Virtual PR Firm Takes Experiential Learning to New Heights

Q and A with Ed Powers, Professor of Practice and Industry Pro  

The MS in Corporate and Organizational Communication program has just launched a new Virtual Public Relations Firm.

Q: What’s it all about?

A: It’s the next level in experiential learning for our students. Our virtual firm looks and feels just like a small public relations agency. Through it we are integrating our public relations coursework with six-month projects covering six months for real-life clients. And the students will perform the client work using a leading marketing software tool. The purpose is to have students ready for PR jobs that are in demand in the marketplace.  

Q: What’s new and different about the Virtual Public Relations Firm?

A: The student experience will be one of a kind. They will play the role of employees in the firm, working directly with the client to develop a public relations campaign. Their instructors will be their coaches, drawing from years of professional experience. They will learn how to use HubSpot, a marketing platform widely in use across many industries. We know of no other university that is doing this.  

Q: How does the Virtual Public Relations Firm work? What are the details?

A: By enrolling in the core public relations courses, students automatically join the virtual firm. At the end of each course, the students present their work to the client, which then becomes the starting point for the next course. For example, the PR research report the students create this fall will form the basis for beginning work on the PR strategic plan in the winter. The courses start with Public Relations Research, which moves to Public Relations Strategy, which then leads to Public Relations Content and Advanced Public Relations Content.  

Q: Who are the clients? Who will the students be performing their public relations work for?

A: Our first two clients are based on opposite coasts and have Northeastern connections. Neuron is a UX design firm based in San Francisco founded by two Northeastern graduates. The Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory is a Northeastern center providing regulatory-related training to organizations globally to improve patient access to safe healthcare products.  

Q: In addition to creating and executing an actual public relations campaign, can you describe how the Virtual Public Relations Firm provides students with real-world experience?

A: Students have been able to take courses online for some time, but now they will perform their work for a client remotely as well. This matches the increasingly virtual nature of today’s workplace. Also, the students are the face of the virtual firm to the client. That opportunity to build a relationship with a client is invaluable. In addition, unlike a traditional class, where the desired outcomes are well known from the start, the students must figure out what the client needs and then create it. That ability to deal with unknowns and ambiguity is exactly how real-world projects unfold.  

Q: How else do you think the Virtual Public Relations Firm will benefit the students?

A: The biggest benefit is that students will have a concrete answer to the job interview question, “What experience do you have?” In the process, they will gain confidence in their abilities to perform public relations work that employers need. This includes both core public relations skills, such as preparing content and managing digital media, and soft skills essential for project success, such as collaborating with teammates and preparing persuasive presentations.

In this video, Ed Powers talks more in-depth about how this virtual experience will help students be more competitive in today’s job market.

‘I Want to Make the Arts More a Part of Our Culture’

As a professional ballet dancer for the past two decades, Kathleen Breen Combes grew accustomed to changing directions on a dime. She did it since she was 18—floating across the stage during productions of Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, and Swan Lake, among many others.

But now she’s facing a pivot of a different kind. Breen Combes, who closed out a 16-year career at the Boston Ballet with a final performance of ELA, Rhapsody in Blue on June 9, is retiring as a dancer to take the helm at Festival Ballet Providence, a professional ballet company in Rhode Island. And she’s doing it with the help of a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from Northeastern University.

READ MORE

‘All Progress Scrapes and Claws Before It Glides and Soars’

by Greg St. Martin —

Forty years ago, Billy Starr founded the Pan-Mass Challenge, a charity bike ride across Massachusetts that raises money for cancer research. He said that a 400-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail and a 120-mile bike ride a couple of years earlier had helped him to discover what he wanted to do with his life: build a business that “serves a vast public need.”

On Friday, Starr urged graduates of the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern to find a way to nurture their own most fervent interests in life.

