How an Ivy League Uses a Social-First Approach to Build Community

How an Ivy League Uses a Social-First Approach to Build Community

Author: Convince & Convert April 5, 2024 Duration: 31:38
Social Pros Podcast
BusinessMarketing

How does an Ivy League school manage its social media with a small team? We asked Maya Wesby, Social Media Manager at Harvard Graduate School of Education, for some insider insights into her role on this week's Social Pros.

Full Episode Details

With a small social media team consisting of Maya Wesby (Social Media Manager) and a student intern, a key part of Maya's role is wearing many different hats. While challenging, Maya's realm of responsibility includes creating social-first content for multiple platforms, videos, editorial content for the website, and even a podcast on top of it all.

Maya joins this episode of Social Pros to share her secrets to balancing it all and creating engaging content for students, alumni, faculty members, and anyone else interested in learning about the school.

In this episode, we hear how Maya has become a master at prioritizing the best content to work on, how she jumps on opportunities to create new content, and where she gets inspiration from. We also hear a bit about her personal branding on LinkedIn and why she's a big fan of the platform.

In This Episode:

  • 1:38 - Maya gives us an introduction to her role
  • 4:13 - Who Maya's audience is on different platforms
  • 5:11 - The challenge of managing different brand voices across social media channels
  • 7:07 - Balancing social-first content to build a community with the institution's needs
  • 8:18 - How Maya prioritizes what content to work on in a small team
  • 10:08 - Maya's experience with generative AI
  • 13:06 - How Maya seeks out student events that make great social content
  • 14:50 - The types of engagement Maya seeks out and how she manages reporting
  • 16:45 - Maya shares some of her favorite content projects
  • 20:26 - How to review last year's content and take it up a notch
  • 23:29 - Why Maya uses LinkedIn for her personal brand
  • 27:54 - Maya's top tip for those looking to become a social pro

Resources

Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.


For years, Social Pros Podcast has served as an essential meeting point for those who do the real work in digital marketing. Created by Convince & Convert, this isn't a theoretical discussion; it's a deep dive into the practical realities of managing social media within larger business ecosystems. The conversations here consistently explore how platforms intersect with brand strategy, content creation, public relations, and paid media, moving beyond hype to examine measurable impact. You'll hear directly from the people behind the profiles at major organizations like Google, Reddit, Uber, and Oracle, gaining insight into their successes and the challenges they navigate daily. The longevity of this podcast is a testament to its value, offering a accumulated wealth of knowledge from hundreds of candid interviews and expert commentaries. Each episode functions like a focused case study, breaking down the "how" and "why" behind decisions that drive genuine business results. If you're looking to understand the evolving role of social media beyond the latest trend, this series provides a grounded, insider perspective that has educated a generation of marketing professionals. Tune in to hear the actual pros discuss the work that rarely makes it into a polished tweet or case study.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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