The Youth Empowerment Collective is a grassroots initiative dedicated to empowering youth (ages 5-17) to share their stories through art, writing, and creative expression. We are preparing for our Second Annual Youth Empowerment Festival in May 2025, which includes the launch of our youth anthology book—a collection of stories, poems, and artwork contributed by local youth.

This project will enhance the digital presence of the Youth Empowerment Collective (YEC) by prioritizing strategic social media planning, content creation, and campaign execution for Youth Empowerment Day on May 4th. The project will involve 5 students working 60 hours each per phase over three phases. To ensure the campaign's success, the team will include a communications specialist to focus on broader outreach strategies, including paid ads, website optimization, and press releases.

Phase 1: Social Media Content Calendar and Campaign Planning

Objectives:

Develop a comprehensive social media content calendar to guide YEC’s social media efforts. The calendar will include:

• Weekly themes, key messaging, and posting schedules.
• Platform-specific strategies (e.g., Instagram reels, Facebook events, LinkedIn articles).
• Suggested hashtags and engagement tactics.

Design a social media campaign for Youth Empowerment Day with a focus on:

• Campaign goals, themes, and timelines.
• Strategies to grow followers and increase engagement.
• Ideas for audience interaction, including contests, live events, and Q&A sessions.

Outline a plan for paid advertising, including:

• Budget recommendations and platform targeting strategies.
• Ad formats (carousel, video, story, etc.) and messaging ideas.

Deliverables:

• A 3-month content calendar (February to April) in an editable format.
• A detailed campaign strategy document for Youth Empowerment Day.
• Recommendations for paid ad strategies and budgets.

Phase 2: Social Media Standards Guide, Landing Page Copy, and Communications Strategy

Objectives:

Create a Social Media Standards Guide to establish:

• Consistent tone, voice, and style across platforms.
• Visual branding standards (colors, typography, imagery).
• Guidelines for post frequency, engagement tactics, and platform-specific nuances.

Write engaging copy for YEC’s landing pages, including:

• About Us and Mission Statements for social media profiles.
• Calls-to-action and key messages tailored to each platform.

Assist in communications strategy, focusing on:

• Drafting press releases to announce Youth Empowerment Day.
• Proposing updates for the YEC website to enhance user experience and campaign visibility.
• Suggesting email outreach strategies to complement the social media campaign.

Deliverables:

• A detailed Social Media Standards Guide.
• Finalized landing page copy for social media profiles.
• Drafts of press releases, website update suggestions, and email outreach ideas.

Phase 3: Content Creation and Campaign Execution

Objectives:

Produce high-quality content for the campaign, including:

• Social media graphics, videos, and posts for multiple platforms.
• Content specifically designed to promote Youth Empowerment Day, such as countdowns, speaker spotlights, and event reminders.

Manage the execution of the campaign, including:

• Posting and scheduling content per the calendar.
• Monitoring engagement metrics and optimizing performance.
• Interacting with audiences through comments, replies, and live events.

Provide a campaign performance report, including insights and recommendations for future campaigns.

Deliverables:

• A portfolio of created content (graphics, videos, and written posts).
• A live, executed social media campaign.
• A final campaign report detailing metrics such as reach, engagement, and key learnings.

Team Composition:

• Social Media Strategists:Calendar development, platform strategies, and engagement plans.
• Content Creators: Graphics, videos, and post creation.
• Communications Specialist:Press releases, paid ads, and website suggestions.

Skills Developed:

• Social media strategy and analytics.
• Copywriting and content creation.
• Campaign planning, execution, and optimization.
• PR and communications strategy.
• Team collaboration and project management.