“Find a way somehow, utilizing all the skills and knowledge that you have acquired, to nurture that passion and maintain it as a central driving force in your life,” said Starr, who served as the graduation speaker at a ceremony for students who earned their bachelor’s and master’s degrees this year. “That pursuit does not come with guarantees. But I stand before you as a testament to its uniquely, exhilarating power on the path to success and happiness.”

Starr, who earned his master’s in education from Northeastern in 1978, traced back his job today as the executive director of the Pan-Mass Challenge to the early 1970s, when his mother, uncle, and cousin died of cancer. He also shared how the death of a rider in the fifth year of the event challenged him, recalling how he struggled to cope with the tragedy and pain that it caused the rider’s family.

But Starr said he never doubted the mission of his organization. Over the past 40 years, nearly 200,000 cyclists and volunteers have participated in Pan-Mass Challenge, and $654 million has been donated to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“Triumph and tragedy often walk hand in hand,” Starr said. “To cope efficiently, it is essential that you have a clear grasp of who you are and why you set out on a particular path.”

Starr congratulated the graduates for earning their degrees. He told them to remember that most success is born of failure, and that “all progress scrapes and claws before it glides and soars.”

“That is why having a genuine passion for your work is so vital,” he said. “It is what keeps you going in the face of the inevitable obstacles on the road ahead.”

In opening remarks, Mary Loeffelholz, dean of the College of Professional Studies, told graduates that they represent “Northeastern’s global network of learners.” She said many students had earned their degrees online and through the university’s network of campuses in Charlotte, North Carolina; Seattle; the San Francisco Bay Area; Toronto; Vancouver; and London.

“You graduate already having begun to build a national and global network of your own making,” Loeffelholz said. “You have experienced learning without boundaries.”

Loeffelholz highlighted the diversity and accomplishments of the graduating class. She asked graduates to stand and be recognized if they had studied at Northeastern’s campuses outside of Boston, had come to Northeastern from another country, have served in the military, or attended the Lowell Institute School, through which students with previous college experience finish their bachelor’s degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or business.

The College of Professional Studies offers 95 undergraduate, master’s, graduate certificate, and doctoral programs, many of which are available online or through a combination of online and in-classroom learning. More than 1,600 students from 42 states and 44 countries received bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees from the College of Professional Studies this year, including over 200 students who were recognized for receiving their doctorates at a ceremony on Thursday.

Philomena Mantella, senior strategic advisor to the president at Northeastern, told the graduates that their education has positioned them well for a “lifetime of growth, discovery, and learning.”

“Learning will never cease, nor will your relationship with your university and those who comprise it,” Mantella said. “As you continue to grow, we are here to remind you that the Northeastern network will always be accessible to you.”

In addition to the graduates, Friday’s ceremony honored professor of the practice Baktybek Beshimov and assistant teaching professor David Hagen for receiving the college’s 2019 Excellence in Teaching Award.

To see more pictures from the college’s 2019 graduation, visit the photo gallery. 

Human Resources Professionals Offered NU Graduate Credit

In recognition of the rigorous program of study required to earn human resources certifications from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Northeastern University College of Professional Studies will offer students who have earned the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications the equivalent of up to two courses of academic credit (6 quarter hours) toward a Master of Science in Corporate and Organizational Communication or a Master in Leadership and 3 quarter hours toward a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management.

“As a program for working professionals in the human resources field, we recognize the powerful combination of skills earned in the workplace and knowledge acquired through professional development programs such as those offered by SHRM,” said Carl Zangerl, PhD, faculty director, graduate communication and human resource management programs.  “The SHRM certifications align with our Human Resource Management curriculum because they both emphasize the application of theory to practice and recognize the importance of lifelong learning in a rapidly changing field.  Our shared aim is to equip human resource professionals with expertise that crosses industries and borders.”

Society for Human Resource Management Certifications

SHRM has created a rigorous, relevant and competency-based learning process that culminates in an examination that tests key areas of human resource knowledge, skills, and abilities.

