0 5 3 4 T WRI o i l o f t r Po
BY: MALLORY HICKS PUBLISHED | MAY 2018
PORTFOLIO
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL MALLORY HICKS
Dear Dr. Clements, This year I worked with Beth Eakman and Taylor Arnold, as well as Madi Cotten to improve the state of the WRIT department's social media. We have made a great deal of progress over the past two semesters and I am incredibly excited to pass off the baton to Taylor Arnold, as she will continue to the work that the two of us accomplished this semester. Over the course of two semesters, we spent a great deal of time analyzing the current state of the WRIT social media. Additionally, we launched the new social media handles in a launch party that I planned on the lawn, We increased our follower counts, as well as determined what we need to accomplish for the incoming year. I have included the social media report that Taylor and I worked on that fully encompasses the work that we have put into this year. I especially thank Beth for the support and guidance that she has provided both Taylor and I through this very difficult, yet rewarding project. She asked that I include this letter from her in my portfolio as well. Thank you for a wonderful semester! Mallory Hicks
PORTFOLIO
OCTOBER SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT FOR BETH EAKMAN BY: MALLORY HICKS
Introduction The current social media accounts for WRIT department are subpar to say the least. My goal this semester will be to revamp our presence on social media, increase following and reach, and interact more with the students and faculty in our department. Background In its simplest form, social media a mode of communication. Therefore, each account for the WRIT department serves a different role for rhetorical purpose. Twitter offers a conversational and cheeky platform for rhetoric to interact with other people, as well as create an outlet for short, witty tweets. Our account holds about 150 followers, though our reach could be farther. Instagram and Pinterest pages, which cater more to visual rhetoric, are none existent. The Facebook page is the most professional outlet to advertise and promote our program and the content that people in the department promote.
Analysis Twitter’s tone stays light and fun to stray away from the pedantic and elitist attitude attributed to academia writing. A positive aspect with Twitter is that we have to be witty and punchy to maintain the audience’s attention. We can still include academia links, but it will give us more creative freedom with the content that we’re sharing. The content shared should focus around humor, satire, alum pieces, and creative uses of rhetoric. Facebook is the major dilemma. The WRIT department already has a Facebook group which almost works as an open forum for staff and students to put out advertisements and update the WRIT students about the opportunities available to them. Facebook is beneficial because it creates a community for faculty and students to interact.