PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Office of Engagement
Social Media Proposal
May 2019

A look at social media use among engagement peers and the

framework for a social media internship program.

Purdue Office of Engagement

 Introduction

This proposal will lay out the benefits of social me-
dia as a public relations tool—the account type and
public relations effectiveness of social media among
BIG10 peers, principles to guide social media use,
and the framework for a social media internship
program in the Office of Engagement.
Social media can serve as a great tool for commu-
nicating with community partners, Purdue faculty,
and the wider engagement community. Consistent,
scheduled posts can serve the role of a public re-
lations arm, connecting interested individuals to
engagement programs as well as keeping them in-
formed about events, such as the yearly Engagement
Summit. In addition to other forms of marketing and
public relations, social media can serve as a low-cost
method to reach large audiences of interested indi-
viduals. Social media posts should not be considered
an alternative to other methods of public relations,
such as newsletters or engagement stories, but as a
way to supplement these traditional forms with live
updates and rapid communications.

Social Media in BIG10 Engagement

We can model our social media use off the habits of our peers in the BIG10. 11 out of the other 13 schools
in the BIG10 use social media, typically operating on multiple platforms. Twitter and Facebook are the most
common platforms, however engagement programs also make use of Instagram and YouTube.

Top Accounts Post Frequency vs Followers Count

University of Maryland Twitter @UMD_OCE
2,608 Followers 25 posts per month Goal:
25 Po
sts pe
r Mon
th
Followers

University of Wisconsin Facebook @ uwdiversity

1,139 Followers 39 posts per month

Ohio State Twitter @OSUOutreach

2,221 Followers 35 posts per month

Posts per Month

Some notably successful account management comes from University of Wisconsin, Ohio State, and the Uni-
versity of Maryland. These engagement offices garner a large following on the sites they use, particularly
Twitter and Facebook.

Purdue Office of Engagement 1

 Guiding Principles for Social Media Use
Frequent Posting
The most successful accounts post the most fre-
quently. In addition to quantity, successful accounts
also post on a regular basis. This includes sharing
or retweeting content form other institutional of-
fices or community partners. The Office of Engage-
ment should commit to 25 posts a month (including
shared or retweeted content) with a goal of posting
every day on each social media account. High post
frequency improves follower engagement and can
help the accounts gain more followers.
Event Promotion
Social media is one of the most effective avenues for
event promotion. Peer engagement offices consis-
tently utilize social media for event promotion, cre-
ating posts across multiple platforms. Facebook is a
robust tool for planning and organizing events, dis-
playing information on the venue and agenda, pro-
viding the option to RSVP, and more. Twitter, while
not as robust for event organization, can be utilized
for sharing event updates.
Creating Connections with Partner Organizations
In addition to engagement peers, many community
organizations operate social media accounts. Social
Purdue Office of Engagement
media provides an easy way to informally commu-
nicate with engagement community organizations,
whether it be by sharing or replying to their posts.
Social media account managers should be encour-
aged to interact with partner organizations online.
Advertising Posts
Advertising posts can be useful for reaching wide
audiences who may not follow the Office of Engage-
ment account. Advertising, often called promoting,
a post is typically a low cost, efficient method to in-
crease the engagement on important or particularly
successful posts. As an example, in the weeks before
the Engagement Summit it may be useful to promote
a tweet to twitter users in the Lafayette communi-
ty or at other universities, such as IU Bloomington.
Advertising posts can also be a method for gaining
followers after accounts are created.
Faculty to Contribute to Organic Discussion
One of the best resources for promoting the Office
of Engagement’s social media accounts are the fac-
ulty in the office. Faculty should be encouraged to
share or reply to posts to foster discussion. This is an
organic way to bolster the accounts’ followers.
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 Creating a Social Media Internship
If the Office of Engagement wants to create social media accounts, an intern would be capable of managing
them while holding a part-time position. As a fledgling social media user, the Office of Engagement should
start by developing a following on Facebook and Twitter, the two most popular social media sites.
Account Goals
It is important to develop specific goals for the social
media accounts to guide the intern’s work. I have
created some goals for the social media accounts, but
I advise the intern supervisor to determine which
goals most meet the office’s mission.
• Provide a reliable channel for updates on engage-
ment programs at Purdue.
• Improve relationships with community and insti-
tutional partners.
• Inform the Purdue and Lafayette community
about Office of Engagement programs.
• Attract new community partners to the Office of
Engagement.
Work Responsibilities
This position will require an intern to work 10
60%
hours per week.
Managing social media accounts.
Creating and scheduling posts,
replying to comments and men-
tions, following community and institutional orga-
nizations, monitoring followed accounts to share or
reply to posts.
25% Documenting engagement events. At-
tending events, creating posts and taking
pictures for social media accounts.
10% Flex time. (Can be determined by posi-
tion supervisor)
5% Administrative duties. Replying to emails,
attending meetings.
Purdue Office of Engagement
Selecting a Student
It is important to select a student with strong rhe-
torical and project management skills. Students
studying English (professional writing), marketing/
advertising, or communications would be prima-
ry candidates for the position. A candidate should
also have a knowledge of social media management,
graphic design, web-writing, and brand develop-
ment.
Social Media Management Software
There are a number of tools for managing social me-
dia accounts. Free software such as Hootsuit, Tweet-
Deck, and SocialOomph should be utilized in order
to keep accounts organized and posts released on
schedule. As the intern begins to develop social me-
dia content, the supervisor and intern should select
a management tool. With these tools it is often times
most efficient to produce content in bulk—every few
weeks—and have the tools post on a schedule. In the
meantime the intern should be engaging with other
accounts, sharing and retweeting content, and de-
veloping a more thorough social media strategy.
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