The #CSUSocial team has a new leader! Couldn’t be happier to re-introduce Ashley Schroeder, our new Director of Social and Digital Media. Ashley is founding member of our team and has been instrumental in building CSU Social into what it is today. I’m still CSU Social’s BIGGEST fan and working with this incredible team in the role of Assistant Vice President of Social and Digital. Let’s get to know Ashley a little better.
Tell us a little bit about your professional experience in social and digital media.
I was fortunate enough to join CSU Social right after I graduated from CSU with a degree in journalism and technical communications in 2013. In my first position as social media coordinator, I had the opportunity to manage the social strategy for CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, including the Veterinary Teaching Hospital accounts, which was too much fun (think lions, tigers, bears, puppies, kittens, and really talented veterinarians and students). On the CSU Social side, I got to help with CAM the Ram’s accounts, Pinterest, Snapchat and more. Through this role, I was really able to strengthen my writing and social strategy muscles, and gain more experience in videography, photography and graphic design.
After managing the college’s social media strategy for six years, I joined the CSU Social team full time as the assistant director of social and digital media, where I focused on project management, content strategy and facilitating our amazing team of student co-creators. I came into this role about six months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, learning even more about crisis communications, the role of social media within higher education (and brands at large), and the importance of prioritizing mental health. In 2022, I became the associate director of social and digital media, and am thrilled to have now accepted the role as director of social and digital media.
What are you most looking forward to working on as the leader of the team?
I struck gold getting to lead this team of social and digital media professionals and student co-creators. They’re really the magic to everything we do. I think I’m most looking forward to looking at new ways we can do what we do. Whether that’s ways to be more efficient, trying out new content strategies, or finding new ways to tell CSU’s story, I want to experiment and take some new risks.
Any trends that CSU Social may tap into in 2024?
In the ever-changing landscape of social media, we definitely have our eyes on a few trends and goals:
Making science social: We have really skilled and talented storytellers who have a passion for science and research, and I’m looking forward to trying out new ways to make science social through short form, vertical video specifically.
Peeping new platforms: We’re always keeping tabs on new social media platforms that pop up, but I’m especially curious to see how X shakes out this year, and if any of its competitors make big strides in capturing what was once a loyal Twitter user base. Of course, Threads is still an interesting contender to me, but I’ve also read great things about Spoutible.
SEO: Google is still king when it comes to search engines. But more and more social media users (especially Gen Z) are using TikTok and Instagram for search instead of Google. TikTok and Instagram are putting a lot of time and energy into search, which means social media managers should be putting more time and energy into the SEO side of their content. Our team will be working on identifying new ways we can bolster our SEO on social this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it affects our analytics.
AI: It’s the new buzzword. Who isn’t keeping an eye on it? Admittedly, I’m not super familiar with it outside of ChatGPT. But I think the secret sauce in AI will be in learning how to prompt it. After all, AI is only as good as the instructions you provide. I think there will be aspects of AI that will turn out to be super helpful for social media managers, and others that will be asking for trouble… legal trouble.
Nano-influencers: We recently launched our first-ever micro-influencer program last fall, working with CSU influencers mainly at campus events. But I’ve seen an increasing trend in the use of nano-influencers (they’re seen as more authentic and are more trusted by their peers). On a college campus, you’re sure to have thousands of nano-influencers, and I’m excited to think more about potential ways to partner with these CSU community members in meaningful ways.
Accessibility: We strive to make our content as accessible as possible for all audiences, but there’s always room for improvement. I’m excited to have the expertise of Teddi Tostanoski on our team to take our accessibility practices to the next level, and I hope CSU social media is seen as a brand that’s doing it right.
If you could use only one social media platform personally, what would it be and why?
Easy. TikTok. It’s a one-stop shop for all things entertainment, how-tos, product reviews, vacation planning, and more. There’s no pressure to like so-and-so’s post, or to portray perfection (I’m looking at you, Instagram), and I appreciate creators’ willingness to fail or look silly.
What performing artist is in heavy rotation in your current playlist?
I’m more of a podcast listener. My current fave? “We’re Here to Help,” with Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds. (If you’re a New Girl or Minx fan, this is a must-listen-to podcast.)
What’s something interesting most people don’t know about you?
Maybe these aren’t interesting facts, but they’re definitely my most controversial thoughts:
- Puffy Cheetos are better than Crunchy
- Tomatoes are the worst (regardless of whether you consider them a fruit or vegetable)
- People who say they enjoy the winter are liars
- Colorado green chiles are better than New Mexico’s
- The MLB shouldn’t be able to call it the “World Series”