Lawerence Synett’s Sessions
8:15 a.m.–9:00 a.m. Pacific — Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Whether you love or hate it, data might be the most essential tool in a social media manager's toolbelt. But what should you be tracking, and how should you report it?
During this session, attendees will learn that there is no one-size-fits-all regarding social media reporting. They'll leave with best practices on what metrics to pull, how to cross-analyze them, and how to break those numbers down in a digestible way for all those to understand.
8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Pacific — Wednesday, October 25, 2023
This workshop will include short lectures, activities with small break-out groups, results-sharing, and Q&A.
Section 1: Content Strategy & Planning, led by Laurie Roberts, Johnson & Wales University
Setting the strategy is the first step to developing a successful social media presence, including the basics: goals, audiences, platforms, and content pillars. Knowing what to post is important, but knowing when to post can be tricky. This section will also cover creating and maintaining a content calendar that puts your content strategy to work.
What you’ll learn:
- How to draft a social media strategy that outlines goals, audiences, platforms, and content pillars (plus a worksheet)
- How to re-imagine key marketing messages as content pillars
- How to map out post ideas on a content calendar (plus suggested free tools)
- How to maintain a content calendar that’s both flexible and strategic
- Tips for a multi-departmental approach to sourcing strategic content
Section 2: Channel-Specific Content & Working with Students, led by Lawerence Synett, University of Colorado Denver
Once your content pillars and content calendar is in place, it’s essential to break down content per platform and understand where your content will perform its best. This section will review platform best practices, and provide easy-to-implement ideas for tackling the “creative desert.”
What you’ll learn:
- The best types of content per platform, including Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
- The best ways to leverage student ambassadors, workers, and organizations
- How to address a lack of content ideas
- Traps to avoid regarding link clinks, hashtags, graphics, specific days, and celebrations
Section 3: Data-Informed Content Strategies, led by Moriah Walker, UNC Charlotte
Once you’ve created your social content strategy and identified the best channels for your institution, there are important steps to take to stay on track to achieve your goals. This section will cover how to make data-informed decisions to keep your audience engaged and your institutional priorities top of mind.
What you’ll learn:
- The role of data in determining what to share and how to share it effectively
- When to find a new approach for your lowest performing content and when to move it off of social
- How to make “dry” topics more engaging for a social media audience
- Ways to repurpose content to get the most ROI
