50 OregonStater.org PIXELROBOT/ADOBE STOCK T I P S MAKE SOME NOISE FOR OSU 2 3 We know Oregon State is special. You know it, too. But how do you translate that pride to your social feed? We asked alumni who work in social media and marketing to share simple, effective ways to amplify OSU online. A single post may seem small, but shared widely, it can create momentum — sending ripples outward and elevating Oregon State’s presence in ways that add up. Here are five tips. BY > OREGON STATER STAFF Share real moments — not perfect ones. The highly staged Instagram posts of yesteryear have given way to something more genuine. That’s good news for Beavs. “Candid photos, throwbacks, game days, campus visits or everyday OSU pride go a long way — no polished content required,” said Sara Boraston, ’15, senior director of marketing at Teladoc Health. A quick snap from Gill , Goss or your favorite campus spot can spark connection. Engage, don’t just scroll. A like is nice. A comment, reply or share is better. Social media platforms reward conversation, so interacting with OSU’s posts helps expand their reach. Leave a comment, reply to a story, add your own photo or share a post. Add something personal. If you share an OSU post on LinkedIn, Facebook or elsewhere, consider adding a sentence about why it matters to you. Mention the professor who changed your life or an experience that shaped your career. Personal context turns a repost into a story of its own. 4 5 Help the next generation see themselves here. Younger audiences respond best to video-first storytelling. Whether it’s a candid reaction clip at a game or words of encouragement for new grads, your perspective helps future students and supporters imagine their own connection to OSU. Offer a call to action. “Create one simple call to action that is consistent and easy to do,” said Jonathan Riley, ’09, CEO at Better Marketing. Tag someone in a #ThrowbackThursday post. Encourage fellow Oregonians to support an important vote. Suggest that classmates join you at an alumni event. A small, clear invitation gives others a natural way to join in. 5 tips for being a better online booster playing skills. “I think it would be great, honestly, if every kid that played youth sports had a mentor, a coach, someone like a Lamar,” said Christian Thurley, who participated in All in One. “I don’t mean this lightly: Everyone loved playing for him.” (Thurley is now a Blazers production assistant, which he credits in part to Hurd’s recommendation.) Around the same time, Hurd started working on screen, first for Fox Sports Northwest and then for the Pac-12 network. His civic- mindedness permeated this work, too; he and his wife, Bethany, hosted a TV show called Hurd Mentality, spotlighting acts of kindness. This point of view helped lure him from the Pac-12 to the Trail Blazers. “There’s no bigger basketball entity in the state,” he said. “I knew, when joining the Trail Blazers, that if their views aligned with mine in terms of how the Trail Blazers can be an asset to the community, then things would work out really well.” Surrendering an ambition to play professionally was not the obvious choice. “Everybody thought I was crazy,” Hurd said. But trusting his instincts had paid off already. “I feel like I was able to test that muscle of whatever you call it: whether it’s faith, or hearing your inner voice.” The game zooms forward — time divided into 12-minute episodes. By 10 p.m., the Blazers’ lead over the Rockets has narrowed. In the last moment of the game, they’re up 103-102 and the Rockets’ Kevin Durant just misses a shot. Tari Eason snatches the rebound and tips the ball into the net at precisely the moment the buzzer sounds. “Does it count?” Calabro asks. Hurd intuits that the point isn’t clean. “They’re gonna look at it — they’re gonna look at it,” he says. There is confused quiet as a referee reviews the tape, but Hurd is right. The point doesn’t count, and the Blazers win by the skin of their teeth. The arena erupts with cheers. 1 P R O F I L E continued
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