Social media and community management

I wholly managed all communications across Open Signal’s six social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google My Business and Switchboard. I also helped launch the organization’s Twitch page and co-managed their YouTube and Vimeo pages.

In assuming this role, I served as the public’s direct point of contact for each platform and regularly addressed inquiries and concerns via DMs and comments.

Open Signal’s platforms also saw a rise in followers since I began managing them in July 2017:

• Switchboard: 90 (at launch) to 1,000 as of June 2020, a 1,011% increase

• Instagram: 1,276 to 3,269, a 156% increase

• Facebook: 3,294 to 5,000, a 51% increase

• Twitter: 2,384 to 2,858 , a 19% increase

In order to help delegate my responsibilities, I created an extensive manual covering best practices for social media, including ways of capitalizing on the algorithms of various platforms.

event and workshop promotion

During the 2017/2018 fiscal year, Open Signal reached a total of 3,631 community members through classes, studio and equipment rentals and public programs.

One of Open Signal’s core services is its workshops, covering a broad range of skills and disciplines in the media realm; these have included television studio production, film editing, cinematography, animation and summer camps for youths.

Open Signal also regularly held exhibitions for its artists in residence as well as special events, including outdoor block parties and collaborations with Design Week Portland and the Portland Winter Light Festival. During the ‘17/’18 fiscal year, the organization engaged 1,987 attendees across 49 events.

As part of our outreach efforts, I also cross-promoted with fellow nonprofits and shared their events through our newsletters and social media channels.

Print collateral

I lead all correspondence surrounding Open Signal’s print collateral, including our annual reports, postcards and banners.

Working with our graphic designers, I arranged production timelines in coordination with different departments, as well as with artists we collaborated with for exhibitions and events.

I also proofread all copy, approved designs and conducted interviews and photo shoots with coworkers, producers and artists.

website maintenance

I administered Open Signal’s website, ensuring it was kept up-to-date by managing all event listings, contact information and overall presentation.

I also approved and edited all blog posts, writing many of them—including the organization’s response to the coronavirus and a list of resources for those impacted by COVID-19.

Open Signal’s website was created with Craft CMS, which I learned to use for my role.

Newsletter Generation

I oversaw all of Open Signal’s newsletter communications and was chiefly responsible for writing all copy, approving all designs and scheduling all transmissions.

Open Signal sends out two newsletters: a monthly digest for the general public, which had over 7,000 subscribers, and a bimonthly update targeted at Open Signal members, which had around 550 subscribers.

The creation of each newsletter involved coordinating with different departments, community contacts and partner organizations to fact-check for accuracy.

Open Signal used Mailchimp as their newsletter client and I utilized its different features, including Audiences and Reports.

media relations

I have written or co-written several press releases for Open Signal, covering the organization’s various fellowships, events, workshops and grants.

In carrying out this role, I interviewed artists, collaborators, producers and different departments.

I also maintained Open Signal’s mailing list and ensured it was up-to-date with the correct press contacts, fielding questions from journalists.

The organization has also received significant press coverage, particularly ahead of its sold-out Black filmmaker fellowship screening at the Hollywood Theatre in June 2019. An archive of such articles can be found here.

The example I’ve linked to below is the announcement of Open Signal’s 2018 New Media Fellowship, an artist residency program. It led to a cover feature in February 2019 with Willamette Week, where artist May Cat’s exhibition was highlighted as a must-see show in the publication’s Spring Arts Guide.

Photography and graphics

I worked in Adobe Photoshop and InDesign to update print collateral, including signage, postcards, catalogs and advertisements. I also took several photographs for promotional materials and annual reports, including significant photo editing for publication.