In this 3-question interview, Lindsay tells us about the best content advice ever, content performance measurement and a favorite content tool.
1) What is the best advice you’ve ever been given when it comes to content?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received regarding content is to define your social voice verbally. I feel terrible because I can’t remember where I saw this tip, and now I use it constantly! But this idea is incredibly useful for those of us who manage social accounts with a team of staff or interns and to help keep voice consistent throughout. Defining your institution’s voice verbally really helps clarify your perspective for new interns and staff. Here is what we work with:
- Our voice on social media
- Positive, upbeat, enthusiastic
- Love for campus, students, and the outdoors
- Fun! This is not a serious website
- Occasional use of slang, but not trying too hard
- A tiny bit sarcastic sometimes
2) How is the performance of your content measured/evaluated at your school?
I gather metrics monthly and distribute to my student marketing team, Marketing & Communications Department, Admission Department, and upper leadership. These metrics include:
- A report from Sprout Social, our social media management tool, that analyzes our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram activity;
- A screenshot of our YouTube analytics;
- A spreadsheet of stats from Mailchimp, our email marketing platform, including open rates, click-through rates, and numbers of emails sent;
- A few graphs from Meltwater, our media monitoring service, that show our media mentions compared to our competitors in both the social and news spheres;
- A screenshot of activity from YouVisit, our virtual tour, that shows the number of visits and actions taken;
- A spreadsheet that shows the activity from any recent Snapchat geofilters, including number of swipes and uses;
- And anything else that seems relevant!
The most important thing is that I don’t send these reports out blindly and expect those outside of digital communication to get value out of them. Each month, I pick the most interesting five points across all the metrics and explain them. This could include why certain numbers look especially high or low; why numbers may have changed compared to last month or last year, or particular events or initiatives that may have driven spikes in engagement or followers.
3) What is your favorite content tool?
I only get to choose one? Well, my most used and most useful tool is Sprout Social, our social media management tool. I use it to monitor branded and non-branded mentions and to schedule content for Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Google+. My interns also use it to schedule content, so I can preview their messaging before it goes live and correct language, typos, or concepts that are off point. But a close second is Canva, a super easy-to-use graphic design tool. Even though I have a background in Art and experience in Photoshop, sometimes Canva is just more fun and helps spark new ideas!
A conference focusing on higher ed content?
The Higher Ed Content Conference is a must-attend event for higher ed content 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 Content Conference say about the experience.