CPP Memes is an unaffiliated, student-run Instagram account that produces, posts and reposts humorous content for the Cal Poly Pomona community. Estrada started the Instagram account in October 2018 with another student, who later stopped contributing to the page. Estrada now runs the account by himself and tries to maintain it as much as possible by posting at least once a week or whenever he has a chance.
“We originally wanted to help out with another meme page that was on campus, but we didn’t think the owner of the other account would let us contribute, so we decided to just start our own,” Estrada explained. “Eventually, ours just got bigger than the other one since that guy kind of quit his meme page.”
In efforts to spread laughter by sharing humorous content with the campus community, the CPP Meme page was born.
When Estrada first began posting regularly, he faced difficulties balancing his academics and social life while maintaining the account. However, with an accustomed routine, he is now able to create content on the spot without planning or accepting third-party submissions.
In the beginning, Estrada occasionally shared his memes on Reddit or campus-related Facebook pages to grow and promote the account. Exchanging shoutouts with other student-run Instagram accounts also helped him gain followers. However, Estrada is not actively promoting since fall 2019 due to the lack of time availability.
“I thought the page was only going to get like 5,000 followers by the time I graduate, but now it’s more than double of that,” Estrada said.
He explained that during the first few months after creating the account, every couple of posts would attract 50 to 100 new followers. The biggest spike in followers, however, was when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
To create his posts, Estrada utilizes Free Photo Tool, an online photo-editing platform, and Mematic, a meme-making tool. Additionally, he utilizes the default features on Instagram to add text.
According to Estrada, memes that attract the most attention are about current events and school administration announcements that directly affect students.
His favorite memes involve the university’s administration, which Estrada calls his least favorite part of attending CPP. However, despite frequently posting memes about the administration, Estrada noted that he has not had any issues with them as a result of his account.
According to Estrada, he is currently in a group chat with other meme account owners from universities across the country where content is often shared, spurring ideas for his upcoming posts.
Estrada anticipates graduating this semester and hopes to pursue a career as a financial analyst. Despite the current situation with the pandemic and remote learning, Estrada is excited to graduate and explore his professional journey.
As his time at CPP comes to an end, Estrada plans to either hand over the account or sell it. However, he is leaning toward selling the account and wants the account to continue growing.
