Research Fellow-SW

Student Worker – Research Fellow

Number of Openings: 2

Purpose/Objective of the Role

The City of Delaware’s Economic Development Department is launching the “A Semester in the City” campaign. This is a creative storytelling initiative showcasing Delaware’s vibrant downtown, small businesses, and high quality of life through the eyes of local college students. The Research Fellows selected for these positions will act as the Department’s Social Media Influencers and will help shape how others see and experience Delaware by sharing authentic content about what makes this community special. This opportunity is multi-faceted, giving students the opportunity to, first, conduct formal research into effective marketing tactics for other communities and second, implement their findings into a successful marketing campaign for the City.

Tasks & Responsibilities

For the research portion of the project, students will need to complete two primary tasks. First, they will interview social media managers and influencers for similar markets and document their findings. Second, they will use the garnered information to generate an initial report detailing best practices for effective social media advertising for the markets studied. After approval of the students’ research, they will then test the external validity of their findings by applying them to the key markets for the City of Delaware. Students will be expected to record the visibility, interactions, and impact of these efforts to better understand the effectiveness of the findings in practice. The selected students will maintain a consistent posting rhythm consistent with the research findings including two posts per week, plus stories. They will also engage with the social media audience and local community online – responding to comments, encouraging visits, and keeping all content professional and positive.

Qualifications/Skills

This role is ideal for students who are passionate about s