"Hiding the Veggies" in Higher Ed Social

09/27/24 • 32 min

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Curating content for higher ed social channels can be a balancing act. How do you pair fun, engaging, and relatable content with important messages students need to pay attention to? Emily Stulz, the Director of Social Media at the University of Arizona, says it’s all about “hiding the veggies” in your content.

Full Episode Details

We uncover the secrets behind what makes the University of Arizona’s social content so impactful. Emily reveals her approach to assessing content effectiveness and why sometimes you need the courage to walk away when something isn’t working. She calls this “Marie Kondo-ing” your social accounts. If your strategy is falling short of “sparking joy,” it’s time to say goodbye.

Emily’s advice for social pros is to be proactive in all things – whether it’s keeping yourself up to date on trends, using data to measure success, or deciding how and when to pivot your strategy.

She offers predictions on the future of social media in higher education, discussing the impact of TikTok and the staying power of Instagram, plus her thoughts on battling against the evolving algorithm and changing audience preferences.

In This Episode:

1:45 - Emily explains her role and approach to social media
2:44 - How her team keeps things consistent for flagship accounts
4:58 - Emily’s approach to platform-specific content
6:18 - How her team “hides the veggies” when covering important topics
8:49 - The trick to making sure your strategy doesn’t get overlooked
11:15 - How the university keeps up with social media and algorithm changes
14:46 - Emily’s predictions for TikTok and what people use it for
18:11 - Emily reveals her favorite campaign
21:35 - How her team encourages faculty and students to get involved with campaigns
23:51 - Why you need to 'Marie Kondo' your social accounts
28:11 - Emily’s tip for aspiring social pros

Resources

Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Full Episode Details

In This Episode:

1:45 - Emily explains her role and approach to social media
2:44 - How her team keeps things consistent for flagship accounts
4:58 - Emily’s approach to platform-specific content
6:18 - How her team “hides the veggies” when covering important topics
8:49 - The trick to making sure your strategy doesn’t get overlooked
11:15 - How the university keeps up with social media and algorithm changes
14:46 - Emily’s predictions for TikTok and what people use it for
18:11 - Emily reveals her favorite campaign
21:35 - How her team encourages faculty and students to get involved with campaigns
23:51 - Why you need to 'Marie Kondo' your social accounts
28:11 - Emily’s tip for aspiring social pros

Resources

Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Previous Episode

Nailing Down Paid Social for Your Brand

We see paid social ads every day, scrolling through our feeds, watching YouTube videos... And a lot of the time it can leave us frustrated and eager to swipe past. So how can social pros pause that never-ending scroll and get people interested? Sammy Lent, Creative Strategist and Growth & Acquisition Specialist, joins Social Pros to take us through her strategies for winning the battle against low attention spans and ad-resistant consumers.

Full Episode Details

Sammy Lent has worked with several different brands on paid social strategies that involve creative solutions to grab attention even when many are tired of endless advertising. Her top takeaway from this episode is to lean into empathy. Understanding consumers is step number one in any marketing push, but as social pros, who are no strangers to scrolling through our feeds, we can tap into the minds of consumers because we are them!

In this episode, Sammy breaks down the top differences between paid and organic social, highlighting that they’re two sides of the same coin and can complement each other well. She takes us through some of the creative projects she’s worked on and how platform changes have shifted the way paid social works and compete for attention on your feed. We also hear her take on influencer marketing and why more consumers are resonating with smaller content creators and UGC.

In This Episode:

2:07 - Sammy takes us through her career story as a creative strategist for different brands
5:07 - The top differences between organic and paid social
7:10 - How paid and organic social can complement each other
8:35 - Why marketers need to lean into empathy, especially in paid social
14:52 - How social media platforms have changed and how paid advertisers react
19:25 - Why TikTok is the platform Sammy would use if she had to start her career from scratch
22:28 - Predictions for the future of TikTok for advertisers
25:35 - How UGC and influencers fit into paid social today
31:02 - How to connect with Sammy
31:41 - Sammy shares her top tips for aspiring social pros

Resources

Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Next Episode

Bridging the Generational Divide on Social

Generational perspectives collide in this episode as three social pros from different age groups share their insights on the evolution of social media. Leanna Pham, CEO of Pham & Fams and a Gen Z digital marketer, joins millennial Hannah Tooker and Gen X Sunny Hunt to explore how each generation has experienced and adapted to the ever-changing world of social.

Full Episode Details

From MySpace coding to the rise of social media as a career path, this conversation looks into the transformative journey of social media and its impact on different generations. Leanna, Hannah, and Sunny discuss how each generation has had unique experiences, from the early days of social platforms to their current role as essential marketing tools.

Leanna shares her insights on how Gen Z has witnessed the transformation of social media from a casual way to connect with friends into a vital career avenue. She also reflects on how earlier generations used social platforms primarily for personal interaction, while her generation has adapted to leverage these tools for professional growth.

One of the main points she raises is the common mistake brands make when trying to connect with Gen Z and why it’s so important for generations to learn from each other rather than compete with each other.

In This Episode: