Finding Social Media Unicorns and Keeping Them Alive - CASE District 4 2019

This presentation, delivered by Alex Garrido, UTRGV Director of Digital Marketing & Analytics, at the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education District IV in Grapevine, Texas, explores the concept of "social media unicorns" - content that sparks conversations, stands out, and breaks through the digital clutter. Garrido delves into identifying, creating, and repurposing such content to enhance engagement and achieve specific goals, like recruitment or brand recognition. The presentation also emphasizes understanding audience behavior and adapting content strategy accordingly. Key takeaways include the importance of crafting unique and engaging content, repurposing content for different platforms and audiences, and understanding the specific behaviors of your target audience on social media.

1. Finding Social Media Unicorns and Keeping Them Alive By Alex Garrido, UTRGV Director of Digital Marketing & Analytics Council for the Advancement and Support of Education District IV Grapevine, Texas. Feb. 2019

2. We will cover What are your social media unicorns? Why are they important? How to identify a potential unicorn? How to resuscitate a unicorn? How to avoid being repetitive?

3. We live in the age of distraction

4. Your social media unicorns break through the digital clutter

5. Types of social media unicorns Content unicorns Niche General Sparks conversations Complex Community sense of pride Easy to understand

6. The normal life-cycle of a social media post Facebook: 2-3 hours Twitter: 18 minutes Instagram: 12 hours Snapchat: 24 hours

7. Finding your social media unicorns is all about catching missed opportunities.

8. Donor social media behavior Checks Twitter in the morning for breaking news Facebook during lunch break or to talk to family LinkedIn on the weekends (after clicking on an email invitation) What is Snapchat?

9. Undergraduate prospective student behavior Checks Instagram/Snapchat messages multiple times a day Normally watches long-video (2 mins+) only in the afternoon -unless compelled by a friend Reads comments on FB first before clicking on a link

10. Break away from the “breaking news”-post everywhere mentality.

11. What does a unicorn look like? Sparks conversations within a few minutes. Might be controversial. Short & open for interpretation. Can reinforce previously held beliefs.

12. For example

13. For example

14. Repurposing for recruitment

15. Repurposing for international recruitment

16. Repurposing for international recruitment

17. Just a flyer

18. Adapted for mobile-first

19. Repurposing for brand recognition

20. Repurposing for brand recognition

21. Repurposing for relevance

22. Our Grad Recruitment Cycle: Keeping them engaged Grad College Connection Social media reach, remarketing Search discovery PPC or SEO University Connection Building recognition & pride, retargeting Grad Student Groups Facilitating connections Program-specific ads Articles, videos, webinars. Graduate Engagement

23. Social media can help you “close the sale”

24. Our Grad Recruitment Cycle Institutionalized AOP recruitment cycle

25. Our Grad Recruitment Cycle

26. @MrAlexGarrido LinkedIn/in/AlexGarrido