The Process
From start to finish, capturing, editing and sharing content requires the participation of several staffers across a variety of platforms.
1) Update the sign-up sheet and calendar
Social media managers are responsible for keeping our calendar and sign-up sheets up-to-date, which involves keeping an eye out for new events as well as annual events such as senior nights. Without this proactivity, events can go uncovered and unpromoted, making this the most vital step.
2) Staffer sign-up
Staffers often aren't aware of when events are added and available for photographers, making it important for social media managers to send out reminders, increasing the involvement of as many staffers as possible
There are often empty slots for events, so reminding staffers of these opportunities is extremely important as they can be decisive in whether an event is covered or not.
3) Photography
Once a staffer signs up for an event, they will attend for a minimum of half the duration, using either the class camera or their personal camera.
When the times or dates of an events change, it is the social media manager's responsibility to notify existing photographers and coordinate adjustments. An effective method of this is mentioning the staffers directly as soon as I become aware of the change.
4) Uploading + Sorting
Once the event has been photographed, the photographer is responsible for uploading their pictures as well as filtering through them and choosing their 10-15 of their favorites. This practice speeds up the posting process, cutting down the load of work on the social media managers.
5) Editing
Once photos have been uploaded and sorted, the social media managers edited 5-10 of their favorite photos using Adobe Lightroom. This process if vital to keeping the quality of our content high, correcting eye sores such as crooked and dull photos.
6) Post
Once photos have been edited, captions are reviewed by leadership to ensure they follow AP style rules. Social media managers them credit the photographers and reporters at the bottom of the caption and tag any subjects of the photos using the "mention" feature on Instagram.
If after 2 days of an event taking place the photographers or reporters haven't uploaded their work, I make it a point to reach out to check in on their status. This is key in staying in the loop with staffers and maintaining a timely posting schedule.
Initiatives
#1: Social Media Spreadsheet
The social media spreadsheet plays a key role in organizing the publication’s online presence. It helps streamline everything from logging events to assigning responsibilities among social media managers. With multiple tabs, the document allows staffers to easily navigate upcoming events, attach finalized captions, and build valuable experience in photography.
#2: Class Camera Tracker
One of the main challenges we faced in maintaining social media productivity was related to the use of class cameras. Staffers often didn’t know where the camera was prior to their assigned event, which occasionally prevented them from completing their tasks. To address this issue, we introduced a class camera tracker. This system required any staffer borrowing a camera to record the date they checked it out and when it was returned, creating a more transparent and organized process overall.
#3: Comprehensive Promotion
In addition to typical Instagram content like sports senior nights and choir concerts, promoting publication-specific material is essential to the growth and sustainability of our program. These promotions cover a range of content, including online articles, issue release videos, staff application announcements, and new podcast episodes. By sharing this variety of content, we ensure we’re engaging the broader student body beyond just visual storytelling through photography.
#4: Spirit Week
Spirit weeks, which include rallies, football games, and themed spirit days, are major drivers of school-wide unity at Cupertino High School. They also generate our most engaging content on social media, consistently outperforming other categories of Instagram posts. This year, we covered all five rallies held during Homecoming Week, and each post received significant attention from our followers. The coverage highlighted the dedication of choreographers, dancers, and student leaders who made the week a success.