UCF Recruiting Efforts Bolstered by Social Media Content

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Knights
By Brian Smith | Last updated 3/16/22

ORLANDO - Keeping up with and surpassing the Joneses. That’s the equivalent of what UCF’s social media team and coaching staff have been doing. Whether it’s a helmet photo, something funny, a creative video posted to instagram or other social media platform, the Knights are ahead of the curve.

Should UCF fans care? Yes, absolutely! This is the era of social media and the programs that do not adjust to that fact will lose out on top prospects. Every opportunity to gain the attention of recruits impacts the UCF Football program.

It’s not something that every football program does really well. Some schools were even slow to adapt to the social media trend during the past several years. Even if there’s a plethora of content, does that content attract prospects? Does it help the coaching staff of that particular school to show something meaningful to a prospect that he will remember?

It’s a process. Photographs, videos, special effects, interviews, schedules, uniform reveals, fan interaction, mascots, and the ability to time when and where to place the content all go together. The Knights have been proven to be one of the best at producing intriguing social media posts that recruits can relate to, and, are interested in checking out.

So, besides cool photos and videos, what else do social media posts do? From talking to recruits around the South the past couple of years, it’s about integrating the photographs and videos into a recruiting pitch, i.e. including photographs of players in unique uniforms like the Space Uniforms the Knights wore this past season.

Also connected, the pictures with UCF uniforms are also a big part of what’s going on in recruiting. Different backdrops, coaches inside the photographs, etc.

Here’s Clay Wedin, one of the top players in Florida for the class of 2023. He just finished his UCF visit, which can be read here. UCF did a fantastic job connecting with him, the social media aspect of the visit included.

Then there’s the digital art that recruits are drawn to from social media platforms. Here’s a creation for top-notch defensive end recruit Isaiah Nixon from St. Petersburg (Fla.) Lakewood. He’s a recruit that’s seen his recruitment blow up of late, and UCF would love to sign him.

Gaining the interest of a recruit has certainly changed over the years, and now it’s a digital and social media game. As the Knights continue to recruit truly elite prospects, the social media campaigns will be a pivotal part of the success of UCF Football's recruiting efforts. UCF is one of the best programs in the country at capturing the attention of recruits. It’s already paid dividends on National Signing Day, and it will do so in the future as well.

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