Chelsey Rovesti is the new Manager of Social Media, and with her position comes increased social involvement at Point Park.
Before coming to Point Park, Rovesti’s professional career was in agencies, such as Gatesman+Dave and MARC USA, the largest advertising agency in Pittsburgh. She graduated from Slippery Rock in 2010 with a double major in public relations, emerging technologies and multimedia, but at the time “social media was still in its infancy.”
“My school background is a little more traditional PR, but I’ve been working in social media since I graduated,” Rovesti said in an interview Sept. 11.
Starting at Point Park on June 2, Rovesti’s job covers all aspects of social media – from managing the school’s accounts, to producing content, to developing the University’s social presence internally with the department run accounts and providing strategy analysis, Mark Meighen, Senior Director of Enrollment Marketing, said
“Point Park University has great stories to tell and Chelsey [uses] social media channels to enhance engagement with prospective students, current students, alumni and friends,” said Meighen in an email interview Sept. 25.
Part of this storytelling includes live tweeting University events, such as the premiere of The Chair or last weekend’s visit from Governor Corbett with Point Park’s official twitter account, @PointParkU.
Working in the Office of Enrollment, her role in enrollment goals was explained by Christine Zapinski, managing director of online communications as she introduced Rovesti to Point Park faculty in an email June 20.
“As manager of social media, Chelsey is the hands-on manager of Point Park’s official social media accounts, using a strategic framework to support the University’s enrollment goals,” Zapinski said. “She serves as the voice of the University on our lead social media channels, helping to tell Point Park’s stories in creative, interactive and fun ways.”
Rovesti also stressed the importance of a social media manager to fully leverage the University’s story.
“Having a social media manager and someone to manage your social media messages is a very important role that can often be overlooked,” Rovesti said. “There’s so much great stuff coming out of the University, putting something about the new restaurant, or things that students are doing, things that alumni are doing, having someone that can manage getting those messages out there, and also keeping your audiences engaged and interested in Point Park.”
Rovesti added that younger generations, such as current and potential students, look to social media as opposed to traditional media to assess a university’s culture and environment.
“I think that current students and potential students really look to social media as a resource to get a real feel for what a brand or what a university is like,” Rovesti said. “I think it’s an important tool for us, as far as being as authentic as we can. Providing a place where potential students or future students can connect and really get a feel for what the university has to offer.”
Rovesti also acts as a resource for staff members who are working in social to create a connection among all of Point Park’s social presences, which could potentially include student leaders.
“One of the things that I kind of have planned is just having a monthly social media get-together for campus learning and involvement for all the campus page managers,” Rovesti said. “I’d love to work towards getting the students who are actually studying social media here involved as well to get hands on experience. It just makes sense since the university has such a strong program for communications.”
The social media internship with Point Park’s Office of Enrollment was announced Tuesday Sept. 16, but for now Rovesti is on her own.
“I’m a one-man band over here for now, but it’s a lot of fun and I’m really happy to be at Point Park,” Rovesti said. “It’s an awesome place for students and faculty and staff. I’m glad I have the opportunity to help tell Point Park’s story.”
