In my position with the URI College of Arts and Sciences and Harrington School, I've undertaken diverse projects and crafted strategies to enhance digital presence, teamwork, and branding. I've driven authentic interactions from optimizing social media tactics to embracing emerging platforms like TikTok and Reels. Under my art direction, the social media agency has maintained consistent and successful marketing. Leading and mentoring student interns has nurtured their growth and skills. Collectively, these initiatives have propelled digital innovation and impact.
In managing the URI College of Arts and Sciences and Harrington School's social media presence, I worked across various major platforms, tailoring strategies for each audience, including prospective students, current students, alumni, donors, and faculty. While engagement was a key goal, I also aimed to ensure that our social media conveyed our unique stories with customized content for each platform adapted from messaging and best practices. Learn more about my designs.
While our Instagram content shares similar narratives with other platforms, a significant focus is ensuring that our Instagram grid functions as a dynamic brochure. It provides prospective students and parents with an immersive snapshot of our identity. This involves maintaining top-notch image quality and upholding consistent branding, including color schemes and fonts. Learn more about my photography.
We've embraced Reels and TikTok as integral parts of our social media approach, especially given the rise of vertical video content since 2021. These platforms let us connect with prospective and current students in a genuine and lighthearted way. Learn more about my videos.
One of our main series includes lively campus tours guided by enthusiastic students. These tours showcase our campus's vibrant life and unique features while also connecting with our audience on a personal level.
Another series is 'Questions on the Quad,' a series where two students engage in fun surveys on campus. This interactive content sparks engagement and allows us to answer queries from prospective students, strengthening our bond with the community.
My art direction strategy centers on optimizing content creation by collaborating closely with my student intern team. We establish clear objectives for each project, ensuring content can be reused across various platforms and mediums. This approach, combined with active involvement in content editing and processing, enhances consistency and alignment with branding and messaging guidelines.
The "Why URI" campaign engages incoming students by hosting an annual scholarship contest co-sponsored by URI's Harrington School and Admissions. Students were encouraged to post Reels and TikToks explaining why they chose URI, with a chance to win up to $2,000 in scholarships. Our strategy involved creating visually appealing materials, a campaign website, postcards, and extensive social media promotion, all aligned with our branding guidelines.
In the campaign's second year, we doubled submissions, increased engagement across social media, and saw a 10% growth in followers, demonstrating its positive impact on URI's digital presence and prospective students' decisions.
In my leadership role, my main goal is to guide and mentor our team of student interns as they learn and grow. I work closely with each intern, aligning their projects with their career interests, offering hands-on feedback, and fostering open communication. As they develop, I entrust them with more significant tasks, empowering their growth.
To encourage leadership within the team, many interns start as sophomores and continue through graduation. Senior interns often take on mentoring roles, guiding their peers. We also designate lead producers for content creation, ensuring coordination and teamwork. Moreover, most of our content ideas come from student pitches, giving ownership to those who pitch and produce them. The ultimate aim is for senior interns to work independently while I focus on light editing and approvals. In terms of leadership development, I customize each team member's experience based on their career goals and skills. We provide training in various areas, such as Adobe Suite, social media copywriting, and video production, to broaden their skill set. As graduation approaches, I work with each student to prepare their resumes, websites, and cover letters for a successful transition into the professional world.
Working for Leah was an incredible experience. Her leadership was instrumental in my growth as a professional looking to grow my skill set in the content creation field. As a leader, Leah provided guidance and support, allowing me to take ownership of my work and make meaningful contributions to the team. She helped me understand the importance of strategic planning through all stages of production. I am grateful for Leah's leadership and mentorship, during my time at The Harrington School. Her commitment to her team's success and dedication to her craft has been inspiring and has served me well in my career.
Brittney Darcy ‘20
I was able to start a full-time job as a Digital Content Creator one month after graduation. I would not have been able to do this so seamlessly if it wasn’t for this internship! Entering the video/marketing world knowing how to plan shoots, use equipment and editing programs, write professional emails, create editorial calendars, pitch ideas, and collaborate with others has helped me immensely. My internship with the Harrington School was my favorite aspect of being a student at URI. I felt so involved in my community and in tune with what I wanted to do after graduation. My time at URI and post grad journey would be nothing without my internship!
Abigail Amatucci ‘22
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