Web Strategy and Development Blog

Social Media Kit: Welcome Weekend 2017

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Welcome Weekend 2017 introduces new Bears to campus life and welcomes returning students back to campus. Highlights of the weekend include Playfair on Friday, Bear Bash on Saturday, and New Student Convocation, Bear Path and the Belong-B-Q on Sunday.

Key details

  • What: Welcome Weekend 2017
  • When: Thursday, Aug. 17 – Sunday, Aug. 20
  • Where: All over campus

Share your story

The best Welcome Weekend stories come from those who live it. When you attend any of the weekend events, we want to hear about your experience. We encourage you to join the online conversation throughout by posting about it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tagging your posts with the official hashtag: #GoMaroon

Make your post social media savvy

  • Tag posts with the official Welcome Weekend hashtag: #GoMaroon
  • Whenever possible, tag Missouri State University or @missouristate
  • To provide a link for more information on the event, please link to http://www.missouristate.edu/welcome/
  • When you post to Facebook, boost your update by including a photo or video.
  • Nothing beats a first-hand perspective. When you attend a Welcome Weekend event, consider sharing a photo from or quote about your experience. Images below are pre-cropped for optimal use on Facebook and Twitter.

Visual assets

Facebook cover photos

Brand your departmental and personal social media accounts with these cover photo options.

Welcome Weekend Facebook cover Welcome Weekend Facebook cover

Twitter cover photos

Brand your departmental and personal social media accounts with these cover photo options.

Welcome Weekend Twitter header Welcome Weekend Twitter header

Instagram

Welcome Weekend Instagram image

Snapchat

Look for our geofilter on Snapchat — sponsored by Traditions Council — while you’re on campus.

Snapchat Geofilter

Video

GIFs

We have almost 100 Missouri State GIFs available on GIPHY. Discover how to utilize them on Twitter and other social media platforms.

Sample social media posts

  • Move-in is almost here. Learn more about making the move to MSU. http://bit.ly/1APw9g8 #GoMaroon
  • #GoMaroon at MSU during Welcome Weekend. Check out the lineup of great events: http://bit.ly/1pNX0Dt
  • Kick off the new school year at Bear Bash Aug. 19. Join the Fan Fest pre-party too: http://bit.ly/1APxvHR #GoMaroon
  • Welcome new students to campus during New Student Convocation Aug. 20: http://bit.ly/1B8P19U #GoMaroon #CitizenBear
  • What Welcome Weekend event are you looking forward to the most? Check out the lineup: http://bit.ly/1pNX0Dt #GoMaroon
  • Making the move to MSU? Review our packing recommendations and move-in tips: http://bit.ly/1APw9g8

Social Media Kit: Summer 2017 #BearGrads

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Missouri State University’s summer 2017 commencement ceremonies will take place Friday, Aug. 4, 2017 at JQH Arena.

Key details

Share your story

Help us celebrate our #BearGrads by sharing your experience on social media. If you are graduating or attending graduation to celebrate with someone, we want to hear about it. You may even see yourself featured on Missouri State’s social media channels.

We encourage you to join the conversation before and during commencement by posting about it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and tagging your posts with the official hashtag: #BearGrads.

Make your posts social media savvy

  • Tag your posts with the official commencement hashtag: #BearGrads
  • Share your experience with us by tagging Missouri State University or @missouristate
  • Tag your posts with the Springfield, Missouri hashtag: #SGF
  • If you would like to provide a link for more information on the event, please link to http://www.missouristate.edu/commencement/summer-2017-commencement.htm
  • When you post to Facebook, boost your status update by sharing with a photo or video.
  • Nothing beats a first-hand perspective. If you attend commencement, share photos from or quotes about your experience.

Visual assets

Live video

Snapchat

Look for our #BearGrads geofilter on Snapchat Aug. 4 in Hammons Student Center and JQH Arena.

Commencement Snapchat geofilter example

Facebook timeline photos

Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo

Twitter timeline photos

Spring commencement Twitter photoSpring commencement Twitter photo Spring commencement Twitter photo Spring commencement Twitter photo

Instagram photo

Spring commencement Instagram photo

GIFs

Download and share GIFs from Missouri State’s GIPHY channel.

Digital wallpapers

Add #BearGrads digital wallpaper to your desktop or phone screen.

Sample social media posts

  • Congratulations to our #BearGrads! We’re proud of you!
  • Can’t make it to commencement? Watch the ceremonies live online at YouTube #BearGrads
  • #BearGrads has a new member, and it’s my (son, daughter, friend, etc.) (@TagThePerson).
  • What’s your favorite college memory? Share using #BearGrads.
  • Graduating on Friday? Share your photos from the day using #BearGrads.
  • See what our #BearGrads have to say about commencement day: http://bit.ly/1Hlgn1C. Join the conversation with #BearGrads

Social Media Kit: Spring 2017 #BearGrads

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Missouri State University’s spring 2017 commencement ceremonies will take place Friday, May 19, 2017 at JQH Arena.

Key details

Share your story

Help us celebrate our #BearGrads by sharing your experience on social media. If you are graduating or attending graduation to celebrate with someone, we want to hear about it. You may even see yourself featured on Missouri State’s social media channels.

