As the Syracuse University campus awakens from its summer slumber and becomes enlivened with the ebb and flow of academia, students are starting to track news and events through the university’s social media platforms.

Although these networks have become essential in maintaining the vitality of the SU reputation, not many of @SyracuseU’s 23,000 Twitter followers know much about the students behind the handle.

The composers of the university tweets are part of a group called #44Social.

“We’re here to create an online presence that matches the prestige and history of the off-line campus presence,” said Bob O’Brien, a member of #44Social and a senior information management and technology major.

#44Social — a student-run group — comprises 10 students who have worked together for at least two semesters. Although the students come from a variety of academic backgrounds, they never let their differences disrupt their synchronicity. In fact, this allows the small community to reach out to thousands of students in different social circles across campus.

O’Brien said he believes in the effectiveness of working on such a diverse and well-acquainted team.

“We’re on a good level of continuity — we know what to expect from one another and how to communicate the right voice in the best way possible,” O’Brien said.

He said #44Social holds high standards for its members, asking interested students to complete a competitive application process. Students who make it through the interview round must submit writing samples — a preliminary protocol to ensure error-free posts. O’Brien also said other essential qualities include participating in on-campus activities, possessing an in-depth knowledge of social media and being a well-versed, professional team player.

The team stays connected to previous and subsequent shifts through a social media management platform called HootSuite. This program allows #44Social to schedule content in advance and ensures that everyone in the group knows about upcoming news blasts and events, said O’Brien. The team also has a Facebook group to provide an additional method for the students to exchange ideas about new and creative content.

Each group member’s time spent on Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter — a three- to four-hour shift — accumulates to 10 hours a week. And with more than 121,000 likes on Facebook — a number that continues to increase daily — the success of #44Social is indisputable.

With so much responsibility, O’Brien said there are sometimes challenges with the job.

“The university puts us in charge of a large public forum, and sometimes that can weigh on you,” O’Brien said.

Despite the difficulties, he believes in using such authority as motivation. Christina Fieni, an advertising major and information management and technology minor, shares this idea of overcoming challenges when responding to a large number of followers.

“Figuring out how to navigate that landscape and direct our varied audience to useful resources is one of the greatest challenges and biggest accomplishments as a member of the team,” Fieni said.

As #44Social continues to develop and grow, its members are looking toward the future and finding new and effective ways to connect with members of the SU community. O’Brien said the team has certain practices in place to incorporate new types of social media, including the video-sharing app Vine.

Alexis Madison, a senior information management and technology major, said adapting to developing technology is a good idea.

“The one word I think of when talking about the future of the SU digital presence is ‘evolving,’” Madison said. “When we have our team meetings, one of the biggest conversations that we have is how we can tailor our content and presentation methods to the needs of our audience.”

And it is that very audience which keeps the members of #44Social committed to their social media positions. No matter who is following @SyracuseU at any given moment — future and current students, alumni, faculty, staff or parents — there remains an overarching purpose of the organization’s dedicated staff.

“We’re here to serve your needs, entertain, excite and help you navigate undergraduate, graduate and alumni life,” Fieni said. “When you’re happy, so are we.”

 

Published on August 29, 2013 at 1:49 am

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