“The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications represent the global standard in competency-based credentials for HR and this initiative provides a great opportunity for Northeastern students to demonstrate their proficiency,” said Alexander Alonso, senior vice president of knowledge development and certification at SHRM.

Applying to Northeastern
Successful applicants to the Master’s program in Corporate and Organizational Communication or the Master’s program in Leadership, who hold either the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certifications will enter with what is called “advanced standing.”  The advanced standing transfer credit for the SHRM-CP is 3 quarter hours and for SHRM-SCP is 6 quarter hours, enabling students to complete an advanced degree in a shorter timeframe at an approximate overall tuition cost reduction of between 7% and 13%, depending on the certification. Applicants with SHRM certifications for the Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management will receive 3 quarter hours of advanced standing transfer credit.

Northeastern University College of Professional Studies offers the Master of Science in Corporate and Organizational Communications and Master of Science in Leadership 100% online or on campus in Boston, Mass..  This provides flexibility for working professionals in a practice-oriented curriculum, taught by professionals in the field.

Husky Proud

From supportive faculty, to the convenience of online classes. Find out why CPS Students are Husky Proud! 

2017 CPS Graduation

Words of advice from Lindsay Levin as the College confers nearly 1,500 degrees

“In these times, it is more important than ever that we learn to be wise as well as smart.  To listen to our own intuition – the still small voice inside – and choose how you will respond to whatever life brings up. What we spend our time on, how we behave towards others – the means as well as the ends. This is our agency in the world. The imprint we leave behind.”

This was the message offered to nearly 1,500 graduates at the Northeastern University College of Professional Studies ceremony by Lindsay Levin, entrepreneur, leadership expert, and Founder and Partner, Leaders’ Quest, a social enterprise organization.

Levin, whose work focuses on the transformation of companies and organizations, has created a model for learning and social change through Leaders’ Quest.  She believes that leaders can be found in communities and neighborhoods, in addition to corporate offices, and that tapping into one’s own network can provide extraordinary outcomes and opportunities.

Thousands of family members and friends attended the ceremony on the Boston campus, celebrating a total of 1,491 degrees conferred— 315 Bachelor’s, 1,011 Master’s, 164 Doctoral and 1 Associate’s.

Read more about two graduates:  Ryan Daley, a veteran who is looking ahead to apply his dedication and ambition to a future of politics and Fran Lee Hutton, a lifelong learner who parlayed her love of maps and her degree into a one-of-a-kind job.

Faculty Recognized for Teaching Excellence Award

During graduation, the College presented the Excellence in Teaching Award to two outstanding faculty members: Dean He and Yufeng Qian.

Nominated by students in the Doctor of Education program, Professor Qian is described by one student as “actively engaged in cultivating a dynamic online learning community, and assigns relevant coursework and discussion prompts that challenge student thinking and provide the opportunity for students to critically examine their role in the research process.”  Professor He, faculty member in the Master of Science in Commerce and Economic Development program, was praised for embracing teaching as an opportunity to engage and inspire his students. One student noted: “”Professor He enhanced my confidence on a career choice. He is a teacher I respect and will keep in touch with after graduation.”

Doctoral Candidates Earn Symbol of Academic Achievement

On May 11, the College hosted a Doctoral Hooding Ceremony for candidates in the Doctor of Education, Doctor of Law and Policy, and Doctor of Physical Therapy programs symbolizing their transition from student to scholar-practitioner. Candidates received their doctoral hoods from their thesis advisers at this annual ceremony.

At every doctoral hooding ceremony, one student is selected to receive the Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Work, the highest honor awarded by the College to a doctoral graduate. The award was established to acknowledge exemplary academic achievement and to recognize demonstrated creativity and writing quality.

This year, the Dean’s Medal winner was Dr. Ted Johnson, of the Doctor of Law and Policy program, for his thesis, “Beyond the Veil: The Electoral Uniformity and Political Heterogeneity of African American Voters.”  Dr. Johnson, who is a National Security Research Manager at Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights and an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellow at New America, noted in his speech that he went into his doctoral studies not believing the literature reviews he conducted.

