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Nikki Sunstrum
Nikki Sunstrum, Director of Social Media at the University of Michigan, is one of the 12 presenters of the 5th Higher Ed Social Media Conference.

In this 4-question interview, Nikki 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?

We have a saying at Michigan: The Team, The Team, The Team. I am very grateful to have the honor of working with and leading some brilliant social communications professionals. The phenomenal content and strategy U-M implements each day is a direct reflection of our collective talent and dedication to collaboration.

2) What is the most useful thing for your social media work you’ve learned over the past 12 months?

It’s not necessarily something I’ve learned, but something I had confirmed. In my August keynote at #EduWeb17 I asked the many social media professionals in attendance to raise their hand if they truly felt their leadership understood what they do daily.

Not a single person raised their hand. Let that sink in.

3) What role does video play in the social media strategy of your school?

If you’re not using video, start, now. For years we’ve been leveraging images to maximize our space in timelines and increase visual engagement.

Video is now the newest way to captivate and educate audiences through dynamic storytelling, exclusive live coverage and timely dialogues.

Our most successful video on Facebook captured a key moment in the amazing story of Trevor Sullivan.

4) Snapchat is still somehow controversial in higher ed. Do you think schools should invest time and resources on this platform?

If Snapchat is a battle you are still fighting at your institution, abandon ship.

There are many other tools that you can leverage to tell your story.

Spend your time and effort on creating valuable content within the platforms and communities you already have available to you.

A day in the life of a higher ed social media pro: Nikki Sunstrum

Are you a fan of social media takeovers by students or alums?

Nikki Sunstrum took over Higher Ed Experts’ Instagram account for a day on November 1st, 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.

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