Social Media and Digital Engagement Specialist

The Office of Marketing and Communications at Carthage College seeks an enthusiastic and creative Social Media and Digital Engagement Specialist to join our award-winning team. The successful candidate will demonstrate expertise across social media platforms, a skilled approach to amplifying strategic marketing messages, the ability to measure and report on audience engagement, and an eagerness and ability to tell stories in ways that engage and inspire.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications, the Social Media and Digital Engagement Specialist will be involved in a wide range of projects that strengthen and enhance the Carthage brand.

We’re looking for an enterprising professional who is up-to-date on social media trends; well-versed in analytics and benchmarking; and driven to creatively capture all that Carthage offers. Preference will be given to candidates with additional skills such as video, photography, animation, marketing, copywriting, advertising, and/or graphic design.

Job Purpose:

The Social Media and Digital Engagement Specialist manages the College’s social media accounts, leads strategic content creation for the College’s social channels, and analyzes and reports on engagement across our online platforms, working to maximize and consistently grow engagement from target audiences.

The Social Media and Digital Engagement Specialist serves as the primary administrator and manager of the College’s social networks and Google Analytics.

Chief responsibilities are to: 1) manage all aspects of social publishing and community building across the College’s social media channels; 2) design and execute a social media strategy to increase visibility and engagement; 3) generate original content and repurpose others’ content for our social networks; and 4) monitor, analyze, and develop regular reports including actionable insights on audience reach and engagement across our website and social media channels.

In addition, the Social Media and Digital Engagement Specialist supports the Office of Marketing and Communications with timely news or emergency communications and other marketing/communication initiatives as needed.

Responsibilities:

1) Manage all aspects of social publishing and community building across the College’s social media channels.

• Handle the day-to-day posting responsibilities of the College’s various social networks including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.
• Develop and manage a social media calendar that complements the College’s main editorial calendar, as well as the publication calendars for admissions, advancement, alumni relations, and other offices and departments across campus.
• Monitor, govern, and build community within the College’s social media accounts. Add and remove members, monitor posts, promote valuable contributions by members or other College social media entities, and mitigate negative commentary. Engage members in conversation, respond to questions, and promote compliments.
• Recognize and report challenges, concerns, and/or concerning trends on social networks to the Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications (and other College personnel as needed).
• Assist College entities interested in developing their own social media accounts through ROI analyses, creation, and suggestions for growth. Serve as the leader and primary resource for social media questions and opportunities from clients across campus.
• Write and maintain “Best Practices” and social media brand style guide for Carthage community.
• Assist with paid promotion on social channels.
• Train and supervise student staff as needed.

2) Design and execute the College’s social media strategy in order to increase visibility for Carthage and increase engagement among our target audiences.

• Shape, hone, and implement an annual social media strategy that will increase visibility for Carthage, allow for flexible reactions to emerging needs and trends, and increase engagement among our target audiences.
• Actively work to promote content across our networks, coordinating efforts with colleagues in the Office of Marketing and Communications and other offices on campus.
• Advise colleagues on the best paths and platforms for maximum reach and ROI. Attend team meetings prepared to offer direction and suggestions. Determine which social networks to utilize and for what purposes.
• Develop captivating tone and voice for social channels.
• Develop, manage and direct social media campaigns, both paid and unpaid. Be an expert in paid advertising strategies and opportunities in social channels.
• Track social and website analytics to gain insights into each platform’s audience, traffic patterns, engagement, successes, and challenges. Use insights and results to guide strategy.
• Report regularly on traffic and insights.
• Explore, imagine, research, and implement social media techniques, trends, and tools to engage key audiences including prospective families, alumni, current students and parents, and community members. Monitor non-traditional news outlets, web and social media platforms, blogs, and other media relating to higher education ideas and issues and social media trends.

3) Generate original content and repurpose others’ content for our social networks in order to engage and build key audiences.

