When I was offered a position to work as a Social Media Assistant for Kent State University, I was beyond excited because of my growing interest in social media marketing. From day one, I was able to learn about the daily responsibilities and projects that the social media department prioritizes. I quickly discovered how big of a role social media plays for a large organization such as Kent State, especially during times when online communication becomes so crucial.
I wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect when I started this role in the beginning of the semester. Initially, I assumed that my responsibilities would primarily focus on assisting with the creation of posts for various social media platforms. In the somewhat short time that I have worked as a social media assistant, I have been pleasantly surprised to learn that there is so much more that goes into this position. From social listening, to analytics reporting, to content creation, I have continued to develop my skills in areas that I might not have otherwise had the chance to. This position has also given me the opportunity to work with several online social media tools such as Hootsuite and Talkwalker. Prior to working as a social media assistant, I learned about these platforms in my marketing courses at Kent State. Being able to apply my knowledge to this position has helped me to gain a deeper understanding of how to utilize these tools in a social media role.
One of my favorite tasks has been attending and reporting on various events on behalf of Kent State and then posting content to the Instagram and Snapchat stories. I enjoyed utilizing my creative ability to create content that aligned with the university’s branding while also focusing on keeping the audience engaged. For RecycleMania this year, I was responsible for creating an interactive contest on Instagram and Snapchat to bring awareness to the campus about this annual recycling event. By utilizing the quiz feature on Instagram, more than 1,070 people participated in the contest.
In addition to this, I was able to do live coverage for several on-campus events such as the Kent State Women’s Basketball games. For athletic events, in particular, I focused on creating content that helped viewers to get a feel for the entire game-day experience. It has been extremely rewarding to see my work be put to use for the university.
With everything abruptly unfolding with COVID-19, this semester has been less than ideal to say the least, but I am beyond grateful that the university and UCM has allowed me to continue working throughout these uncertain times. My experience working as a social media assistant for Kent State has helped to confirm my passion for social media. After graduation this Spring, I hope to pursue a career in this field, and my time at UCM has been one of the major opportunities throughout my college experience that has prepared me to do so.
-Allie Buszinski