We encourage you to join the conversation before and during commencement by posting about it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and tagging your posts with the official hashtag: #BearGrads.

Make your posts social media savvy

  • Tag your posts with the official commencement hashtag: #BearGrads
  • Share your experience with us by tagging Missouri State University or @missouristate
  • Tag your posts with the Springfield, Missouri hashtag: #SGF
  • If you would like to provide a link for more information on the event, please link to http://www.missouristate.edu/commencement/spring-2017-commencement.htm
  • When you post to Facebook, boost your status update by sharing with a photo or video.
  • Nothing beats a first-hand perspective. If you attend commencement, share photos from or quotes about your experience.

Visual assets

Snapchat

Look for our #BearGrads geofilter on Snapchat May 19 in Hammons Student Center and JQH Arena.

Commencement Snapchat geofilter example

YouTube Live Video

Facebook timeline photos

Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo

Twitter timeline photos

Spring commencement Twitter photo Spring commencement Twitter photo Spring commencement Twitter photo Spring commencement Twitter photo

Instagram photo

Spring commencement Instagram photo

GIFs

Download and share GIFs from Missouri State’s GIPHY channel.

Digital wallpapers

Add #BearGrads digital wallpaper to your desktop or phone screen.

Sample social media posts

  • Congratulations to our #BearGrads! We’re proud of you!
  • Can’t make it to commencement? Watch the ceremonies live online at YouTube #BearGrads
  • #BearGrads has a new member, and it’s my (son, daughter, friend, etc.) (@TagThePerson).
  • What’s your favorite college memory? Share using #BearGrads.
  • Graduating on Friday? Share your photos from the day using #BearGrads.
  • See what our #BearGrads have to say about commencement day: http://bit.ly/1Hlgn1C. Join the conversation with #BearGrads

Recap: Making Your Statement in a Digital World – April 12, 2017

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We recently presented Making Your Statement in a Digital World, a comprehensive training session for Missouri State website, blog and social media managers.

The session was presented in two parts.

  • Part 1 focused on writing for blogs.
  • Part 2 dove deep into the social media universe and discussed strategies for storytelling and audience engagement across a variety of platforms.

Missouri State students

Key takeaways

Blogs

  • A blog is a great place to build a relationship with your audience.
  • Use headers, images and quotes to flesh out your blog and make it easier for your audience to read.
  • Use classic storytelling tools, like perspective, conflict and tension, to create blog posts that resonate with your audience.
  • A blog makes a great content repository. Consider using blog posts for the most in-depth version of your news and events and distributing shorter variations of the post across your social media channels.

Social media

  • Good social media is interactive and unpretentious and should look effortless — even though good social media management requires a lot of effort.
  • Don’t dive into every social media channel at once. Pick ones that help meet your strategic communication goals.
  • When deciding whether to take on a new social media channel, analyze whether it’s a good fit for your goals, target audience and current resources.
  • Identify the ideal audience member for your social media. Get specific with the details; even consider giving that person a name. This will make it easier to create conversational, personal social posts.

Access the presentation

Brand banners

Facebook

  • Use Facebook Pages to share your organization’s story and connect with your fans.
  • Facebook Pages help you become
    • Discoverable
    • Connected
    • Timely
    • Insightful
  • That it’s social media’s biggest platform is a benefit for reach, but a challenge for organizations to acquire attention.
  • Promote transparency. Allow anyone to publish to your page or tag you in photos.
  • Post videos directly to Facebook to boost your posts’ reach.

Twitter

  • Act like your own biggest fan.
  • Always respond to questions and concerns from your audience.
  • Focus on linking to mobile-friendly content.
  • Think about your voice. An institution does not have to sound institutional.
  • Use precise university-branded hashtags.
    • #MSUBears (athletics)
    • #GoMaroon (student engagement, traditions, etc.)
    • #BearGrads (commencement)
    • #CitizenBear (public affairs)
    • #BearsHomecoming (homecoming)

Visual Platforms

  • Visual content captures our attention more quickly than text.
  • Use Instagram if your organization lends itself to visual storytelling, but note the platform focuses on consumption, not interactivity.
  • YouTube reaches more 18-49-year-olds than any cable network in the United States.
  • However, there’s no formula for making a video go viral.
  • Use aggregators to combine cross-platform posts around a theme or hashtag.

A student walks to class

Access the presentation

April Fools’ Day 2017: Campus Hawk invades the fountain

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April Fools' Day homepage image

Missouri State students love the Campus Hawk, whether it’s soaring through the sky or controlling squirrel populations. Students love the John Q. Hammons Fountain even more.

Why not blend the two campus icons into one April Fools’ Day prank?

What we did

The offices of web and new media, university communications, and photographic services developed content for the prank. It lived on the Missouri State homepage April 1, 2017.

The story revealed the April Fools’ Day prank in the last sentence. Astute readers also noticed the first letters of each paragraph spelled out “April Fools.”

The results

The content generated almost 4,000 page views April 1, which represented an all-time high for the new news website. Web and new media shared the story on Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook

  • 45,000 reach
  • 152 shares
  • 2,500 link clicks

Twitter

  • 10,720 impressions
  • 65 retweets
  • 368 link clicks