• Create daily content for social channels that captures, communicates, and promotes the Carthage experience in order to support the College’s overall goals of recruiting students, engaging our community, and encouraging donations to Carthage.
• Shoot and edit photos and short videos, and write and edit captions and content for social media posts and stories. All content should be designed to capture attention in a crowded social landscape.
• Collaborate with colleagues to maximize reach of news releases, feature articles, videos, and other Carthage content.
• Seek ways to increase the reach of Carthage campaigns and hashtags including #carthageviews and #redandready.
• Design and launch interactive content to engage current and prospective students and alumni including contest, polls, and quizzes.
• Build and supervise a student team to provide photographs, short videos, GIFs, and other shareable content from campus happenings.
• Manage the College’s online virtual tour. Lead the creation of new videos, 360 views, and slideshows, Update videos and slideshows semi-annually, analyze performance, and share results.

4) Measure audience reach and engagement across online platforms.

• Use tools like Google Analytics and Sprout Social to monitor and develop regular reports on audience reach and engagement across our social media channels and College website.
• Track results of social media efforts to show audience growth and engagement, develop insights that can shape future strategies, and report regularly to teammates and AVP for Marketing and Communications.
• Regularly monitor and analyze website and social traffic and engagement. Provide actionable insights based on data to grow our audience and drive goal conversions.

5) Support news and emergency communication efforts as needed.

• Play a critical role in news and emergency/crisis communications by effectively, carefully, and smartly using social media tools to communicate necessary information (such as weather-related event/class cancellations) with the community.
• Participate in regular training sessions of the Emergency Preparedness and emergency response/management teams.

6) Innovate.

• Keep current with emerging social media and web technologies.
• Be the primary advocate for the College’s social media accounts by identifying and pitching new technologies and opportunities. Assist the Office of Marketing and Communications in evaluating online trends. Always seek ways to make our social media more engaging to key audiences.
• Regularly peruse the social media accounts of competitor and aspirational colleges and universities to make sure our offerings measure up. Look to other industries for inspiration.
• Be ready to dream up fun projects, brainstorm wild ideas, and imagine absurd possibilities with the full Marketing & Communications team as we tackle the wide variety of projects that come our way.

Complete other duties as assigned.

Required Education, Experience, and Skills

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in marketing, communications, digital marketing, or related field.

Experience:

• At least two years of experience managing social media accounts for marketing purposes.
• Experience with — and great enthusiasm for! — social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, SnapChat, and others.
• Experience using third-party social media management platforms to perform social media operations, gather insights, and report on performance.
• Experience in Google Analytics, Sprout Social, and/or other data analysis tools.
• Experience in graphic and multimedia design applications (such as Adobe Creative Suite, iMovie, PlayPlay) a plus.

Skills:

• Skilled in capturing and curating photography and videography for use on social media.
• Skilled in writing, editing, and curating copy for social media platforms, websites, and other digital media.
• Knowledge and understanding of best social media practices.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills and grammar. Knowledge of AP Style a plus.
• Able to manage multiple projects at once.
• Able to develop, implement, direct, execute, and evaluate action plans.
• Able to use a personal computer and Web browser, including a working knowledge of Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, Photoshop, and content management systems such as LiveWhale or WordPress.
• Proven track record of working collegially in a team-oriented and deadline-oriented environment.
• Demonstrated success in the areas of organization, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
• Knowledge of and the ability to use a variety of standard office equipment such as a telephone, computer keyboard, copier, printer, scanner, etc.
• Must be able to work within systems and recommend ways to improve them.
• Must be self-motivated and able to keep both small and large projects on track.
• Occasional travel.

How to Apply

Applications must include (1) a letter of interest/a cover letter, (2) resume, (3) three current professional references, and (4) examples of your social media work. Upload as a single PDF through the “Resume Upload” section of the link below.

Apply now

Apply by Jan. 15 for best consideration.

About Carthage

Located on the shore of Lake Michigan in the thriving Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, Carthage College blends the best liberal arts traditions with desirable degree programs, transformative learning opportunities, and personal attention from dedicated faculty and staff. Our beautiful campus, an 80-acre arboretum with stunning lake views, is home to 2,600 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students. Founded in 1847, Carthage is consistently named a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review and a Most Innovative School by U.S. News & World Report. All Carthage employees play a vital part in the success of our students, as we work together to create an environment where all can achieve their true potential. Grow with Carthage.

Carthage College is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse community. We welcome applications from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.