Chris Forde

Director of Marketing & Communications
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges & Lincoln Trail College

Chris Forde has been with Illinois Eastern Community Colleges and Lincoln Trail College since 2014 after spending 15 years as a broadcaster covering news and sports. He started as the Coordinator of Marketing and Public Information at LTC and became the Director of Marketing for IECC in 2020. He has a passion for storytelling, especially when it comes to video on social media. Outside of work, Forde is an avid volunteer serving on a variety of local boards and was honored by the Robinson Chamber of Commerce with its Outstanding Service Award. When he has time, he enjoys performing and is the co-founder of an improv troupe. He is a graduate of DePauw University.

Chris Forde’s Session

12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. PT — Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Panel: The Building Blocks of a Social Media Campaign: From Planning to Results

Whether it’s launching a new academic program, promoting a major campus event, or celebrating a key institutional milestone, successful social media campaigns don’t happen by accident—they’re built with strategy, creativity, and clear goals from the ground up.

In this panel, higher ed social media pros will break down their campaign process from start to finish, sharing the essential steps that drive engagement and deliver measurable results. From setting objectives and identifying target audiences to content planning, cross-campus collaboration, execution, and post-campaign analysis, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a campaign successful.

Topics will include:

  • Laying the groundwork: aligning campaign goals with institutional priorities

  • Writing creative briefs, setting timelines, and assigning roles across teams

  • Content creation workflows and platform-specific planning

  • Amplifying reach through collaboration with departments, influencers, and student voices

  • Measuring success: choosing the right KPIs and reporting results to leadership

  • Lessons learned and how to optimize future campaigns
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