Duke’s campus is just gorgeous. It’s one of my (many) favorite things about working at this university. Because it’s so photogenic, it’s a natural fit for Duke to have a presence on Instagram.

For those of you who haven’t explored Instagram yet, it’s an online photo-sharing application and social media service which Facebook recently acquired. Instagram is distinctly built for mobile users – images must be shared on the application through a mobile device. Instagram recently created account profiles that are accessible via a desktop computer, but posting and editing in Instagram is still only available via mobile device access.

Duke University’s Instagram account profile on a mobile device

Instagram is a visual medium with a huge, dedicated user base. These are the main reasons we decided to jump in: a way to share images of our beautiful campuses (here in Durham AND in our global locations) and Duke happenings with our community. Instagram is also a place to host good visual fodder to use on other social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

After we decided Instagram was a good fit for Duke’s social media strategy, our social media team kicked off our official account with the first Duke community PhotoWalk in November 2012. The PhotoWalk was a great opportunity to create content on our account and build a quick following. We also launched the hashtag #PictureDuke for the walk and expect to continue using it for community-generated imagery about all things Duke.

The Duke University account hit 1,000 followers this past weekend, and we’re not slowing down. We have tons of photo ideas queued up and a few ideas for more PhotoWalks this spring. Other areas of campus that are also on Instagram include Duke Libraries, Duke Athletics and Duke Blue Planet.

Duke University’s Instagram account profile on a computer

Right now, the team posting to our Duke Instagram account includes myself, Jonathan Lee and our social media intern, Sarah Haas. Want to see something in particular? Post your suggestions in the comments here or tweet your ideas using #PictureDuke and we’ll see what we can do.