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Top 5 reasons to add an event to master calendar

January 17, 2017 by Mary Chiles

Are you looking to share your university event and need help getting the word out? Just add the event to the master calendar. It’s a quick and easy way to ensure that it’s available to the biggest audience possible. Not convinced? Consider this:

community members listen to a public affairs lecture

  • You can share the link on social media. That way, people can still find it even if they don’t have access to the original post.
  • Adding your event to the calendar means a broader audience sees it, including people who weren’t aware of your organization.
  • The calendar is the best way to make Marketing and Communications aware of your event so that MarCom can promote it.
  • Adding the event to the calendar is more reliable than sending reminders to email addresses, which may be outdated. The event invite might also be marked as spam, meaning some people won’t get the message.
  • It’s easy! Here is an example. Note the short, clear sentences.

Getting the word out

view of crowd and tents at Bearfest Village

  1. Submit the event as far in advance as possible. Your goal should be at least two weeks in advance.
  1. Upload a photo that relates to the event. Resize images to 700 pixels wide and 394 pixels tall for highest quality. Here’s how to Save for Web on Photoshop.
  1. List time, date and venue in appropriate sections. You don’t need to include date in the event description.
  1. Double-check details for accuracy, as only a calendar administrator can edit an event once it has been submitted and approved.
  1. Check off the boxes in event inclusion if they apply.

Select the appropriate boxes in event inclusion

Need more help?

We wrote this in collaboration with public relations specialist Emily Yeap. Please contact her if you have questions.

Filed Under: web strategy and development Tagged With: events, marketing, master calendar, planning

Blogging inspiration: share an event

November 29, 2016 by Mary Chiles

a sample blog post from the College of Arts and Letters

In this series we inspire you to create fun, insightful blog posts, which help convey an inviting, communicative atmosphere to current and prospective students.

A post we loved

Haven’t posted for a while? Don’t worry. We found inspiration in a recent post from the College of Arts and Letters  about an art professor’s work, which was on display at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. The post included details about the pieces on display and a link to a slideshow.

We liked that this post provided a snapshot of a current event and included images that bring readers to the scene — even if they are unable to travel to the exhibit.

Blogging tip

Want to keep your readers in the loop without renovating your website? Be sure to integrate your blog into your website. This enables readers to see excerpts of your latest posts without leaving your site. You can add blog feed to your site by following these instructions. Need help? Contact the help desk or visit an open lab.

Filed Under: web strategy and development, WordPress blogs Tagged With: art and design, arts and letters, blogging, coal, inspiration

Social Media Kit: Community Engagement Project

November 8, 2016 by Mary Chiles

aerial view of garden

Community Engagement Project: Bear Blitz

Want to help alleviate poverty in the Ozarks but don’t have much time? You can contribute as little as an hour during the Community Engagement Project: Bear Blitz. MSU students, alumni, faculty and staff are taking the Public Affairs Mission to the streets of Zone 1 (Northwest Springfield) the week of Nov. 14-19 in an effort to help families overcome the challenges they face.

Do your part as a #CitizenBear!

Key details

  • What: Community Engagement Project: Bear Blitz
  • When: Monday, November 14 through Saturday, November 19, 2016
  • Where: Northwest Springfield
  • Community Partner: Drew Lewis Foundation

Featured Events

  • What: Assist with vision screenings at Hope Connection
  • When: 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.. Nov. 16, 2016
  • Where: Springfield Expo Center
  • What: Assist with dinner preparation and childcare coverage
  • When: 4:30-7:30 p.m., Nov. 17, 2016
  • Where: The Fairbanks

Share the story

Help us spread the word about this event with Missouri State and local communities by sharing it on social media. If you are at the event, we want to hear about your experience!

We encourage you to join the conversation during the Bear Blitz by posting about it on social media. Tag your posts with the official Missouri State Public Affairs hashtag: #CitizenBear. Remember to wear your maroon and white for a special edition takeover of BearWear Friday.

Make your post social media savvy

  • Tag post with the official Public Affairs hashtag: #CitizenBear
  • Whenever possible, tag:
    • Missouri State University or @missouristate
    • City of Springfield or @cityofsgf
    • Drew Lewis Foundation
    • United Way of the Ozarks or @unitedwayozarks
    • Drury University or @druryuniversity
    • Ozarks Technical College or @otcedu
    • Southwest Baptist University or @sbuniv

Photos

The following photos are available for your use:

Facebook

students lift logs
aerial view of garden
students scrape walls
student pulls weeds

Twitter

student works in garden
students dig in garden
students move branches
student scrapes paint in Fairbanks building

Instagram

student moves trash bin
student paints sign at fairbanks
student loads firewood into truck
studen shovels dirt

Sample tweets

  • Share your blessings before Thanksgiving break by helping with Bear Blitz goo.gl/SL4p0V
  • Take a study break and spend an hour being a #CitizenBear goo.gl/SL4p0V
  • Grab your BearWear and help the @cityofsgf goo.gl/SL4p0V
  • Make your lunch break somebody’s whole year- volunteer #CitizenBear goo.gl/SL4p0V

