The Elizabethtown College Social Media Street team, the “E-Team,” is a new initiative by the Office of Marketing and Communications that is making big changes on campus. This group helps the office by writing, tweeting and posting new updates, events and initiatives on campus. They also upload pictures, videos and other social media extras.

The students involved are juniors Alexa Masano (@etown_alexa) and Zakiya “Zee” Fulton-Anderson (@etown_zee), as well as sophomores Amy Malloy (@etown_amy) and Taylor Ryan (@etown_taylor). These students are devoted to using Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with topics that students might find interesting around campus. The E-Team is a great addition to the campus because many college students are already using social media services.

Masano said, “I think that since college students are constantly on social media, whether it be on their phones or computers, it is great that the marketing department is doing this. The students see first-hand what is going on here. So it only makes sense for students to tweet or post things about their college!” She also believes that the new initiative will help students connect with their peers.

Malloy thinks that the E-Team will help promote areas of Etown life that prospective, as well as current students may not see other places. Malloy said, “Since we social network, it’s more of a personal experience that people can hopefully relate to, and in that way I hope we can get more students and prospective students involved and interested in campus life.”

Both Malloy and Masano are communications majors, and they feel this group has made a positive impact on their future careers. Malloy explained, “I’m a mass communications major, so being a part of the E-Team will definitely build my networking, social media and promotion skills. In the future I hope to integrate it into my résumé.” Although communications majors can relate well to this group, other members are not communications majors and get similar results and experiences from their involvement in the digital effort.

The members have been working hard promoting the group and making an impact on campus. Masano has even connected her personal Twitter account with her E-Team account to gain more followers and spread the word around campus. She says, “My favorite type of social media is Twitter and Instagram. I love taking pictures, so Instagram is one of my top choices.”

Malloy is also very dedicated to promoting this new group. “I plan to promote the E-Team through Twitter, Facebook, my blog, my radio show and through pictures on Instagram,” Malloy said. She says her favorite form of social media is Facebook, but the E-Team has made her more active on Twitter.

Some students may ask why someone would join a group like this. There are many benefits that come from being part of the E-Team. First, students learn marketing and communication skills in a great working environment without committing to a major.

Students become a brand ambassador for the College, which is always a great way to show school spirit. A majority of the student body are already on these social media websites, so why not put your time to use and get involved?

The E-Team will also help students to gain experience for future employment, improve their resume and establish connections for letters of recommendation and references.

Although the club is new this semester, all of the members are excited about its progress and can’t wait to see more people get involved. Additional openings will be advertised in the fall 2012 semester.

To learn more, visit the E-Team website at www.etown.edu/offices/marketing-and-communications/eteams.aspx.