TAMIU Establishes New Instagram TV Presence

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) has launched an Instagram TV (IGTV) channel to highlight student-focused, campus-wide events and initiatives.

Created and established through TAMIU’s Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services, the IGTV channel features a monthly video with several segments dedicated to recapping past events, while teasing future events and opportunities for student and community involvement. It was developed with insight and feedback provided by a focus group of student users.

As the channel progresses, several campaigns, including the University’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, registration reminders, athletic highlights, and service or volunteer opportunities will be featured in upcoming episodes.

The channel is sustained through the University’s official Instagram account and viewable at www.instagram.com/txamiu. It is created by TAMIU’s PR office team members Christine Rojas, Rolando Santos, and Rory King. 

Shot on location at the University’s Residential Learning Community, each episode is hosted by Priscilla Martínez. Martínez is outreach coordinator for the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement.

At TAMIU, she develops and coordinates student civic engagement opportunities, as well as outreach and marketing efforts for her office. A University alumna, Martínez graduated in 2018 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in International Leadership.

Accessible through a smartphone or desktop viewing, IGTV is an embedded channel for watching a long-form, vertical-oriented video viewed from within Instagram’s app. The videos offer several features including auto-play as soon as the app is opened, and can be uploaded with a one-minute preview of the video on an Instagram feed.

“Our team’s marketing and outreach efforts must always utilize those avenues and platforms that have the greatest potential to reach and connect with our audiences,” said Steve Harmon, director of TAMIU’s Office of Public Relations, “…this is an especially engaging way of telling the University’s story and we’ve been excited by its positive reception,” he said.

Currently, Instagram touts 1 billion monthly active users, with more than 500 million users logging in to the platform every day, according to the app’s website. Of those users, 71 percent of the users are under the age of 35.

For additional information, call the University’s Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu or click on tamiu.edu.

University office hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

For more of the University’s story, visit tamiu.edu or its social media sites on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.