During uni, I joined a friend to grow a local university Instagram page from 2,000 to 15,000+ followers and over 50 million accounts reached by building a meme-based content engine rooted in cultural relevance, audience insight, and humor that travels.

Growth & Impact Overview

Role: Content Creator, Strategist, Community Manager

Timeframe: 2020-2022

Platform: Instagram

Tools: Canva, Mematic, Google Suite, Instagram Insights

2.5 Million likes on this one post

When I joined, I wasn't just posting jokes - I was testing content systems, learning what made students laugh, engage, and share.

My goal? Build a community, boost engagement, and make something people actually looked forward to.

I studied how students interacted on social, what content formats they shared, and which pop culture trends resonated. I ran polls, watched comments, and A/B tested themes.

Types of content:

• University inside jokes (campus-only humor)

• Pop culture remix memes

• Timely trends (e.g. holiday stress, exam panic)

• Commentary memes about student life

Meme categories were like content buckets — relatable stress, professor moments, social awkwardness, nostalgia — all helping students feel seen.

Select Screenshots & Wins

1.4M Likes

100K+ Likes

Video content with 18,000+ views

🚀Other Growth Tactics

• Leveraged story polls & sticker tools to increase algorithm engagement

• Used class Facebook groups & Reddit threads to seed virality

• Timed posts to coincide with university events, exam seasons, and trending formats

🤝 Partnerships

• Collaborated with:

  • Local restaurants

  • Campus pubs

  • Music events

  • Red Bull field marketing

• Delivered sponsored posts and giveaways that blended into native content

What I Learned

• Cultural timing matters more than polish - relevance beats perfection

• Memes are social language tools, and brands that use them well can humanize themselves

• Content systems (format + frequency + feedback loop) drive sustainable growth

• Paid content can blend natively when you earn trust from your community