The Oaks Academy
Digital Marketing Specialist – AmeriCorp VISTA
AmeriCorp – Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is a national service program with the aim to eliminate poverty. VISTA members volunteer at a non-profit to help increase the capacity of the organization for the length of the assignment. Learn more about the AmeriCorp VISTA program here.
My role as a Digital Marketing Specialist included, but was not limited to, managing social media accounts, designing and developing email communication materials, creating content, and supporting the Director of Marketing and Communications. My VISTA term was from July 1st, 2017 to June 1, 2018.
Social Media
During the first five months (August – December), I increased the number of Facebook posts by 206.5% (in comparison to the five months before that). Those posts culminated to 260,257 impressions, an increase of 81.35%. Fans increased by 6% and our engagement by 175%! After a “quiet” appeal on Giving Tuesday, we received our first round of FB donations, some of which were from first-time donors.
Check out the channels for yourself!
There are some communications such as newsletters which are regularly scheduled, and others such as campaigns and appeals that are one-time notices, invitations, announcements, etc. I was fully responsible for the monthly newsletters. This included copywriting, gathering content and taking pictures. I was asked to re-design the emails in a more modern and clean style.
The Nutshell (Monthly)
The Nutshell is a monthly email newsletter for parents and guardians of Oaks’ students. It includes a “core value” quote, “leadership message” (ghostwritten by me), a “moment of goodness” which includes a picture of a special moment or event around the school, a “Get to Know & Love Faculty/Staff” section, which features a faculty or staff member, and a list of “Upcoming Events.”
Sometimes The Nutshell will include special announcements or messages from other departments as needed.
The Assembly (Every 2 months)
The Assembly is a bi-monthly curated email news bulletin for donors and friends of The Oaks Academy. It features the latest articles on true education, real diversity, urban renewal, Christ-centeredness and more.
I store articles that I read throughout the two months on a trello board. When it is time to send out The Assembly, I pick articles that challenge and inspire our audience.
Graphic Design
On occasion, I’ve had the opportunity to work on graphic design projects, such as creating potential signage mock-ups, updating forms, and designing invitations.
Video
Video content was made for sharing over email and/or social media. I partnered with a friend of mind, Mark Steenberger, to make the Continuous Enrollment Videos. We were able to use Mark’s camera and lavalier mic. For the Middle School Choir, I used my photography camera and the Director of Communication’s cell phone. I pulled the audio from the soundboard at The Artsgarden since they had microphones already set up. For the #FacultyFebruary videos, I used my photography camera again, and an omnidirectional microphone from The Oaks Academy IT department. All videos were edited in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Photography
Check out a small sample of pictures I’ve taken for The Oaks Academy. The pictures are used for marketing materials and social media content.
