This document discusses how empowering students to tell their own stories can engage digital audiences. It describes how St. Lawrence University created a student social media team and student-run Instagram account to share authentic student experiences. The Instagram account is run by different students each week who are given access and guidance. This empowers students to shape the university's narrative while benefiting recruitment and alumni engagement. By providing opportunities, recognition, and skills training, students are motivated to participate despite being unpaid volunteers. Their involvement has increased engagement and followers on social media.

1. STORIES
EMPOWERING
STUDENTSTOTELL
Meg Bernier – St. Lawrence University – #ConfabEDU

2. Meet Quevaughn.

3. People consuming your
content don't want to feel like
there is a PR professional
between them and the story.

4. Engage & Empower

5. Engage:
Occupy, attract, or involve
(someone's interest or attention);
participate or become
involved in.

6. Empower:
Give (someone) the authority
or power to do something.

7. When it comes to your
digital communities,
you need participants;
But then you need those people to
want to help you tell your story.

8. http://thesmashpalace.co.nz/wp‐content/uploads/2013/04/one‐way.jpg

9. We needed to engage our
audiences in meaningful ways.

11. Engagement Needed to Start With Students
• Their stories resonate with all of our audiences
• They see us focus on admissions and alumni –
how could we make them feel important?
• If we celebrate their experiences, the more likely
they would be to share them
• Engaging students now leads to more engaged
alumni later

12. Meet Kelly.

13. I needed ( a lot) of help.

14. Introducing the Student Social MediaTeam

15. How does the team work?
• 8 unpaid, completely volunteer student members
• Applications open once a year
• 15 applications in early 2014, 20+ now
• Meet once a week, but constantly in touch
• Brainstorm, offer constructive feedback
• Not looking for “yes” people
• Event coverage – what they are already going to
• Keep @StLawrenceU authentic

16. If they are unpaid and not
earning course credit,
what keeps them motivated
to stay involved?

17. Mostly food…

18. …but also opportunities...

19. …and confidence & trust.
• Talk with them like colleagues – because they are
– “We’re in this to learn together”
• Publicly give them credit for their work
– Students, faculty, staff, administrators, etc.
• Educate them on best practices, tips & tricks
• Develop their digital identities
• Empower them to take the lead on projects

20. The Engagement Magic Started on Instagram

21. A Big Benefit of Student Involvement:
The BEST Ideas

22. Engage & Empower

23. They were engaged:
Sharing photos, stories, asking
questions, commenting, retweeting,
liking, favoriting.

24. But how do you empowerstudents?

27. Students?Taking Over? Scary.

29. @herewegosaints
Our student-run Instagram account

30. http://cindyscott.org/wp‐content/uploads/2013/11/Raised‐hands.jpg

31. @herewegosaints
St. Lawrence’s student-run Instagram account
• Run by a different student each week
• Students have direct access to the account
– Yes, that means the password!
• Interested students express interest to me or a team
member, brief Instagram audit, then meet with
myself & a student team member

32. @herewegosaints
What do we discuss when we meet?
• Guidelines
• Planning ahead for the week (content strategy)
– What is YOUR story? Not a reporter covering events
– What do people love on Instagram? What don’t they like?
– Get them thinking about platform & content
– How will you capture your life?
• How to engage with followers
– Hashtags to follow and use

33. @herewegosaints
Successes
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
StLawrenceU
herewegosaints

34. @herewegosaints
Content Highlights

35. @herewegosaints
Content Highlights

36. Through @herewegosaints, we are
letting our students be the heroes
in their own stories.

37. How has it benefitted St. Lawrence
and our audiences?
• Authentic, engaging, real-time content
• Our ethos, personality shines through
• Provides an inside look into life at SLU
• “More than pretty pictures”
• Event coverage
• Encouraged more students to share content
• Learned what matters to various audiences

38. But what do the studentsrunning it
get out of it?

39. #SLUfamous
…but is that real value?

41. Meet John.

42. @herewegosaints on Storify
storify.com/herewegosaints

43. “How can running the account help you?”
• Share with family, friends
• Add Storify link to LinkedIn
• Explain how they can/should talk about this
experience during interviews
• Trust, planning content (strategy)
• How to include it on their resume
• Some data (average likes per post)
• Improve/Add to their digital identity
• Fun facts to add context for employers

44. Five minutes a week…
• Provides value to our students
• Provides value to my institution
• We can now share individual weeks!
• Admissions, Alumni/Development

45. If you’re looking for authentic
content to share, you need to
invest in providing value to
those supplying it to you.

46. Questions?
(And thank you!)
Meg Bernier - @msteverb
St. Lawrence University
mbernier@stlawu.edu
weatheringthenorm.blogspot.com