The world—and our jobs—may feel a little overwhelming right now. As a higher ed business leader, topics like shifting employment trends, trust in institutions, the demographic cliff, public and mental health, and climate change are constantly on my mind. It’s easy to get bogged down in the headwinds and what-ifs that threaten our forward progress. My way out of spiraling thinking is a regular return to goals and purpose. What am I trying to achieve and why does it matter?
In a career context, there are three levels of purpose to keep in mind.
Self: What is your professional purpose? How do you want to impact others? What do you want to achieve?
Job: How does your work contribute to the organization’s purpose?
Organization: What is the mission/vision, and how is that operationalized into strategic priorities for this year and next to get us closer to where we need to be?
If you can answer these questions for yourself, your job, and your organization, it’s easier to contextualize everything happening around you and determine how much mindshare it deserves. If you can’t answer these questions, or find that two or more areas are in conflict, that’s a signal a change needs to happen in order for you to find alignment.
You can use these questions beyond self-assessment. For example, I consider each level of purpose when I’m speaking with a potential client so I can determine if our solutions align with their individual, functional, and organizational priorities.
When it feels like there’s too much coming your way, find your firm footing and path forward by re-examining your purpose and the environment you’re operating within. I think you’ll find clarity.
Liz Gross
CEO + Founder of Campus Sonar
Big News!
If you loved our Fundamentals of Social Media Strategy book, you’re going to love what’s next even more.
Our new Social Strategy Fundamentals training series is coming next month! We’re expanding on the strategy, research, and best practices you loved in the book to include real campus insights from guest experts.
Each episode explores core topics from the book, including a discussion session with Sonarians and guests who provide insights into what makes social media so nuanced and fundamental on campus.
Taken together, the episodes walk you through how to approach your work strategically and help your campus leaders see the value and impact of your social media work. The series will share best practices and guidance for new and experienced social media professionals, build community and shared experiences, and grow your skills.
First up will be Goals and Purpose presented by Liz Gross and featuring these guest experts.
Matt Duncan, Academic Digital Engagement Strategist, University of Colorado–Boulder
Arian Pierre, Social Media Coordinator, Dillard University
Rachel Putman, Associate Director of Strategic Communications, University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
Tom Rastrelli, Director of Digital Communications, Willamette University
Sign up now to be added to the registration list and get the first episode when it hits in late August!
STREAM Special Event: Social Media Managers and their Mental Health
by Steve App, Business Development Manager
We view an abundance of online conversation at Campus Sonar. In June alone—typically the calendar month with the lowest amount of campus conversation—our team captured and analyzed more than 115,000 online mentions while supporting our subscription clients. We saw tens of thousands of others through project-based research, which is to say nothing about those we find on our own time.
It was during my off-hours that I stumbled across this tweet from The University of California-Davis, alerting their followers about an upcoming summer break. During this period of time, “the team behind @ucdavis” would be stepping away and “not replying to comments or answering DMs.”
One social media manager at UC Davis called the break “ESSENTIAL.” Another encouraged others, “to normalize boundaries” and not to be afraid to, “remind folks there are humans behind the social.”
It seems we should count marketing leaders among those who need to be reminded.
In its second annual survey on the mental health of higher ed social media managers, West Virginia University found that social media managers remain burnt out and exhausted. Worse, nearly half (45%) of the 200+ social media managers who responded to the survey said their institution or supervisor does not provide them with support and resources to ensure good mental health.
In talking about this year’s results, WVU Senior Director of Marketing Tony Dobies and Senior Marketing Strategist Rickie Rose Huffman offer a blunt assessment. “Higher ed must be better... if we don’t, there will be a significant transition of talent from this industry.”
How can you offer more support to your social media team? You can start by attending an upcoming webinar featuring Tony and Rickie, who'll present data from their latest survey.
“This Is Serious—It’s Time to Support and Value Social Media Managers,” will take place on July 21 (tomorrow!) at 12:00–1:00 CDT.
We’re so pleased to host this event as a special, publicly available STREAM presentation. While the information may be hard to hear, recognizing our reality for social media managers is the only way to create a better future working environment.
Book your seat for this event below. We look forward to seeing you there.
Another Sonarian joined the crew! Darron Bunt joined our Research Team this month as a Social Media Data Analyst. She’s had stops in nonprofits, sports, and higher ed to round out her research and data analysis background, and is a self-proclaimed huge data nerd. Welcome, Darron!
Darron Bunt
Social Media Data Analyst
What is the most memorable vacation you’ve taken?
Biking across Canada. We started at Mile 0 of the TransCanada Highway in Victoria, British Columbia and finished at the top of Signal Hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland 73 days and 7,600km later. I frequently look back on the trip as a reminder not just of how beautiful Canada is, but of what you can accomplish by chipping away at seemingly daunting goals. Somewhere down the line, I would love to also complete the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which starts in Alberta, Canada and finishes in New Mexico on the U.S./Mexico border.
What would you like to accomplish in your job this year?
I’m looking forward to getting up to speed and then digging into all of this great data. I want to learn as much as I can and use that knowledge to provide useful, actionable insights.
Who inspires you?
My mom. My whole life I’ve watched her get up every day and try to make a difference in the lives of others. She is someone who has unquestionably left her space in the world better than when she found it and I can only hope to someday leave that kind of legacy, too.
What are you currently streaming?
I clicked into “Sweet Tooth” on Netflix on a whim and powered through all eight episodes in record time. My fingers are very much crossed that it will get renewed for a second season.
How do you use social media?
I think of each platform as a tool geared towards accomplishing particular goals. For me, Twitter is the land of breaking news and real-time opinions on topics of interest. Facebook is where I make sure my mom knows what I’m up to. Instagram is where I can see fantastic pictures and videos of kids, dogs, and that great meal my friend ate last night. TikTok? That’s where I go when I want to lose an hour in the blink of an eye.
What do you like about social media?
Social media offers such an amazing look into the lives of others; their opinions, perceptions, and just what’s on their mind in general. It’s so interesting to see what people share (and also what they don’t!). It also provides such unique opportunities to build communities and bring people together who may have otherwise never connected.
Upcoming Events
We hope to see you virtually this year at an upcoming event!
National Small College Enrollment Conference | July 26–28 2021
After a year off, the National Small College Enrollment Conference is back—next week! On July 27, Liz will present from our STREAM research with her session “The Secret to Small College Success on Social Media: Insights from Campus Sonar’s Latest Research.” Hope to see you there!
On August 3, Steve will present a Lightning Talk at the eduWeb Digital Summit. In “Are You Measuring Success on 1% of Your Data?” he lays out the case for rethinking how we measure social success on campus.
The HighEdWeb Annual Conference is online again for 2021. Steve and Dayana Kibilids from Western University will present r/RecruitingOnReddit on Monday, October 4. Register now!
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