Jessica Stutt, Integrated Marketing Manager at the University of New Brunswick, is one of the 12 presenters of the 5th Higher Ed Social Media Conference.
In this 4-question interview, Jessica tells us about managing social media demands, a learning outcome, the role of video in social media strategy and chimes in on Snapchat.
1) How do you manage the demands on your time and focus inherent to social?
As a Marketing Data Analyst at UNB, I worked closely with our social media team to analyze data and report results to share actionable insights. As the Integrated Marketing Manager of my school, I work with our Digital Marketing Team to build social and digital strategies and measurement plans into integrated marketing plans for our various units and faculties. So, I absolutely recognize the challenge of fitting social media measurement and analysis into our day, particularly making time to analyze results and optimize based on those findings and also taking the time to update your skill set and stay on top of trends. Both of these are incredibly important but easily dropped when things get busy. I’ve written a blog post on how to integrate measurement and reporting in a busy schedule. I’ve also started to schedule “work time” into my week to make sure my schedule doesn’t end up booked up with meetings. This helps me ensure I keep some on my focus on those longer-term projects, including staying updated on best practices, moving forward!
2) What is the most useful thing for your social media work you’ve learned over the past 12 months?
With my background as an analyst, my biggest interest in social media is on the measurement and analytics side of the house. I think the most useful thing I’ve learned is how to do more with data exports out of Facebook. It has given us extra flexibility in terms of being able to more specifically dig into our reporting within the actual platform without having to go directly to a 3rd party measurement and reporting tool. It’s also letting us dig into some interesting data that doesn’t necessarily show up at the surface level.
3) What role does video play in the social media strategy of your school?
Video is incredibly important to us! We have an amazing digital team that leads our social media strategy at a corporate level and we have different accounts for different audiences led by teams across our institution. From alumni to recruitment, video plays a crucial role in the social media strategy behind all of our accounts. Our most ‘successful’ video is a bit tricky to define – there’s a lot of metrics that can define success depending on our goals. On our corporate University of New Brunswick Facebook page, the video with the most organic views is the one we did for a Canadian initiative called “Bell Let’s Talk Day.”
The goal of this campaign is to end the stigma around mental health issues. Our 2016 video was the most successful, but the 2017 video is also in the top 5.
4) Snapchat is still somehow controversial in higher ed. Do you think schools should invest time and resources on this platform?
I recognize that Snapchat can be frustrating, particularly since ROI is so challenging to prove and metrics are unavailable. However, I definitely believe it makes sense to invest time and resources in the platform. There is little doubt that it’s an extremely popular channel, particularly for the undergraduate and future student audience. The key to any successful social media strategy is to leverage tactics that are meaningful to your target audience. There are changes happening within the platform that should improve its usability – including the self-serve ad platform. We have seen some data points showing positive results, including follower growth on the platform and are finding success in leveraging student takeovers to share meaningful and organic content on Snapchat.
A day in the life of a higher ed social media pro: Jessica Stutt
Are you a fan of social media takeovers by students or alums?
Jessica Stutt took over Higher Ed Experts’ Instagram account for a day on October 23, 2017 as part of the Higher Ed Social Media Conference Speakers Takeovers where your higher ed social media colleagues share a day in their life.
A conference focusing on higher ed social media?
The Higher Ed Social Media Conference is a must-attend event for higher ed social media professionals and teams looking for new ideas and best practices.
Read below what a few of your higher ed colleagues who attended the past editions of the Higher Ed Social Media Conference say about the experience.