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Closed CLOSING DATE: 15/02/2015

Scottish Geoparks

Social Media and Marketing Graduate

HNC, HND, Undergraduate Degree, Postgraduate Degree

Closing Date:: 15/02/2015
Skill:: Marketing market research and PR
Region:: Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross
Salary: £18,000 per annum
Length:: 12 months
Ref code: GGKBEATDEK

Placement summary

Scottish Geoparks Partnership are recruiting for a graduate with strong online communication and business analytical skills who will use their creativity and marketing skills to help generate public awareness of Geoparks in Scotland and engage both visitors and the local community with events, conservation activities and opportunities. A key part of this will be building relationships with international tour providers on behalf of the Scottish Geoparks. We anticipate this individual will study the audience that the Geoparks are attempting to reach and develop a strategy for the most effective use of social media. The role will be for 12 months and COULD BE BASED IN EITHER UNAPOOL, NORTH WEST HIGHLANDS; FORT WILLIAM, LOCHABER; or LERWICK, SHETLAND, with some flexibility possible.

Job description

Project Description

In the past individual Geoparks have delivered programs of walks, talks, tours and other events which have been marketed using traditional tools and have enjoyed relatively high attendance. However, in order to keep up to date with and compete in the growing tourism market we have identified that better utilisation of social media channels is a crucial tool for the promotion of our Geoparks.

Many visitors come to our regions because they have heard about the beauty and culture through friends and family and we believe that social media provides a catalyst for word of mouth recommendation. So much so that we recognise the need for a professional marketing graduate who will be responsible for building and maintaining our presence on social media sites, in order to:

• raise the profile of the Scottish Geoparks in general, and engage viral marketing schemes,

• promote Geopark activities, particularly in advance of the 2015 summer season,

• capitalise on Geopark achievements through development and circulation of a range of related content such as images and video,

• build relationships with international tour providers.

Specific tasks of the placement will include:

• Carry out ongoing analysis of traffic to Geopark websites through Google analytics, monitor trends and highlight/implement ways to improve existing websites and e-newsletters, based on the data, to engage existing audiences more fully and attract new ones.

• Be responsible for day to day content management and interaction within existing Geopark Social Media channels – Facebook and Twitter - and take active steps to increase audience (e.g. ‘followers’ and ‘likes’), through building connections (e.g. Visit Scotland, other Geoparks, wildlife and heritage), using hashtags and seeking to increase Facebook post ‘shares’.

• Explore potential for Geopark use of other social channels such as Instagram, Youtube, and implement as appropriate.

• Keep abreast of, and adapt to, ongoing trends and changes in web/social media platforms and usage.

• Be alert to new opportunities and funding to help raise the profile of the Scottish Geoparks online.

• Create new ‘content’ – images and film – either directly, or by sourcing through social media and other channels.

• Bring together existing content with any new media to create a respository (e.g. dropbox folder) of material that can be utilised on social media by Geopark staff beyond the completion of the placement.

• Develop a roadmap for future use of social media beyond the end of the placement, based on the trends identified and audiences developed.

• Develop and deliver a training workshop for Geopark staff, highlighting the roadmap and providing a ‘toolkit’ to support this activity.

As the job will be based in one of the three locations described above, it is important that the candidate understands that we require balance in giving equal priority to each Geopark during the placement. This should be achieved through regular Skype meetings and building relationships with event organisers and other Geopark staff and volunteers. We would wish the analyst to study trends in the use of our web and social media sites in the past and consider the best plan for the future beyond the graduate placement. This would involve delivery of a training workshop for Geopark staff, highlighting key areas of future activity and providing a ‘toolkit’ to support this activity.

Qualifications

Minimum HNC in relevant discipline

Skills / Experience

Essential Skills

• Good knowledge of global social media environment and a range of social media tools.

• Experience of tracking, analysing and interpreting social media and other online data.

• A high level of English language writing skills.

• Ability to grasp and research multiple new concepts

• Ability to capture, adapt and present photographs, film footage, and/or reports to tell an engaging story.

• Knowledge of tourism industry and Scottish culture.

• Ability to work to tight deadlines and proven capability at self-motivation and working unsupervised at times.

• Willingness to learn and embrace the Scottish Geoparks’ purpose and vision and implement it in editorial tasks. Able to articulate the purpose and vision of each Geopark and of the Geopark Scotland partnership to the general public.

Desirable Skills

• Experience of working in the tourism industry

• Experience of living in a small community

• Geology or geography higher/advanced higher

Benefits

Placement benefits

As part of this ScotGrad Graduate Placement Programme, the candidate will benefit from support from a team within Highlands and Islands Enterprise and also access a four day residential course focussed on employability and business skills.

Additional information

Location: Flexible - see summary

Planned interview date: w/c 23rd February

Preferred start date: Sometime in March 2015