Title: Tweeting & Leading with Schulich
Organisation Name: Western University, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Industry: Education
Name of contact if available: Brian Blatnicki, Digital Communications Coordinator
Web References: People of Schulich Medicine & Dentistry
Other References: Phone Interviews with members of the Communications and Marketing Department
The climate for learning is constantly changing thus setting the stage for future learning. As learners continue to ask for greater accountability and transparency amongst educational institutions, social media platforms may present themselves as amazing tools with enhanced means of engagement. Said mediums allow for brands to engage and evolve within their digital communities. This post speaks to the potential of an innovative campaign run on Twitter by Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. As the author of this post I will disclose that I am a recent alumnus of the School’s Master of Public Health Program and will man this Twitter series for a day in the month of March. That being said, I am reflecting on their campaign with my social media enthusiast goggles on!
The Social Media Campaign
THE PEOPLE OF SCHULICH MEDICINE & DENTISTRY TWITTER SERIES
For the Twitter series already underway by the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, it’s about tweeting and experiencing a culture by example. Each week the reins of @SchulichMedDent, the school’s twitter account would be handed over to its students, faculty and recent alumni. This allows one to experience what life is like on campus and beyond, through the tweets of the school’s community members. I had the opportunity to speak with the school’s Director of Communications and Marketing, Jennifer Parraga regarding this campaign, listen to our conversation below…
With the tweeting already begun, check out the first week of the series on Twitter.
INNOVATIVE engagement
From my perspective, the school’s communications department has done a brilliant job of cultivating an environment for engagement. With the diverse backgrounds of the individuals manning the Twitter series, they are in fact sharing their diverse perspectives or lenses by which they perceive the world. This allows the school to engage with various communities housed within its walls and beyond. If one cannot relate to you, there’s a chance another would. Twitter is a medium that could help you do exactly that. The messaging on the platform is easily accessible and allows a variety of communities to engage with one another faster than ever. With the messaging concise and narrated by passionate communicators within their respective fields, they will surely be #purpleandproud. With the series just gaining its momentum, the full impact of the communications campaign cannot be evaluated at the moment. However, this is a brilliant method to enhance community and brand engagement.
LESSONS moving forward…
Important questions to ask yourself is “what is the culture of my marketing and communications department?” This could be reflected in the nature of the brand you represent. Take education which is the example of this case, its got engagement written all over it. Education requires collaboration and partnerships to remain consistent and up to date with the world. Hence the use of social media is quite relevant. Becoming aware of whether one’s organization or business is ready for social media is probably the first step. Once you have the answer to this question, its a matter of getting on the right platforms and brainstorming the right campaigns that complement your objectives. Remember it is important to have a clear strategy with SMART goals.
Check out this social I created with the aid of PowToon regarding your social media presence.
Will you craft your social media strategy now?
Often the issue with utilizing social media in marketing is the lack of time and expertise in this domain. Check out the video below about how to better your social media marketing endeavors.
Ultimately if you’re on social media, you have simply 3 objectives to fulfil in your campaign…
ENGAGE with your digital communities, measure your PERFORMANCE and remain CREATIVE..
Submitted By: Yoshi Perera, Public Health Professional
To contact the author of this entry please email at: yoshdrp87@gmail.com
If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Programme Director, Social Media for Business Performance.