As many of our readers already know (or can easily guess from the Social Strategy Fundamentals episode I recently hosted), I’m a huge fan of strategy. That’s why I’m excited to work with natural strategists like ours at Campus Sonar every day. Our team of strategists not only develops deep client relationships, but also intuitively looks at each client’s goals from all angles to find the best way to reach them.
If you’ve ever wondered what a Campus Sonar Strategist focuses on for each client, I’m here to share just a few—charcuterie board style.
Meat and cheese is the heart of every charcuterie board, and the selection of those meats and cheeses is critical. That’s why research strategy is the heart of the work the Campus Sonar Strategist focuses on—it’s critical to our successful collaboration with campus clients. The Strategist translates the client needs, pain points, goals, and desired outcomes into social listening strategy by partnering closely with a Campus Sonar Analyst. As the Analyst builds each custom social listening query and segmentation rules, they consult with the Strategist for keywords, phrases, and terms to include or exclude. Similarly, when it's time to analyze social listening data, the Strategist collaborates closely with the Analyst to determine what observations to investigate further and which to elaborate on as related to client goals.
As with any good charcuterie board, something must bring the different elements together. Enter, condiments—and project management. The Strategist works closely with their colleagues to ensure the work completed for each client meets expectations of the work, timeline, and client goals. They’re intimately familiar with all details of each campus—from key people to documents (like the proposal and contract) to unique project details to campus facts and figures. With each client meeting, the Strategist builds on their depth of client knowledge, allowing them to act as a true extension of the campus team over time. In this way, the Strategist works with each of their clients to understand their goals, pain points, and opportunities, tying them back to their project management approach.
A charcuterie board wouldn’t be complete without items that add some freshness and change of pace: fruits, nuts, and olives—the new ideas. Our Strategists continually bring fresh ideas and a new perspective as clients transition from working with our business development team to building a relationship with their Strategist, their main point of contact at Campus Sonar.
We’ve assembled the key pieces of a charcuterie board and addressed key Strategist responsibilities, but something is still missing. A board isn’t complete without crackers and bread—vehicles necessary to enjoy everything on the board! A Campus Sonar Strategist brings together all elements on the proverbial charcuterie board by working with their clients as a strategic consultant.
Every Campus Sonar client gets unparalleled access to their own higher ed expert, a Strategist who consults on social listening findings, crafts unique actionable recommendations aligned with client goals, and serves as a creative and strategic consultant as an extension of the campus team.
Our Strategists have seen it all alongside our campus partners and have walked clients through: getting buy-in for social media, monitoring campus crises, building online content strategies, advising on enrollment or advancement campaigns, consulting on brand awareness and competitive intelligence, and more.
With these elements, the Campus Sonar strategic charcuterie board is complete. Much like a well-rounded charcuterie board, the Strategist directs many aspects of social listening strategy, relationships, and projects. They contribute intentionally and also step in at a moment’s notice to support their Campus Sonar colleagues and campus partners with insight to research strategy, project management, communication, and strategic consultancy.
Now that you have an understanding of the Strategist's role, learn more about the critical role of the Social Media Data Analyst.