By Amelia Mack
Social media has made every user a creator. Students are putting out original content daily on their accounts to promote their art, business or a professional version of themselves. Regardless of what they use it for, students are finding a goal and using their social media to reach it.
Lincoln Williams, a senior at Youngstown State University studying telecommunications, has dreams to be a successful sportscaster for a major sports network. He created a YouTube series called “Making Moves Chronicles,” where viewers are taken on a journey with Williams in pursuit of his dreams.
The title came from James 2:17 “Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.”
“If I don’t make moves to set myself up for success and don’t believe in them, no matter how far off, then they will die,” Williams said. “‘Making Moves’ is a choice to believe and have faith in the dream I’m pushing.”
Williams said he found motivation for his YouTube series in the ordinary — being a college student with big dreams.
“It was to show that a student can inspire an entire student body to go above and beyond just existing and going to class,” Williams said.
The “Making Moves Chronicles” is set to be a three-part series, and the first two parts are already up on YouTube. The last episode, titled Purpose, is coming soon.
“People will see where I have found my purpose, as well as, hopefully, help see theirs,” Williams said. “There will be more episodes that will follow my journey even more, but also feature others with similar journeys.”
Williams said he thinks it is important how people present themselves on social media.
“I believe it is a portal to sell your dream to other buyers. If I want to be a public figure, my content has to have that intention,” he said.
Sarah Jones is a senior at YSU studying marketing management. She was the Victoria’s Secret PINK brand representative for two years and ran all the YSU PINK social media accounts.
“I also created a blog and website where I shared news, recaps and photos of our events … The majority of the content I posted was original,” she said.
When running accounts for a business or brand, Jones said it is all about timing and content.
“The biggest concern about posting on social media is to make sure you are reaching your viewers at optimal times and that you’re providing content they will be interested in and want to engage with,” Jones said.
The success of these accounts and the PINK program at YSU brought Jones several opportunities, including an all-expense paid trip to Columbus to learn about the campus rep role.
Jones and her partner were selected as top performing reps because of the successful Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Viewing Party in December 2015 and the initiation of the start of the clothing line.
“Our amazing event turnout that led to these opportunities was majorly due to consistent and relevant promotion across all of our social platforms,” Jones said.
Nick Martin, a former YSU student, just wrapped up a series on his Instagram for the 13 days leading up to Halloween. His Instagram account, @mrnickmartin, is used primarily to showcase his art and photography.
Martin creates animations on celluloid paper and then photographs them in different locations around Youngstown. His Halloween series featured different Halloween movie characters, including Casper the Friendly Ghost and Jason from “Friday the 13th” in Mill Creek Park.
Martin said he thinks Instagram has made him a more creative artist.
“I’m always thinking of new ways to make things and experimenting with new mediums. I started out just posting pictures of my cat and dog. My drawings would just sit in my sketchbook and no one ever really saw them,” Martin said. “I wanted to share my art with people. Instagram was perfect for that, so I started to upload my drawings, and it kind of snowballed from there.”