Sample Facebook posts

Example 1

  • Post: Start your ‘Friendsgiving’ celebration early by volunteering with fellow Bears at Drew Lewis Foundation during Bear Blitz from Nov. 14-19th.
  • URL: goo.gl/D357GN

Example 2

  • Post: Before heading home for Thanksgiving break, help folks right here in Springfield during Bear Blitz going on from Nov. 14th-19th.
  • URL: goo.gl/D357GN

Example 3

  • Don’t have a lot of free time, but want to see real change? Join fellow Bears this week and commit as little as an hour to help our neighbors in Northwest Springfield #CitizenBear.
  • URL: goo.gl/D357GN

Filed Under: Social media, Social media kit, web strategy and development Tagged With: bear blitz, citizen bear, community engagement, Social Media, Social Media Kit, zone 1

Social Media Kit: Tour of the Globe

November 1, 2016 by Mary Chiles

tour of the globe ad

Tour of the Globe transforms the Morris Center downtown into a global bazaar for an evening, allowing the Missouri State and Springfield communities to experience the diverse cultures represented by our students at Missouri State. Students showcase their home countries with traditional dress, food, dancing, games, art, and more.

Key Details

  • What: Tour of the Globe
  • When: November 4, 5-9 p.m.
  • Who: Open to all Missouri State and Springfield community members
  • Sponsor: International Programs
  • Tickets: Free and open to the public
  • Download our flyer to print and post

Share the story

Help us spread the word about Tour of the Globe! It’s a great way to share the many cultures of Missouri State with friends in our local community. If you’re participating or planning on attending, share your experience.

Make your posts social media savvy

  • Tag your post with #InternationalBears
  • Whenever possible, tag
    • Missouri State University or @missouristate 
    • International Services at Missouri State or @MoStateGlobal
    • @MissouriState or @MoStateGlobal on Instagram
  • If you would like to provide a link with more information, use International Education Week

Photos

Facebook

tour of the globe ad international students dancing

 

students enjoy tour of the globe

tour of the globe ad

Instagraminternational students make art at tour of the globe

students explore tour of the globe event

ad for tour of the globe event

Twittertour of the globe ad for twitter

students chat at tour of the globe

students make art at tour of the globe

japantouroftheglobe

saudiarabiatouroftheglobe

braziltouroftheglobe

china2touroftheglobe

germanytouroftheglobe

chinatouroftheglobe

Sample Tweets

  • Experience the vast array of cultures represented by #InternationalBears at @MoStateGlobal’s Tour of the Globe http://bit.ly/2esSqdh
  • Learn something new at Tour of the Globe! I’ll be representing #InternationalBears from India with @MoStateGlobal http://bit.ly/2esSqdh
  • Join @MoStateGlobal Nov 4 to celebrate the diversity of cultures represented by #InternationalBears @MissouriState http://bit.ly/2esSqdh

Sample Facebook posts

  • #InternationalBears will share their cultures Nov 1 at the Jim D. Morris Center downtown. I’m proud to be a part of the diverse community at Missouri State http://bit.ly/2esSqdh
  • Experience the art, music, fashion, and food of many nations in the Jim D. Morris Center downtown this Friday, Nov 4 with International Services at Missouri State http://bit.ly/2esSqdh

Filed Under: Social media, Social media kit Tagged With: international bears, Social Media Kit, tour of the globe

You are my inspiration: ideas to support your blogging

November 1, 2016 by Mary Chiles

Production photos of Ballad Hunter taken Friday, September 23, 2016. Jesse Scheve/Missouri State University

In this series we inspire you to create fun, insightful blog posts, which help convey an inviting, communicative atmosphere to current and prospective students.

Production photos of Ballad Hunter taken Friday, September 23, 2016. Jesse Scheve/Missouri State University
Photo by Jesse Scheve

A post we loved

Haven’t posted for a while? Don’t worry. We found inspiration in the Department of Theatre and Dance, which recently posted a gallery featuring images from the September 2016 production of Ballad Hunter. The pictures illustrate the characters’ emotions as captured on camera. You can add images or even create a gallery.

This post works because it showcases a recent event. It also provides an inside glimpse of the production to a broad audience — including those who live far outside Springfield.

A new take on a classic post

Need a fresh idea? Here one idea: interview a faculty or staff member. Think of fun questions such as:

  • What would you tell yourself at 20?
  • What’s the worst advice you’ve ever received?
  • What’s your favorite album?
  • What would you do if you weren’t teaching?
  • What day would you repeat if you could?

Have fun and showcase the personality of your colleagues, whether they’ve just arrived or have been here for a while.

Ask four or five questions and write responses in either a traditional journalistic style or as a series of questions and answers. Try asking several people the same questions and posting the responses each month. Call the segment something lighthearted like “Five Awesome Questions.” Snap a photo and add it to the post. Remember to mention it on social media.

Reach out with blogging questions

Need help getting started? Drop us a line.

Filed Under: WordPress blogs Tagged With: blog, inspiration, october, theatre and dance

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