one of us and see some nice things from AEGEE-Minsk’s life.
What is the feedback that you get?
It is mostly positive, but our page is not really well-known yet. So we want to hear more feedback from the followers and more experienced antennae to develop the strategy.
Any advice that you have for other antennae that want to use Instagram?
Stop thinking and just start using it. And don’t forget to follow us!

 

31 antennae have an Instagram account: