Communication is much more than just social media

As a Communications Specialist at the Student Union of ÅAU (ÅAS), I am responsible for ÅAS’ communication, i.e. everything from newsletters to social media, photography and website development. I work closely with the Board and Staff to support them in creating content themselves. Proof reading texts is therefore also part of my weekly tasks.

It is important that everyday communication runs smoothly

The Board is the public face of ÅAS and makes most of the social media posts very independently, but if you are thinking of applying to the Board and are not comfortable with social media yourself, there is no need to worry; at the beginning of the year, I hold training sessions for the Board so that everyone has the time and opportunity to learn everything from the basics. I will also teach the Board to use WordPress and publish content on the website!

I am also in charge of ÅAS’ internal communication and have held training sessions on, among other things, how Teams and Outlook are used within the organisation, so that everyone has the same opportunities to participate in discussions regardless of location or if they for example have chosen to work remotely on a particular day.

Creating content requires time and planning

The Board is responsible for the Student Union’s day-to-day external communications, which is why we hold weekly communications meetings that all Members of the Board and Staff are invited to attend. At these meetings, we go through the plans for the upcoming posts on social media and on the website, and plan how future content will be realised and created – i.e. who does what, what kind of photos or videos are needed, and when they should be taken or filmed. ÅAS already has a fairly broad collection of different kind of tools that come in handy in content creating, such as a digital system camera, ring light, a stabilising gimbal for phones, and now, as the newest addition, a set of wireless microphones have arrived in both Vasa and Åbo to improve the sound quality of our videos.

For larger events and projects, it is then my turn to take the lead and design material for different communications channels. When the new Board gathers together for the first time, I take photos that I then post on the ÅAS website and a contact poster. I usually take photos of the entire Board at the same time, and it is also possible to take other photos, for example, to send to the media houses with press releases. I enjoy graphic design and have in recent years designed the animals on the Fastlaskiainen (Shrove Tuesday event) overall patches on a drawing tablet. Designing printed material and online guides is also part of my job, so I get to use almost the entire range of Adobe programmes in my work.

Accessibility and inclusion matter

The Student Union’s content must be accessible and inclusive, so these themes are always part of the training sessions I hold. I not only train new Members of the Board, but have also held training courses for Staff, ÅAS’ associations and Student Union Council Members, among others. Accessibility is something I am passionate about and have studied a lot, so it is something I actively promote in my work.

In recent years, ÅAS has become almost entirely bilingual in its communication, and we emphasise that all our members should have equal opportunity to access the information we share on our communications channels. This applies not only to different languages such as Swedish and English, which are the languages ÅAS communicates in, but also to writing and speaking in plain language, using short sentences (which I admit I could improve on myself) and sharing the same information on multiple channels, as not all our members are in social media and may not be reached by the information there.

Different areas of expertise can be combined in the work

As a Communications Specialist at the Student Union of ÅAU, I have been project manager for the acquisition of a new website. My studies in Computer Science came in handy in this project as I facilitated the entire planning process. It was also helpful in communication with the service providers. The project was, of course, carried out in close collaboration with the Board and Staff, who helped by participating in workshops I organised to restructure the navigation bar and by rewriting content in plain language, among other things.

Overall, my job is very diverse and rewarding, and there is always something new to learn and to develop.

Mari Frelander
Communications Specialist
The Student Union of ÅAU