Laurie Roberts is the director of digital communications at Johnson & Wales University. She leads social media strategy, content curation, and engagement initiatives for the university’s flagship campus social media accounts, website, and other digital channels. Laurie works to increase brand awareness, expand the university’s digital presence, and introduce the university to new online audiences. She also advises the university’s internal departments in developing and maintaining strong social media presences of their own. Laurie holds a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA with a specialization in marketing from the University of New Hampshire.

Laurie Roberts’s Sessions

9:00 a.m.–9:45 a.m. Pacific Time — Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Speaker-Led Roundtable Discussions and Open Networking

Join one of our small-group video roundtable discussions to share new ideas with your peers. Speakers will lead these discussions. There will also be open networking tables to meet and greet other attendees.

Confirmed discussion tables:

Getting started with Snap Ads, led by Webb Lewis with the University of Mississippi
User-Friendly Apps and Tools for Video Content, led by Sabiha Afrin, American University School of Public Affairs
How to Take a Customer Service Approach to Social Media, led by Laurie Roberts, Johnson & Wales University
How to Plan Content: Creative Idea Generation, Scheduling Ahead, Impromptu Content, and Content in a Crisis, led by Deanna Stevens, Kent State University
How to Identify Internal Advocates/Influencers at Your Institution with Jadis Tillery, ikwe

12:15 p.m.–1:00 p.m. Pacific Time — Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Panel: How to Create & Manage an Effective Content Calendar

Creating an effective content calendar requires that marketers be thoughtful, flexible, and creative. Panelists will explore approaching calendars from a strategic perspective down to the nuts and bolts of execution and logistics. Attendees will also leave with tips on incorporating content calendar planning into their social media workload.

Discussion topics include:

Approaching calendar holidays, large events, and history months. How can marketers make sure they are planning around the events that align with their institution’s brand and showing up in a meaningful way through content?
Content planning. How far in advance should content be planned out? What’s the right balance between scheduled content and leaving room for impromptu posts? What happens to your scheduled content when a crisis comes up?
The nuts and bolts of a content calendar. What tools, collaboration tips, and templates work well to keep track of content across channels and audiences?
Learning and refining your content calendar. How can marketers continually optimize their content calendar and planning process to make their lives easier?