Social media advocacy framework in action: Focusing on the student journey to inspire real world engagement at Quincy College

Abstract

Quincy College embraced a simple missive and mission in 2017: engage more, delight more and build a network of advocacy across students, staff and faculty. What did this mean for the marketing and communications team at Quincy College? Creating social media campaigns, amplifying community resources, highlighting the student journey beyond classroom and orchestrating delightful experiences that add value both online and in-person. Therefore, in effect, creating a community that is omnipresent, blending the digital space of social media and the real-world campus experience. At every step, Quincy College sought to inspire in-person interactions and build a network of advocates across students, staff and faculty. As a two-year commuter college, Quincy College sought to analyse the typical ‘day in the life’ of a student. Identifying the specific milestones in the student journey helped inform the Quincy College social media strategy. Defining these commonalities provides a point of intersection for students at Quincy College across a diverse population. This paper discusses how to build strategies and campaigns utilising a social media advocacy framework, create social media content within the context of the student journey, utilise community collaboration and enable the greater higher education community to be a voice of advocacy.