Student Perspective: Marketing the History Department with Irene Salandra

Social media and history may seem like strange bedfellows, but platforms like Instagram are crucial for communicating the History Department’s news, events, and academic updates to a diverse body of students, staff, faculty, alumni and parents. It takes a surprising amount of skill and creativity to promote the History Department’s many activities in a way that feels both engaging and informative. That’s where the History Department’s Student Social Media Assistant comes in. 

Irene Salandra has been creating content for the department’s social media platforms for over a year and has been the mastermind behind many of our most loved reels and posts. Below, Salandra explores the nuances of her role and the benefits of working in a department outside of her major.   

What is your major, and how did you come to choose that major?

I am currently majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Growing up, I got to see my dad and brother open their own businesses. Inspired by their work, achievements, and stewardship, I decided I wanted to do the same. As for my Marketing Major, I’ve always loved creating things that allow me to express my creativity. In my first job, I realized that marketing was all about coming up with creative messages to communicate and persuade, which aligned perfectly with my passions, so I decided to add this second major during my sophomore year.

How did you find the student job in the History Department?

After coming back from a semester abroad, I was interested in a job that allowed me to use my creativity. When applying for jobs at Baylor, I found this job position that needed some help with social media. I was immediately interested but doubtful since I have never been an outstanding student in history. Despite this, I submitted my application, and during the interview, all my concerns were put to rest when I saw that the department was very welcoming and diverse (which was especially important to me, as an international student).

How have your marketing skills developed since you took on the role of Social Media Assistant for the History Department?

As a social media assistant, you have to constantly come up with new ways to promote all kinds of content. I’ve found that this ongoing brainstorming process has helped me stay creative and expand my ability to promote different things. I’ve also learned to use data from past performances to better understand audiences and improve content. I’m now better at identifying behaviors, what might work well, and what audiences generally don’t want to see. Finally, since I sometimes have to manage several projects at once, I’ve learned to plan ahead and manage my time efficiently to ensure everything gets done.

What are some of your strategies for creating engaging social media content and gaining new followers?

I think the biggest one is to understand your audience on all the different platforms. Our department’s demographics are mostly students. They are more interested in seeing funny or relatable content, so these videos tend to do better and get us more followers. In addition to this, making sure you are posting regularly and diverse content is also important. We try to post at least nine times a month (as recommended by Instagram), but anything more than that works too. Finally, a common technique used in content creation is simply to look at what others are doing, what is working for them, and try it yourself. Figure out what is popular at the moment and figure out a way to adapt it to your content.

What are your favorite aspects of working in the History Department?

My favorite thing about working in the History Department has to be the environment. I have always felt welcomed and supported in the department, and now that I work as the social media assistant, I feel it even more. I not only get to do what I love, but I get to do it among a community that is very trusting and supportive. Everyone is so willing to help and participate in my projects, even when they don’t understand them. Since the beginning, they have appreciated my work, which has only motivated me to do better every day. I feel very blessed to have had this opportunity and will always cherish (with a lot of nostalgia) my time working in the department. 

Have you picked up any fun historical tidbits working in the History Offices?

Despite my inability to remember historical facts, working in the History Department has helped me learn a lot of things. When editing videos, I have to watch them many, many times, so the information in the videos tends to stick. Some things at the top of my mind that I remember are the Seven Years’ War, the history behind the movie Sinners, and a lot of facts about former US presidents (which is surprising given that I am not even from the US). 

 Would you recommend this job to other undergraduates, particularly those who may not be History Majors?

Absolutely! As I mentioned before, this job has been a blessing. I have met amazing and interesting people, learned a lot of things that I would not have anywhere else, and all of this while doing what I love. Even though this job may be out of the comfort zone of many students at Baylor, it is an incredible opportunity to try different things, gain some work experience, meet new people, and find what you like and what you do not. 

Keep up with our news and join in the fun by following the History Department on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and Facebook.