Social media always caught my interest from a young age. First, it was my love for watching YouTube videos in middle school, then it was my intentionally curated Instagram posts in high school, and now it’s my TikTok and Instagram Reels on which I spend time capturing, editing, and posting content.

Eventually, I found my way to the Interactive Media and Communications master’s program at Quinnipiac University. Simultaneously, I took on a digital media manager role at an e-commerce sporting goods company, Gear2Compete. Through my master’s program and professional work, I went from having curiosity and passion to concrete skills.

Understand Your Audience

The ICM program taught me the importance of understanding audiences when creating content, and the best way to know what content works well is to put yourself in their shoes. I’m a frequent scroller, and I’ve learned that this trait of mine comes in handy when creating compelling content. For example, Gear2Compete specializes in wrestling gear, and I’ve never wrestled a day in my life, or for that matter, even watched a wrestling match. When I created the company’s TikTok, I needed to figure out what wrestlers would want to see. Scrolling on other wrestling-related profiles and using my general knowledge from the content I already watch allowed me to understand what kind of videos would perform well. This strategy led to over 17K followers on Gear2Compete’s TikTok. As our followers increased, so did our sales and brand awareness. Understanding your audience is key to seeing success in social media.

I see myself making an impact in the social media field thanks to my time at Gear2Compete and in the ICM program. Developing a deeper understanding of social media strategy and social media best practices in a classroom setting, while applying it in a professional setting, gave me the edge I needed to stand out in this field.