Ep. 24: Launching a Student Social Ambassador Initiative at William & Mary

On this episode of Breaking Silos, Shane is joined by an interdepartmental team of marketing, admissions and communications from William & Mary to discuss how they created a student social media ambassadors program called “Wrenfluencers” at the historic institution. Learn how this student-created content has helped bolster the school’s content strategy and fill content gaps many institutions might not have the bandwidth to address.Join Tiffany Beker, Emily Phillips and Caroline Ward for tips on launching an initiative like this and ensuring content aligns with brand standards while maintaining a unique student-created feel.Guest Names: Tiffany Broadbent Beker, Director of Digital Marketing, William & MaryCaroline Ward, Sr. Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admission, William & MaryEmily Phillips, Assistant Director, Social Media Strategy, William & MaryGuest Socials: Tiffany - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbroadbent/ Caroline - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilybphillips/ Emily - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-ward-a170b1247Guest Bios: Tiffany Broadbent Beker is the Director of Digital Marketing for University Marketing at William & Mary, leading the office's digital strategy across its three priorities of enrollment, advancement, and institutional reputation. After an initial stint as a software developer at two technology startups, she returned to W&M (her graduate school alma mater) in 2010 as a web developer and its first social media coordinator. In 2017 she transitioned to her current role as part of University Advancement. She has presented at HighEdWeb, CASE Social Media & Community, and the College Communicators Association of Virginia and D.C. (CCA) Conference. She is a past president of CCA, leads the Management and Leadership Community Group for HighEdWeb and is one of W&M’s Institutional Representatives to the American Council on Education's Women's Network for Virginia.Caroline Ward has been a member of the William & Mary admission team for nearly eight years. She is a Senior Assistant Dean within the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Caroline graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts and she also holds a Master of Education from William & Mary in Higher Education Administration. She currently leads international recruitment efforts. She is the regional dean for Washington, D.C., New York City (NY), New Jersey, and all international territories. She collaborates with social media groups as well as marketing and communication teams.Emily Phillips oversees William & Mary's flagship social media channels and provides guidance to the university's network of social media managers. Her work includes strategy development, social media measurement, crisis and emergency communications support and directing a team of student social media ambassadors. She has over 10 years of PR and Social Media Marketing experience in the higher education and tourism industries.