The director of external communications and social media serves as the university’s lead storyteller. Reporting to the associate vice president of University Brand Marketing and Communications, the director leads the team responsible for developing and executing strategic marketing and communications plans aimed at generating awareness and growth for the university amongst its many key stakeholders. These efforts include a mix of tactics ranging from earned media and thought leadership to content marketing, social media, and advertising. The director works closely with peers in other divisions across the university to develop strategic marketing and communications aimed at generating new revenue and brand awareness for the university.Duties and tasks:• Develop and implements marketing and communications plans to support the university’s many strategic initiatives in collaboration with university leaders, area directors, and assistant directors• Leads a team of marketing and communications professionals to develop external-facing content that engages audience segments and leads to measurable action as defined by social media engagement, website traffic, admission leads, event participation, and donations.• Provides day-to-day management and oversight of the university’s social media channels, cultivating real-time content and providing timely responses to constituents; media relations efforts; and brand advertising plans• Develops strategic messaging and creative content for social media, news stories, brochures, posters, flyers, publications, and the university’s website• Tracks and measures the level of engagement for all communication vehicles and adjust plans accordingly• Assist in crisis communication situations as needed

Implements and maintains Saint Leo University's social media strategies to engage and build online communities with target audiences-including traditional, graduate, online, military and adult center students.Promotes an interactive dialogue regarding the Saint Leo University experience, degree offerings, the value of education, and opportunities to foster university pride and improve academic success.Integrates analytics, technology, and personal touch points to create relevant content that builds brand awareness and drives engagement.Develops, implements and maintains a comprehensive social media strategy that focuses on current and prospective student engagement, fosters brand loyalty, drives enrollment, improves student retention, and showcases innovation and thought leadership.Oversees social media staff, including student ambassadors, to ensure university campus, online, graduate, center, and military representation.In collaboration with the University Advancement, Marketing & Communications team, designs digital marketing collateral to inspire dialogue and to build relationships with current and prospective students and, when appropriate, other stakeholders.Develops social media management standards, policies, and guidelines of engagement for social media across the university.Develops analytics and reporting methods to measure performance of social media strategies.

Define and direct social strategies for over 40 clients and ensure each is in line with the over-arching client marketing strategy, position, and target audience. Manage strategy execution with BallywhoSocial staff including quarterly content planning, content campaigns and creation, client approval processes and content scheduling.Communicate effective paid social solutions to clients, manage paid social strategies and execute campaigns via multiple platforms, primarily Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Manage ads manager systems for all platforms, inform BallywhoSocial staff on ads manager updates and nuances, and stay informed about platform best practices and terms of service.Determine company standards and best practices for social media moderation seven days a week and ensure response protocols are in line with each client's public relations and communications goals.Provide experienced leadership and management to BallywhoSocial staff, including community managers, support staff and freelancers. Meet weekly with team members and remain available to help problem solve and provide staff support on a daily basis.Train new team members on company standards and best practices, including expectations for copywriting, graphics, social posting, paid social, platform moderation and analytic reporting.Review and analyze client social analytics reporting and promotion results. Clearly communicate social results and trends over time to clients and advise on future social strategies.Support the BallywhoSocial sales team by clearly communicating the strengths and benefits of company service lines, and providing social media and paid social proposals, including ad and target audience examples.Ensure organization is abreast of latest marketing trends and technologies as they relate to social media marketing for key clients.Visit clients on site, present on updated best practices, analytics or provide requested training sessions or platform audits as needed.

Managed social media platforms for 10 clients, including copywriting and image creation for weekly content scheduling and client approvals. Provided client customer service daily, including in the moment posting, technical support and metrics requests as needed.Moderated client social platforms daily using a comprehensive response protocol for various positive and negative scenarios and questions. Communicated with each client about responses and proposed suggested messaging to engage followers or neutralize issues as needed.Created paid social campaign proposals in line with client marketing initiatives, including suggested campaign budgets, target audiences by social platform and applied effective ad objectives to meet marketing goals. Reported, reviewed, and educated clients about paid social campaign analytics.Wrote weekly social blog posts for clients and BallywhoSocial discussing key marketing topics, useful best practices and insightful tips and suggestions.Trained and counseled clients on social media best practices and opportunities to use each platform to meet business goals. Presented training guidelines on site for clients and provided platform recommendations and updates.

Provided original review content and contests as a mom blogger and influencer for various brands including fashion designer Vivienne Tam at 2009 Fashion Week, Hewlett Packard (HP), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), actress Chandra Wilson and the OTCsafety.org campaign, the "Five Moms", Dr. Drew and the Stop Medicine Abuse.org campaign in Washington D.C., Busch Gardens opening events and children's programming, the One Drop Foundation, Cirque Du Soleil and more.Represented Morningside Mom at the following blog conferences: BlogHer08, Type A Moms 09, and BlogHer10

Provided weekly blog posting for popular parenting websites including Type A Mom and Savvy Source.Published articles and copywriting for local magazines such as Tampa Woman and other freelance requests.

Recruited and counseled adult learners to apply for the Saint Leo University online MBA program.Evaluated lead admission applications for admission and assisted with student class registration processes.Provided consistent customer service to all applicants as a Saint Leo University representative.

Reviewed undergraduate applications for various Boston area and European prospective admissions markets.Attended weekly committee meetings to determine admission for applicants.Contacted local guidance counselors to discuss applicant files and maintain important relations between the college and high school.

Reviewed undergraduate applications for the entire Boston area prospective admissions market.Attended weekly committee meetings determining admission for applicants.Contacted local guidance counselors to discuss applicant files and maintain important relations between the college and high school.

Directed and implemented the Admissions Office's entire marketing and direct mail strategy.Developed and assisted with all written and published communication to prospective and admitted students, guidance counselors, and parents.Cooperated with University Publications to edit copy, provide design direction, and ensure consistency in all admissions publications.Consulted and assisted in website development for admissions and enrollment.Planned and implemented on and off campus recruitment programming.Counseled and advised prospective students, parents, and guidance counselors; presented admissions information sessions.Evaluated and made decisions on applications for admission from prospective freshman, transfer, and international students.Directly supervised admission counselors; acted as a liaison between the Dean of Admission and the counseling staff.

Planned, designed, and implemented an effective recruitment strategy for the entire admissions recruitment staffTrained staff on and coordinated all aspects of off-campus prospective student recruitment including programming, high school visits, alumni volunteer meetings, and off campus interviewsEvaluated and made decisions on applications for admission from prospective freshman, transfer, and international studentsAwarded merit scholarships in consultation with the Dean of Admissions and the Office of Financial AidAssisted with editing and developing letters and recruitment publicationsTraveled and recruited within Massachusetts and Florida admissions markets; read applications, interviewed and tele-counseled students within these specific marketsCounseled and advised students, parents, and guidance counselorsPlanned multiple on and off campus programs; traveled with the President of the college to recruit prospective students and meet with alumni admission volunteers at various events nationwide.

Planned, designed, and implemented an effective recruitment strategy for assigned geographical areas, including New Jersey; Texas.Planned and presented at off-campus recruitment events for prospective students, parents, guidance counselors, and alumni in designated territories.Interviewed, counseled and advised students, parents, and guidance counselors.Evaluated and made decisions on admission applications from prospective freshman within the assigned recruitment territories.Lead the Admission Tour Guide and Admission Student Volunteer programs which included hiring, training and supervising over 40 students.Rewrote and improved the college tour guide training manual and tour procedures.