Like, Share, Tweet: Using Campus Recreation and Wellness Social Media to Better Understand Effective and Engaging Marketing Strategies

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Malinda Massey (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Effective social media marketing is a vital tool essential for organizations to facilitate brand growth and development. This project has been developed to create a marketing portfolio for the Communications and Promotions department of Campus Recreation & Wellness. The goal of this project is to offer a means of insight to the Communications and Promotions team on how to develop the most effective marketing strategy for meeting reach, engagement, and target market goals. CRW practices a variety of social media marketing techniques to promote events and campaigns developed by departments within the organization. Several currently used techniques have been successful, but there is room for improvement and deeper understanding. Results of the project will determine how the department should grow and develop current practices that will further keep and attract the preferred student base. This portfolio uses data analytics from CRW social media platforms to conclude which facets of promotion are most successful.\nThe success rate of various marketing strategies is based on results collected following the completion of events and campaigns over the last three years. Variables used to determine marketing strategy success include overall changes in account following, post engagement, post shares, and post views. Tabling engagement techniques have also been taken into consideration because of their pre-COVID-19 relevance. This project serves to analyze marketing processes that have been reconstructed because of the effects of COVID-19, and how this variation in marketing has changed job responsibilities in the Communications and Promotions department at CRW.\nUnderstanding the marketing mix and consumer behaviors of an organization has proven to be a critical aspect of creating an engaging social media platform. The marketing mix of this portfolio evaluates the engagement patterns of young adults and college students. This project analyzes the social media engagement patterns of students at ECU. As a marketing team, CRW will be better able to communicate effectively with their target market by incorporating methods of audience attraction and retainment on all social media platforms. The findings of this research will be incorporated as new initiatives during program production and promotion in the Fall semester of 2021. This implementation has been postponed because of the virtual marketing environment created to comply with COVID-19 standards within the University.

Additional Information

Publication

Honors Project

Language: English

Date: 2023

Subjects

marketing;university;engagement

Email this document to