From record-breaking engagement to national recognition, the Office of Marketing and Communications drives the stories, strategies, and results that shape the University of Lynchburg’s reputation and reach.
Since May 2024, our office has overhauled a 2,300-page website, moved across campus, produced two Lynchburg magazines, overhauled the University's virtual tour, onboarded several new team members, redesigned several admissions collateral, assisted Advancement with communications, and created a virtual add-on to Student Orientation and Registration.
More than just marketing
We create moments that connect, stories that stick, and campaigns that move people to action.
Most schools just show a few buildings, but Lynchburg's has ALL THE BUILDINGS!
Measurable momentum
Our team’s impact isn’t just visible — it’s measurable.
These highlights show how MarCom is fueling awareness, engagement, and trust across the institution and beyond.
Lynchburg’s national and local visibility has more than doubled — a +101% increase in earned media reach — thanks to targeted storytelling and strategic media outreach.
A standout example: Dr. David Richards, political science professor, was featured in 392 media mentions alone, reaching 4.95 billion impressions. In a presidential election year, he became a go-to expert for national outlets like The New York Times, Fox News, and The Washington Post.
We completed 2,102 deliverables across 854 project requests since August 2024. A deliverable includes any completed asset — such as a flyer, video, email, social media post, webpage, or photo shoot.
These projects served nearly every unit on campus, including Admissions, Athletics, Advancement, Academics, UESS, and Health Sciences. Client satisfaction remained strong, with a 92% satisfaction rate, signaling trust in both quality and service. This level of productivity demonstrates our team’s essential role in advancing university priorities.
For May 2024-25, the University of Lynchburg’s website recorded 1.7 million sessions — a 3.4% increase over the preceding period. Visitors aren’t just clicking in and bouncing; they’re staying and exploring. Our bounce rate decreased 13% , bringing us below the industry rate of 54%.
Even more importantly, 57% of our website visitors engaged meaningfully with content — whether through multiple pageviews, video plays, or form submissions. These improvements reflect targeted SEO efforts and more strategic content planning, helping prospective students, parents, alumni, and community members find and connect with what matters most.
Our follower growth is consistently outpacing national benchmarks in higher education. Between January and March 2025, Lynchburg's Instagram audience grew by nearly 10%, LinkedIn by 6%, and TikTok by 16% — all above the average growth rates for education.
Engagement also stands out: engagements on TikTok increased by 105%, and the engagement rate of videos on our Instagram profile average 8.1% — higher than the industry benchmark of 3.1% . This traction signals a healthy, engaged community and increasing visibility with key audiences.
From strategy to execution, our office touches every part of the student journey and institutional brand.
.
From March to May 2025, the MarCom team worked on a virtual add-on to Student Orientation and Registration. Titled "First Flight," it includes five required modules, three modules for three different audiences, and five to eight lessons within each module. By doing this in house, we saved the University $80K.
