PathwayConnect’s Social Reach

The PathwayConnect experience isn’t just limited to courses and weekly gatherings

BY: Caleb Trujillo

Your PathwayConnect experience isn’t just limited to your courses and local interactions through weekly gatherings. Did you know that PathwayConnect has a social media presence? You can interact with other students halfway across the world through our Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter accounts.

So what’s the point of being involved in social media?

Pinterest is the fastest-growing social network! The visual web is driving the rise of Pinterest at a growth rate of 88% over the last 12 months. Twitter and LinkedIn are also rapid risers with growth rates around 40%.

 For starters, over 1.7 billion people worldwide use social media. Chances are, you have an account on one of these social platforms, or at least have had some sort of interaction using them. Millions of status updates, tweets, and pins are posted each day, and our goal is to use these tools to motivate, inform, and inspire you through information about PathwayConnect and the gospel that the program is based upon.

We don’t have plans to find millions of followers or sit atop any and every search engine, but the next time you are surfing the web or have a bit of down time, stop by one our social media sites for some inspiration.

Facebook users share 2.5 billion pieces of content each day. Twitter users send 400 million tweets every day.

We post on Facebook each weekday. These posts range from inspirational quotes and photos to reminders about devotionals. Our design team works hard to make visually appealing program tips and newsletter articles. The Facebook page also serves as a gateway to more information about our program by frequently linking content to our official website. Please feel free to share what we post with other PathwayConnect students, Church members, and friends who are not of our faith. It’s an easy way to introduce others to PathwayConnect. Also, many students have created specific Facebook groups for their respective areas. These students use the groups as a means of mass communication to organize social events and give one another words of encouragement.

Our BYU-Pathway Twitter feed is still relatively new. Twitter is used as a source for news gathering and information distribution. Similar to Facebook, we post content that includes inspirational messages and news concerning the Church and our program. Be sure to search and tweet #byupathway when sharing news related to your PathwayConnect experience.

Of every hour spent online, Americans spend 16 minutes (27% of their total online time) on social media sites.

Pinterest serves as an inspiration tool for your future projects and ambitions. PathwayConnect is composed of people from many different walks of life: parents, children, priesthood holders, Relief Society members, cooks, crafters, and more. With a quick look at our boards, you’ll find inspiration rooted in family and gospel principles. Next time you are in need of a new recipe, a quick inspirational message, or a fun idea for Family Home Evening, keep our Pinterest account in mind.

Please remember, our social media sites are not official forms of communication.

PathwayConnect will continue to utilize email, communication directly to students, and service missionaries as official means to relay important messages. It is not mandatory to participate in our social media, but we hope that it will serve as another tool to improve your PathwayConnect experience.