Campaign Overview
Objective: To raise awareness about cybersecurity practices, spotlight cybersecurity careers, and highlight key resources at Champlain College.
Target Audience: Students, prospective students, professionals, and general readers interested in cybersecurity.
Duration: The campaign took place during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, October 2024.
Campaign Strategy
For the Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign, I collaborated closely with the Leahy Center for Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity and the marketing content manager. Together, we outlined key topics and assigned authors for the articles, ensuring each piece would contribute meaningfully to our overall awareness goals. I took on the role of both writer and editor, crafting some articles myself and editing those contributed by student workers. Additionally, I was responsible for building and publishing these articles on the website, ensuring cohesive presentation and accessibility.
For social media, I created a series of posts tailored to LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X, designed to engage a diverse audience across platforms. These posts not only shared the campaign’s stories but also reinforced the importance of cybersecurity in accessible, visually engaging ways. By aligning each post with the themes of our articles, I helped create a unified and impactful campaign presence across both the website and social channels.
Articles
Summary: This article commemorates Cybersecurity Awareness Month by exploring the history and evolution of cybersecurity. It also highlights Champlain College's commitment to cybersecurity education and outlines opportunities for community engagement throughout the month.
Key Takeaways:
• Historical Context: Provides an overview of cybersecurity’s origins and its growth alongside digital technology.
• Educational Initiatives: Highlights Champlain College’s role in advancing cybersecurity education through its programs and resources.
• Community Involvement: Details how students, faculty, and community members can participate in Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities, fostering awareness and engagement with current cybersecurity practices and careers.
Summary: This article explores the diverse and dynamic career paths within cybersecurity, focusing on how professionals in this field work to anticipate, prevent, and respond to evolving cyber threats. It provides guidance for those interested in pursuing a career in cybersecurity, highlighting key roles, skills, and the impact of these positions on digital safety.
Key Takeaways:
• Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals: Emphasizes the growing need for skilled cybersecurity experts to protect organizations and individuals from cyber threats.
• Career Paths: Details various roles within cybersecurity, from threat analysts and network security specialists to digital forensics experts.
• Skills and Education: Outlines critical skills and educational paths necessary for a successful career in cybersecurity, encouraging students and career-changers to consider the field's opportunities and rewards.
Summary: This article delves into the field of digital forensics, emphasizing its critical role in supporting cybersecurity by investigating and analyzing cyber incidents. It sheds light on the techniques and tools used by digital forensics professionals to gather evidence, helping organizations understand and respond to security breaches.
Key Takeaways:
• Role of Digital Forensics: Explains how digital forensics complements cybersecurity efforts by identifying, investigating, and analyzing digital evidence of cybercrimes.
• Skills and Tools: Highlights essential skills and advanced tools used by digital forensics experts, such as data recovery, analysis software, and chain-of-custody procedures.
• Impact on Cybersecurity: Shows the value of digital forensics in aiding law enforcement, strengthening cybersecurity defenses, and enhancing incident response strategies.
Social Media Posts
Social media played a pivotal role in amplifying the Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign, extending its reach across platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Each post was crafted to engage audiences, spark conversations about cybersecurity, and drive traffic to the related articles. The posts highlighted campaign themes, such as career opportunities, digital forensics, and Champlain College’s cybersecurity initiatives, creating a cohesive digital narrative that increased engagement and awareness.
Top Posts
Total Engagements: 249
Reactions: 42
Comments: 2
Shares: 3
Post Clicks: 202
Total Engagements: 180
Likes: 176
Comments: 3
Saves: 1
Total Engagements: 171
Reactions: 61
Shares: 6
Post Clicks: 104
Total Engagements: 166
Reactions: 31
Comments: 3
Shares: 1
Post Clicks:131
Total Engagements: 143
Reactions: 38
Comments: 6
Shares: 7
Post Clicks: 92
Reflections and Learnings
Managing the Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign allowed me to develop and refine skills in project management, content creation, social media strategy, and performance analysis. The campaign’s metrics—32,566 impressions, 1,832 engagements, and 686 link clicks—indicate that our strategic approach resonated well with our audience across LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Here are some of the key learnings:
1. Coordinated Content Development: Working with the Leahy Center team and the marketing content manager highlighted the importance of collaboration in content planning. By aligning on topics and authors early, we ensured that each piece fit into a larger, cohesive narrative. This planning also allowed me to manage deadlines effectively, which was essential for a campaign with multiple contributors.
2. Audience Engagement Through Platform-Specific Content: Crafting content tailored to each platform maximized our reach and engagement. For instance, LinkedIn posts highlighting career paths and industry insights achieved high engagement, particularly with Champlain College alumni and professionals.
3. Editing and Quality Control: As I oversaw the writing, editing, and posting processes, I learned that meticulous quality control is crucial for a campaign’s success. Reviewing and refining posts contributed by student workers ensured consistency in messaging and brand voice, which was reflected in the strong engagement metrics across all platforms.
4. Adaptability and Real-Time Monitoring: Monitoring performance throughout the month allowed me to identify which posts resonated most with our audience. Posts that combined educational content with practical takeaways, such as tips for cybersecurity careers, consistently drew high interactions. This insight informed adjustments in our social media strategy, enabling us to prioritize similar content in the latter part of the campaign.
5. Measuring Impact and Drawing Insights: Analyzing engagement data at the end of the campaign provided valuable insights into audience preferences. Posts on LinkedIn about the Women in Cyber Summit and cybersecurity career paths had significant shares and clicks, underscoring the importance of educational and career-oriented content for future campaigns.
This campaign reinforced my ability to manage a multi-channel content strategy effectively, ensuring that each piece aligned with our goals of raising awareness and encouraging community engagement. Through this experience, I enhanced my project management skills, gained deeper insight into audience preferences, and further developed my expertise in digital marketing for educational initiatives.
