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How We Engage a Virtual Audience
How We Engage a Virtual Audience
Members of the consulting team at Evolue Consulting led an initiative to increase social media engagement for the Career Design Center at Utah State University. The initiative focused on creating engaging recommendations for 7 virtual platforms.
The Problem
Student use of and engagement with the Career Design Center was low. There were three main areas where the center was struggling:
Student engagement and obtaining the attention of said students has proven to be difficult.
Issues have been detected between students and the virtual job search platform. Lack of student traffic on the site and the difficulty of use seem to be the two main hindrances.
The lack of interest shown by students towards high profile companies the center worked hard to make connections with created tension.
The Approach
Over the course of four months, the team conducted three types of research. They began by creating a five-minute survey that covered topics on demographics, the different usage of social media platforms, the virtual job search platform, and the Career Design Center itself. While the survey was live for three weeks, the team performed two other methods of research. One focused on academic research where they were able to gain insight about the best practices regarding how to utilize social media platforms effectively. The last research method was conducting a focus group.
Based on the multiple methods of research conducted, the project team created a social media training and came up with actionable recommendations that the Career Design Center can implement. They then analyzed the research content and created a dashboard to display critical information to advise decision making for the center.
Recommendations: What Can We Learn from This Example?
Based on the results, the following recommendations were given to the Career Design Center. Here we analyze how these recommendations can fit many other organizations as well.
Use your connections and networks: The team recommended that they utilize their networks to increase their attention from their target audience. They could do so by connecting with alumni networks and other offices within the organization that have a direct connection with their desired audience.
Reduce the number of clicks in the process: The team found that the effort required from users (the center's audience) was a hinderance to the usage of the virtual job search platform. It was recommended for the center to reduce the number of clicks it takes for users to get to the platform.
Incorporate training programs: By offering learning methods for their audience to come to understand the virtual job search platform, the center was able to increase the usage of the platform.
Tapping into underutilized platforms: By "underutilized platforms," the team was referring to platforms that the design center could utilize internally. It was recommended that they try tapping in to resources available to them. The team outlined these resources at length.
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