In this 4-question interview, Tiffany tells us about the plan for Facebook in 2019, a new tool, 3 higher ed social media accounts and an inspiring social media campaign idea.
1) Considering how engagement and reach on Facebook have evolved at your school in 2018, what’s your plan for 2019?
On the Facebook channels that we manage in Advancement we’ve seen a significant decline in likes, comments and shares on our posts over the last year, even though our number of fans continues to increase. To combat this, we’ve adjusted our content calendar so we are posting more frequently. Before, a “few” times a week was the goal, now it’s every day, in an attempt to cast a wide net with the types of content we share and have something we post come through in folks’ news feeds. We’ve also updated our approach for how we post links to our website, rather than using Facebook’s link preview we attach our desired photo and put the link URL in the post text. We have been exploring boosting posts for particular initiatives, especially around major annual giving pushes like our giving day or fiscal year end, where we can more precisely track the ROI of promoting those posts.
2) What is your favorite new tool for your social media work?
We started exploring using Evertrue in the Advancement office this year. It’s a great way to identify those on social media that are highly engaged with our content. So far we’ve used this to identify potential Instagram takeover hosts as well as potential new social media ambassadors.
3) What are the 3 higher ed social media accounts you follow with envy?
- University of Michigan – Twitter
Their regular Twitter chats as well as outreach to all their constituents (prospective students, current students, faculty, alumni and more) make this highly active account one that sets a high standard. - Duke University – Facebook
Duke’s Facebook page does a great job of highlighting research and faculty members, something that can be difficult to get engagement with. - Colorado State – Instagram
Colorado State’s Instagram is a great mix of campus beauty shots, sports photography and adorable animals (and more). It’s inspiring to see the range of content as well as the great graphic design touches on many of the posts. I want to borrow the idea of “swipe to see winners” that they used for their “State of Summer” photo contest.
4) What is the coolest social media campaign you’ve noticed this year?
The coolest campaign that I’ve seen recently was the lip sync videos/challenges from local police departments (disclaimer: our William & Mary Police Department participated in the trend with much success as well). The videos were a fantastic way to really help people connect with their local police department and see them in a positive and fun light.
Higher ed can easily take a page out of that book by remembering that we don’t have to be serious all the time, even though we have an important mission, taking a lighter tone can humanize your institution. It can also spurs your audience to emotionally invest more in your institution and your brand, since they now have a fun and more relatable connection.
Follow Tiffany Broadbent Beker on @higheredexperts Instagram account for a day on October 30, 2018!
You’re going to love Higher Ed Experts’ #HESM18 Instagram Stories Takeovers where your higher ed social media colleagues share a day in their life.
Make sure you don’t miss Tiffany’s 1-day Instagram Stories Takeover on October 30, 2018 by following Higher Ed Experts’ Instagram account now!
A conference focusing on higher ed social media?
The 6th Higher Ed Social Media Conference (HESM18) is a must-attend event for higher ed social media professionals and teams looking for inspiration, ideas and best practices to get ready for 2019.
Read below what your higher ed colleagues who attended the past editions of the Higher Ed Social Media Conference said about their experience.