How Student Creators Fuel Boston University's Social Presence

How Student Creators Fuel Boston University's Social Presence

Author: Convince & Convert February 9, 2024 Duration: 30:28

If you want to showcase the experience of being a student, who better to ask than the students themselves? We shine the spotlight on Boston University's student creator program with Director of Social Media, Dave McDonald. Much like with user-generated content, student creators bring authenticity, creativity, and expert knowledge to their audience. 

Full Episode Details  

Dave McDonald, Boston University's Director of Social Media, joins Social Pros to talk about his Terrier Creator Program - a program for student social media creators to produce content about student life.  

The program has been a huge success since its launch. BU's social media content is fresh, engaging, and highly targeted to its audience because student creators have in-depth knowledge of what the target audience wants to see and engage with.  

Dave explains how the program operates, his approach to coaching students, and why he prefers to let the students flex their creativity rather than restrict them with formal creative briefs. Dave also speaks about the importance of following trends, optimizing content for platforms, reporting on metrics, and ensuring creators always have the chance to bring new ideas to the table. 

In This Episode: 

  • 1:22 - Dave explains his day-to-day responsibilities and the programs he runs
  • 2:31 - How Boston University builds its international social presence
  • 4:25 - Why reporting is so critical for Boston University's social push
  • 5:30 - What the Terrier Creator Program involves
  • 8:42 - How the program optimizes content creation for each platform
  • 10:07 - Why the program is open to new ideas from student creators
  • 13:04 - How student creators highlight the student experience on social
  • 14:09 - How Dave coaches student creators and other university departments
  • 16:26 - The art of the pivot – how Dave coaches people through campaign pivots
  • 17:45 - The importance of testing new ideas and jumping on trends
  • 19:01 - How Dave balances the creator program with scheduled social content
  • 20:30 - Why student creators don't get strict creative briefs
  • 23:03 - Dave's advice on working with student content
  • 24:27 - Dave shares some standout content stories
  • 25:57 - What's next for Dave's team
  • 28:59 - Dave's top tip for becoming 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

Social Pros Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Why Social Needs a Seat at the Leadership Table [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:11
This episode with Fractional VP of Social Media at Social Proof Agency, Robyn Nissim, is a masterclass in social media. Hear about her journey from in-house roles to fractional work, the importance of investing in social…
How an Ivy League Uses a Social-First Approach to Build Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:38
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 Pr…
Orcas, Community, and Social Culture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:01
HeyOrca, the uniquely named social media scheduler, is one to keep an eye on for some community-driven content inspiration. Their CEO, Joe Teo joins this episode of Social Pros to share his vision behind collaborative wo…
How Planoly Empowers Creators to Evolve on Social [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:38
Social media for brands has evolved and a big driver of the shift has been the emergence of the creator economy. Audiences resonate with organic, user-generated content on a level rarely seen with other strategies. To ta…
Greatest Hits: How DoctorJonPaul Became a Trailblazing Creator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:27
Are you ready to build a brand and become a creator? Then this episode of Social Pros is for you. We revisited one of our favorite episodes from 2023 with DoctorJonPaul. They are the Executive Producer of the BFF: Black,…
How to Be a Higher Ed Marketer with Bart Caylor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:28
Higher education may have been slower to adopt modern marketing practices and technology like AI, but higher ed marketer Bart Caylor is on a mission to change that. As President and Founder of Caylor Solutions and The Hi…
Why Focus is the Path to Success with Justin Tse [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:09
Content creators each have their own journeys and secrets to success, but for Justin Tse, content creator and CEO of Feature Media, it's all about staying focused and consistently creating content that you love. Full Epi…
How a Social Pro Pivoted from Sports to Startup Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:33
If you're in the market for career advice, this is the episode of Social Pros you need. We speak to Eric Stark, Co-Founder and President at Slate who provides some excellent reminders on how to be a decent human being, a…
What Dik Dik's Taught the San Diego Zoo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:42
Animal pics brighten our day here at Convince & Convert. We're sure you can relate! But we've found out that there's so much more to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's social than animal pics. We're thrilled to welcome th…