Saint Louis College (SLC), through the College of Information and Marketing Office (CIMO), launched on October 11-12 a Capacity Enhancement Training to equip institutional offices, organizations, and student publications with effective online communication and storytelling techniques, held at the Fr. Gerard de Boeck Library.
The first day of training featured two sessions for selected faculty, office personnel, and students who manage their respective offices’ and organizations’ official Facebook pages.
Ms. Kaye Leah C. Sitchon, Saint Louis University – University Information Office (SLU-UIO) Writer, discussed in-depth digital content write-up techniques through “Effective Writing Style for Marketing Communications” during the morning session.
In her talk, Ms. Sitchon emphasized that SLC can gain greater institutional visibility through effective online content creation and marketing, highlighted as an “art of storytelling” not by hard-selling posts.
“Institutional visibility is the extent to which an education institution is recognized and acknowledged. It all boils down to creating relationships. It goes beyond marketing. It is an act of service,” said Ms. Sitchon.
Further, she shared the content mix equation that should appear in the social media content calendar of various institutional offices’ and organizations’ Facebook pages, adding a need for balance in being a copywriter and content writer.
“It [marketing] is not about visuals. It’s about what you say and how you say it. It’s about targeting a need,” said Ms. Sitchon.
Proceeding to the hands-on activity, Ms. Sitchon helped the participants navigate and answer the question, “What is the brand of Saint Louis College?” through a four-step branding table and the creation of a personal profile.
To wrap up the morning session, selected participants presented their written captions as Ms. Sitchon reviewed the construction and gave advice.
In the afternoon session, Mr. Keno Winston Rabe, Professor from the Arts and Communications Department of Benguet State University, delivered a talk about “Basic Photography, Videography, and Layouting,” which aims to enhance the production of video and photographic materials for online postings.
In addition to discussing the technical aspects of photography and videography, Mr. Rabe also shared his firsthand experiences working in the field as a journalist. He also facilitated a hands-on session where he guided the participants in operating a projected camera, adjusting angles, and taking different shots.
The participants also took their chance to present their Facebook postings, while Mr. Rabe gave his technical advice and suggestions for improvement.
As the event concluded, Mr. Rabe took the time to answer various questions from the audience, followed by a group photo opportunity.
On the second day, an extensive consultation with a marketing specialist was conducted by CIMO to augment the current marketing program of the institution.
Mr. Czar Adrian Libunao, Area Sales Manager of Viskase Asia Pacific Corporation, gave a lecture on marketing and branding and demonstrated how to craft an effective marketing strategic plan.
CIMO extended their warm gratitude to the resource speakers for their dedication as each training concluded.
by Angelo S. Delmonte, CIMO Contributor
