DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Elon Writing Center Social Media

 

Context

At Elon, to work in the writing center, you must complete a semester long class that trains you in writing across all disciplines, as well as how to interact and consult with clients. I had been a Writing Center consultant for two years when I became the Social Media Director for the Writing Center. The Facebook and Twitter pages had been set up when I began, but they had few followers. My role was to regularly update and market the Writing Center's services to Elon University students, staff, and faculty.

 

Rhetorical Strategies

The Writing Center had just finished a transformation that included an online software allowing individuals to schedule appointments ahead of time. With all of these new changes, I relied on social media to help clear up any confusion and get followers excited about the enhanced Writing Center. I incorporated pictures into posts to show the audience where the new Writing Center was located, and I tweeted benefits such as the online resource page.

 

I knew that showcasing the new space and appointment system would not be enough to gain more followers, so after research and consulting with the Director of the Writing Center, I launched a Facebook contest. The Facebook contest offered two gift cards to anyone who liked the post, and it received a total of 39 likes and 46 shares, which was more than any other post prior to this. Usually the Facebook posts reach about 100 individuals, but this specific one reached a total of 8,556 people. Therefore, by marketing to an audience of college students who love give aways, the Writing Center was able to gain more followers and solidify its online presence.

 

Reflection

It was important to remember that I was not just tweeting and posting at random, but that I had to be specifically explaining the benefits of the Writing Center in order to get more students, staff, and faculty to utilize its services. At the beginning, this was difficult because the Facebook page only had 75 followers, but with my initiative to hold a contest, over 100 more individuals liked the page. I learned that it can be difficult to gain a following, but you have to be willing to set yourself apart from other organizations in order to be successful. This experience also taught me the importance of community engagement and interacting with other Elon social media pages such as the library’s. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.