“So, I did what scholars do – I questioned it. I challenged assumptions and tackled the open questions. And I set out to create myself into the man I wanted to be: A scholar. A professor. An author. And a public intellectual on black American politics,” he said.

“The College of Professional Studies made this possible,” he went on to note. “It showed me that the reason I didn’t believe the literature reviews wasn’t because the findings were wrong – but because they were incomplete. The assembly of knowledge about any given topic – to include who you are and who you aspire to be – is never complete. Adding to the body of knowledge is our charge as doctors and a duty we each owe to ourselves.”

Dr. Chris Unger, Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education, was the faculty speaker at the ceremony.

“Your work has just begun,” Unger stated to all the graduates before him.  “And hopefully you are graduating not only with the brain of a scarecrow…but the heart of a tinman…and, importantly, the courage of a lion.  I harken back to these three gifts from the movie the Wizard of Oz because I see each of these as important to your future, as both change agents and as ambassadors of Northeastern.”

“I hope we have told you to follow your passion,” Unger said in his closing remarks. “Amidst the hard work and the challenges, don’t forget from time-to-time to reflect on what it is that you care about, what drives you, and your passion. Don’t forget that. And then use your brain, your heart, and your courage to make that difference.”

About Northeastern University College of Professional Studies

The College of Professional Studies is one of nine colleges of Northeastern University, a nationally ranked private research university in Boston, MA. Founded in 1960, the College teaches undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students on campus and online in more than 65 degree programs and is part of The Professional Advancement Network.

About the Professional Advancement Network

The Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network helps professionals participate in dynamic, experiential learning opportunities, earn degrees and certificates, build connections, and keep pace with the rapidly evolving business world—now and in the years to come. This is achieved through real-world experiences and rigorous curriculums, a supportive learning environment, and comprehensive academic and career coaching—all powered by an extensive network of alumni and employer partners. The Professional Advancement Network is an innovative approach to lifelong learning, offering access to over 200 distinctive, high-quality educational programs, degrees, certificates, and boot camps.

Northeastern University Grants Credits Toward Master’s Degree for Completion of Certified Professional Technical Communicator Certification

Society for Technical Communication Certification Program Approved for Transfer Credits 

Northeastern University College of Professional Studies has approved four credit hours toward the Master of Science degree in Technical Communication for holders of the Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC) Foundation level certification from the Society for Technical Communication. The nine core skill areas of technical communication covered in the CPTC exam map to the learning outcomes in the “Introduction to Technical and Professional Writing” course, a core class in the program’s curriculum. Certificate holders who decide to pursue their advanced degree at Northeastern will be able to achieve an 8% savings in tuition, as well as reduce the number of required courses from five to four.

“The CPTC Foundation level exam lets professional technical communicators demonstrate their mastery of foundation-level technical communication topics,” said Julia Cho, faculty member of the program. “Our industry-aligned curriculum has always been committed to the life-long learner, and we recognize the knowledge and skills that pursuing this certification represents. This certification aligns to our program’s learning outcomes for our students, in addition to showing dedication to the technical communication profession.”

“Having Northeastern University accept the CPTC certification for credit in their master’s program is exciting news for the technical communication community,” said Liz Pohland, CEO of the Society for Technical Communication. “Our goal is to increase the recognition and attraction of the technical communications profession. Attaining the CPTC certification is a great demonstration of a professional’s commitment to his or her career. We are delighted that Northeastern University has recognized the CPTC in this way.”

The CPTC certification is offered by trainers and training organizations who have been approved by the Society for Technical Communication and accredited by APMG International, a leading accreditation and certification organization. More information can be found on the degree program’s website as well as at the STC’s site.

About Northeastern University College of Professional Studies

The College of Professional Studies is one of nine colleges of Northeastern University, a nationally ranked private research university in Boston, MA.  Founded in 1960, the College teaches undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students on campus and online in more than 65 degree programs and is part of The Professional Advancement Network, a pioneering new model of education for working professionals who recognize the value of lifelong learning as a strategy for career development. More than 225,000 graduates make up the Northeastern Husky alumni network, in all 50 U.S. states and in nearly 150 countries.

About the Society for Technical Communication

The Society for Technical Communication is the world’s largest and oldest professional association dedicated to the advancement of the field of technical communication. The Society’s members span the field of the technical communication profession from students and academics to practitioners and managers. Our members represent every industry segment and many countries around the globe. The Society, its geographic chapters, and its special interest groups produce a wide array of educational events throughout the year designed to advance the knowledge of members and promote technical communication education, managerial techniques and tool skills. Career advancement is also supported by the STC through an annual salary survey, job board, mentoring and networking.

2016 Co-op Awards Ceremony

Excellence at Work

A Year of “Firsts” for Annual Co-op Awards; Eight Students Receive Awards

Each academic year, approximately 500 Northeastern students take part in work placements related to their field of study through the College of Professional Studies (CPS) Experiential Learning program. At the end of each year,  the College honors select students at the annual Co-op Awards ceremony, based on nominations from employers. 

The 2015/2016 Co-op Awards, which honored eight students, saw a series of firsts: the first award winner from the Experiential Network program; and the first recipient from the University’s Charlotte campus.

Zubi Aziz (Master of Science, Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices) received a Career Development award for her co-op at Baxalta, a start-up biopharmaceutical company. Zubi was known as the “go-to resource” in the department, according to Patricia Carolini, the head of safety analytics at Baxalta, who described Zubi as someone with exceptional integrity, character, and professionalism. They were so impressed, in fact, that Zubi has been offered a full-time position at the company.

Shuli Ciu (Master of Science, Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices) also received a Career Development award after completing two co-ops at Cerulian Pharma, Inc., first in regulatory affairs and then in clinical operations. Tiffany Crowell, vice president of clinical operations, saw Shuli “grow from an observing student to become an active participant in clinical trials, working well in cross-functional teams.”

Pamela Darcy-Demski, (Master of Science, Corporate and Organizational Communication) received the new Experiential Network Award, designed to recognize students involved in short-term projects offered through a corporate sponsor. Pamela conducted a feasibility analysis on Massachusetts State Police Academy’s use of technology in training cadets, helping it transition to a more user-friendly cloud technology. Melinda Lovick, the e-learning coordinator for the academy, spoke of Pamela’s capacity to “exercise professionalism and poise and routinely go above and beyond.”

Jennifer Krajewski (Master of Science, Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices) was awarded the Integrative Experiential Learning Award for students who participate in a co-op in their own place of employment. In Jennifer’s case, this was TreeHouse Foods, where she led a cross-departmental initiative to update labels based on the release of the State of Vermont’s Genetically Modified Food Labeling Regulation—all outside of her normal duties at the company. Her new role increased her contact with staff from other departments. “This program set me up for some of the best learning experiences I have had at Northeastern so far,” said Jennifer in her acceptance speech. 

Kyle Moore (Master of Arts, Homeland Security) was one of two recipients of a Leadership Award for his work with the National Guard Homeland Security Institute. Captain Christopher Johnson, deputy director of the Institute, praised Kyle’s hard work on a small team of four staff members leading national and state-level initiatives. “People are better protected and better able to respond to disasters than they were before, thanks to work that Kyle did,” said Captain Johnson.

Nicole Wilde Merl, (Master of Science, Corporate and Organizational Communication), a student at Northeastern’s Charlotte campus, was awarded the Student Scholar Award for initiating a virtual co-op with Washington, D.C.-based public relations agency, Thomas Cooke and Associates. Nicole described her internship as a “true two-way internship” with faculty and Thomas Cooke equally invested in the project, which created a social platform to empower women to vote in 2016 and beyond through a project called WomenVotes.org.

Chirag Rathod (Master of Science, Project Management) was a recipient of the Leadership Award. Joe Flynn, Northeastern alumnus and director of inside sales for Akamai Technologies, credited Chirag for helping his company secure a $1 million deal, its biggest that year, and praised Chirag for leading by example, seeing the big picture, and coming up with creative solutions to challenges. “I never felt like an intern,” Chirag said in his acceptance speech. “I was always encouraged to participate in every team meeting and was given an opportunity to innovate and challenge the traditional way of working without having that fear of failure.” Chirag has since been offered the opportunity to stay on with the team full-time.

Qi Qin (Master of Science, Global Studies and International Relations) was awarded the Student Scholar Award for her work with Quincy Asian Resources. As an outreach specialist, Qi hired, trained, and supervised a team of eight bilingual undergraduate students and volunteers, and, in the words of Executive Director John Brothers, “the department‘s performance improved remarkably under her leadership.” She has now transitioned into the role on a permanent basis.

College of Professional Studies 2016 Graduation

“Let Your Imagination Set Your Limit”

Words of Advice from Retired Army General David D. McKiernan as Northeastern University College of Professional Studies Confers More than 1,000 Degrees

“When you walk out that door today, the future is in your hands, and your minds…. there’s no magic key to happiness and success.  That requires competency, commitment, courage and lifelong development. “

That was the guidance offered this morning to more than 1,000 graduates at Matthews Arena on Northeastern’s Boston campus by graduation speaker Retired Army General David D. McKiernan, the former top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Thousands of family members and friends were in attendance, celebrating a total of 1,016 degrees conferred— 6 Associate, 212 Bachelor’s, 670 Master’s, 7 Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, and 121 Doctoral.

McKiernan, who once led U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and who was in charge of joint forces from NATO and 42 contributing countries, retired from the Army in 2009.  He has served as a special advisor to senior leaders of Northeastern on the expansion of the university’s programs for veterans and active duty military.  McKiernan’s speech comes at a time when the number of degrees conferred to veterans in the first half of 2016 has grown 46% compared to the same time period in 2011.  Today, 38 veterans graduated – 17 undergraduates and 21 at the graduate level.

McKiernan had five pieces of advice for graduates. “Think of it as advice from someone who has been around the global block and experienced the good, the bad and the ugly,” he said.

1. Be a creative thinker.
2. Don’t shy away from getting outside your comfort zone.
3. If you want to be a leader, it is all about interpersonal skills.
4. Demonstrate the notion of empathy.  “As we say in the Army, ‘The view is different depending on what hill you’re standing on,’” he added.
5. Be of service to America or the country you’re a citizen of, through professional, volunteer or charitable venues.  Think about ways you can serve people.

Faculty Presented with Teaching Excellence Award

During graduation, the College presented the Teaching Excellence Award to two outstanding faculty members: Darin Detwiler and Corliss Brown Thompson.

Nominated by students in the Master’s in Regulatory Affairs of Food and Food Industries program, Detwiler’s students called him an “outstanding and engaging” instructor who shares an enormous passion for his discipline, which he instills in others.  While the students nominating Dr. Brown Thompson, faculty member in the Graduate School of Education, point to her excellence as a “scholar, teacher and guide,” and note her ability to help them realize meaningful and impactful community engagement strategies in their work.

Students Receive Degree of the Highest Honor: Their Doctorate 

On May 12, the College hosted a Doctoral Hooding Ceremony for candidates in the Doctor of Education, Doctor of Law and Policy, and Doctor of Physical Therapy programs symbolizing their transition from student to scholar-practitioner.  Candidates received their doctoral hoods from their thesis advisers at this annual ceremony.

At every doctoral hooding ceremony, one student is selected to receive the Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Work, the highest honor awarded by the College to a doctoral graduate. The award was established to acknowledge exemplary academic achievement and to recognize demonstrated creativity.

This year, the Dean’s Medal winner was Dr. Hunter Hustus, in the Doctor of Law and Policy program, for his thesis titled “Nuclear Arsenals at Low Numbers: When Less is Different.” Hustus, who completed his Master’s degree 20 years ago and spent 20 years in the Air Force, noted in his speech how the doctoral program allowed him to rethink what he already knew, develop new perspectives and how the diversity and support within his cohort contributed to his education. “It was an ambitious project,” Hustus remarked. “While many of the results were unexpected, the biggest surprise was in how much I enjoyed doing the research.”

Dr. Cordula Robinson, an Associate Professor in the Master’s in Geographic Information Technology program, was the faculty speaker at the ceremony.  Robinson noted in her speech how her PhD marked the beginning of a life-long adventure for her: she lived and worked in three countries, studied Viking data from the planet Mars, worked on the Magellan mission to Venus, had an asteroid named after her and worked with indigenous people in North Africa and the Middle East on the issue of water scarcity, among many other things.  Her advice to the doctoral graduates before her?

“My PhD truly marked the beginning of this life-long adventure and way of living and so it may be for you. It may not always be easy, and will require perseverance and patience, but it can always be interesting. Continue to represent your experience to your best ability while retaining the panoramic view. To put in motion what your PhD inspired, to integrate your wisdom with practice, and to set forth to be the world’s next senior managers and policy makers, advanced clinicians in a dynamic healthcare system, or prepare for executive leadership and curriculum design. To be trailblazers, innovators, and future leaders.”

5 Ways to Get More Social Media Engagement

By Amy E. Smith. 

Amy E. Smith is a content strategist and information architect. She teaches two social media courses at Northeastern, and currently works for IBM. (Her opinions here are her own.)

Whether you’re a seasoned social media veteran or just getting ready to launch your first social media channel, how to continually engage your audience in a meaningful way is a challenge that we all face.

Here are some tips that will help you get started or get back on the right track to create and maintain vital and engaged communities.

1. It’s not Just About the Content 

Getting to know the communities you create via social media—who they are, what they like, what social media tool they like to use and how they like to use it—will help you build a strong foundation to effectively engage your audience.

For example, if you’re a baker, it’s safe to assume that your audience has visited your business or likes your product. If you’re a large high tech company, your audience is probably interested in learning new tech trends.

Having this type of insight from the get-go is important, because you’ll need to know the specific information your audience wants as you craft your messages. 

2. Social Media is Social 

Many organizations and businesses get caught using social media strictly for announcements and news. We need to step back and remember that social media is a conversation between you and your audience.

Build relationships with members of your community by connecting with them on a regular basis, seek out their opinions (see tip 4), chat about current events, and so on.

3. Add Value

Time is a valuable commodity. When you start a social media community, you’re asking members and potential members to spend their finite time engaging with you, instead of spending it elsewhere. 

Providing them with coupons or rewards is a good first step, but also consider sharing knowledge. Teach them something you learned recently, or something that will enrich their knowledge. Make sure what you share adds value to their lives, and you can bet they’ll keep coming back. 

4. Welcome Feedback 

Getting more engagement can be as easy as making community members feel like valuable parts of the network. Just as any other community, members like to feel like they belong, and their voices are heard. 

And the easiest way to get an opinion? Ask. Reach out to your community for their opinions on different aspects of your business, what they think about a particular product, or even their recommendations on improving services. You should also encourage community members to share their own knowledge and expertise with others – you should moderate the conversation, but you don’t always need to be the one to control it. 

5. Have Fun

Last but not least, don’t forget to relax and have fun. Ultimately, you want to enjoy engaging your audience and you want your audience to feel the same way. 

Do fun things that will not only highlight your services or products but also highlight or shine the spotlight on members of your community. This will make them feel welcomed and part of an exclusive group.