This document provides guidance for developing a user-generated content proposal to showcase a university across social media. It addresses key questions like what the story is, how it will be delivered, what resources are needed, how it aligns with strategy and meets audience needs, and what the goal is. The story should be authentic, interesting and engaging for current students, parents, academics, alumni and potential students. It also discusses formats like videos, podcasts and blogs, considering the story, platforms, and ensuring the proposal has a clear goal and call to action.

1. FMS Industry session #2:
Storytelling for audiences

2. THE BRIEF
Propose a piece of ‘user generated content’ for use across our social media channels that is designed to showcase
the very best of our University, who we are, what we do etc. Your proposal should answer the following questions:
• What’s the story?
• How will it be delivered? In what format and where?
• What do you need (and need to know) to tell it?
• How does it tie in with our strategy and goals?
• How does it meet the needs of our existing audience?
• How does it meet the needs of our potential audience?
• Is it an authentic, interesting story? How is it engaging?
• What do we hope people will do when they see it?

3. WHAT’S THE STORY?

5. WHAT’S THE STORY?
Does it tell a story about the brand
itself and what it represents?
STEPPS = ‘S’ for stories and ‘T’ for
triggers
Is it a story that others will want to
affiliate themselves with?
STEPPS = ‘S’ for social currency and
‘P’ for public
Is it an emotive story that makes
people feel something?
STEPPS = ‘E’ for emotion and ‘S’ for
social currency
S T E P E S

6. WHAT’S THE STORY? #RETROSPECTUS
Does it tell a story about the brand
itself and what it represents?
Is it a story that others will want to
affiliate themselves with?
Is it an emotive story that makes
people feel something?
S T E P E S

7. WHAT KIND OF STORIES DO WE WANT?
What’s on our news pages? What’s on our social? What’s in Met Magazine?
Stories Social currency Stories
What’s not on our news pages? What’s not on our social? What’s not in Met Magazine?
Practical value Emotion Social currency
What are our competitors
doing in the UK?
What are our competitors
doing abroad?
#MadeAtUni / #MadeAtMcrMet
Practical value Emotion Stories
What makes Manchester Met
stand out?
What are we doing in our many
research fields?
What are we doing in our local
and global communities?
Triggers Stories Triggers

8. WHAT’S THE STORY?
• How will people react to your story?
• Is there an action you want them to take?
• Is this about likes? Conversions? Perceptions?
• What part of your client’s story is missing and how can you fill it?

9. DELIVERING YOUR STORY

10. CORPORATE MARKETING
AND COMMUNICATIONS
EVENTS BROCHURES VIDEOS PODCASTS
MICROSITES CAMPAIGNS SOCIAL BLOGS
NEWS/PR ANIMATION

11. SOCIAL

12. VIDEOS
SOCIAL
NEWS/PR

13. EVENTS VIDEOS
MICROSITES SOCIAL
NEWS/PR

14. EVENTS BROCHURES VIDEOS PODCASTS
MICROSITES CAMPAIGNS SOCIAL BLOGS
NEWS/PR ANIMATION

15. DELIVERING YOUR STORY?
• Think about what format works best for your story
• Think about which social platforms work best for your story
• Is the story strong enough as a single piece of content? Or does it need PR, social or other support?
• If we want people to do something, do we have a place they can go to do it? (e.g. microsite)
• What is the right content combination for your campaign idea?

16. WHAT DO YOU NEED?

17. WHAT DO YOU NEED?
Facts and statistics Opinion and insight Planning and execution
Expertise and equipment Access and locations Budget and resource

18. WHAT DO YOU NEED?
• Think practically about what you are creating
• Planning is everything… have you done the research?
• Podcasts and videos require a brief, a location and preparation
• Your client will expect an idea of cost, time and resource needed

19. CONNECTING WITH STRATEGY

20. The sense of excitement
around the university as a
modern, dynamic location.
Our ambitious nature as a
University, student and
academic body.
How we collaborate and
connected internally and
externally.
How staff, students, alumni
and research live, work and
thrive beyond the campus.
What we do to create a
better and more sustainable
future.
OUR STRATEGY

21. “PROTECT AND PROMOTE
THE UNIVERSITY’S BRAND
AND REPUTATION. TO MAKE
THE UNIVERSITY LOOK
GOOD AND SHARE OUR
MESSAGE WITH THE WORLD
IN A CLEAR, CONSISTENT,
ENGAGING AND
COMPELLING WAY.”
CORPORATE MARKETING
AND COMMUNICATIONS

22. CONNECTING WITH STRATEGY
• Show how you’ve taken the strategy into account
• What is the purpose of that strategy? What is your clients endgame?
• Think about the customer pain points, but also those of your client
• Keep going back to the question: ‘Does this meet the brief/strategy?’

23. MEETING AUDIENCE NEEDS

24. OUR AUDIENCE
Our job would be easier if our audience was all potential students, but in reality it’s mainly…
By communicating to this audience, we create advocacy that has an ‘echo effect’ to our wider audience of potential
students – as well as making sure they get the right message when they do hit our social channels.
Current students Parents and family Academics and staff Alumni and partners

25. WHAT DO OUR AUDIENCE WANT?
Many things, but typically we can assume that our main audiences want to feel…
Current students
“Excited to be a Man Met student
and informed on what’s happening
around campus.”
Parents and family
“Confident my son/daughter has
made the right choice and is at a
respectable institution.”
Academics and staff
“Recognised in my field and happy
the University is working hard to be
part of the conversation around it”
Alumni and partners
“Proud to work with or have been
part of a vibrant and progressive
University that nurtures its talent.”

26. WHAT DO OUR WIDER AUDIENCE WANT?
Potential students (UG)
“I want to come to a university
that is exciting, progressive,
connected and can provide a
high level of education and
employability.”
Potential students (PG)
“I want to progress my career
with a course that suits my
specific needs, enhances my
employability and has a strong
reputation.”
Potential students (International)
“I want a University that can meet
my learning and career needs, as
well as offer a warm, supportive
community and environment.”

27. MEETING AUDIENCE NEEDS
• Pick a key audience, but think about the ripple effect to other audiences
• What are your competitors doing to target the same audience – and is that working?
• Play the long game if you need to – what are the ‘triggers’?
• Is there a business target you can think about? (e.g. we aim to increase international students by X%)

28. AUTHENTIC AND ENGAGING

29. CONTENT
AMBASSADORS
• Brand guidelines
• Strategy
• Client support
• Feedback
• Strong stories
• Authentic voices
• The right format
• Challenge the
client
USER GENERATED
CONTENT
BRANDED
CONTENT

30. SETTING A GOAL

31. WHAT IS THE GOAL?
ORDER A
PROSPECTUS
BE PART OF OUR
STORY
THINK OF US A
CERTAIN WAY
HAVE AN
EMOTIONAL
REACTION
SHARE TO THEIR
FOLLOWERS
COME TO AN
OPEN DAY
DISCOVER
SOMETHING
ABOUT US

32. SETTING A GOAL
• Set a clear goal and how it will be measured
• Try to think about the user journey and what will get your audience where you want them
• Consider a ‘call to action’ if applicable and where it should take people
• Regularly refer back to your goal and ensure you stay on track
• Evaluate and implement feedback

33. NEXT TIME…
• Setting goals and objectives
• What and how to measure success
• Meeting the needs of your ‘client’ (eg sales, traffic)
• Analytics and insight tools

34. QUESTIONS?

35. n.mellor@mmu.ac.uk