Kelsey Jones Art’s careful consideration of every snippet on social media keeps MITRE on readers’ minds. In fact, this year we surpassed 200,000 LinkedIn followers by organically growing an engaged, enthusiastic community on a very small budget. Jones Art, above right, talks with MITRE’s Nancy Gast Romps.
Amplifying MITRE’s Impact, One Social Post at a Time
When I came to MITRE in 2019 as the company’s first dedicated social media manager, it was an unbelievable opportunity to tap into an underutilized but rapidly growing community. And it was time to get our arms around a consistent brand look and voice for our digital and social media.
Social media is one of many layers in our messaging that explains the value of MITRE and our work for the government sponsors who depend on our innovation and technical expertise. It’s a glimpse of who we are—based not just on our accomplishments, but on the look and feel of the content we share. Our 200,000 LinkedIn followers didn’t happen because we just post whatever we can find, whenever we think about it. We’re strategic about the value of our content, and our stakeholders are those followers.
When I found MITRE, I was looking to leave the politics behind and focus on the mission. It’s a privilege to help direct how we tell the MITRE story to an audience of millions.
A Content Smorgasbord
What I think is most exciting about this industry is also one of the biggest challenges. Companies change and evolve, and so does social media—and at a rapid pace. Its influence and algorithms impact what shows up in users’ feeds.
Messaging from MITRE needs to be concise, complete, and compelling. Some companies have the luxury of focusing on one subject. That’s not us. Our portfolio is broad, and so is our community’s interest.
Because we do so much as a company, our daily challenge is how to frame our news and content so it’s of value to the largest number of people. Not everyone needs to understand the technical aspects of everything we do. But after reading or watching our social and digital media, they should understand what we’re working to solve.
Every workday, my teammate, Regan Burdick, and I scan a range of daily and weekly newsletters for a landscape of the news that day. Next, we review our social media tool’s report for any mentions of MITRE, then review performance of key posts from the day before. A huge part of my day is meeting with my colleagues about projects we’re working on together, getting looped into bigger company-wide events with a social or paid perspective, and reviewing social drafts, graphics, and videos cut for our social audience.
A Product of the Social Media Age
I’ve been working in social media since 2011, and I’ve seen the field grow from “someone, anyone—come up with a headline!” to the strategic series of planning and decisions it is today.
As a social and digital marketing strategist, I’m trained in public relations, digital marketing, social media, and political science. I’m also a product of the age of social media. By the time I started college at Drake University, I had already seen Facebook’s power in making connections. Then social media really blew up. When Facebook factored into Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential campaign, the public recognized the power of a voice or brand to go directly to the consumer—or voter.
Before coming to MITRE, I worked for a startup social media company. It was exciting for me to help small businesses establish their unique voices to reach more people. Then I went hard into the agency world in Washington, D.C., including public affairs.
When I found MITRE, I was looking to leave the politics behind and focus on the mission. To me, this is where the hard work for our country truly happens. It’s a privilege to help direct how we tell the MITRE story to an audience of millions.
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