PROJECT STAGE 1: AUDIT AND GAP ANALYSIS 1 UAB Collat School of Business Digital Marketing Review Sarah L. Minor Collat School of Business, University of Alabama at Birmingham MBA 657 - QL: Special Topics in Digital Marketing Dr. Parker J. Woodroof January 31, 2025 PROJECT STAGE 1: AUDIT AND GAP ANALYSIS 2 UAB Collat School of Business Digital Marketing Review Introduction The UAB Collat School of Business has established a solid digital marketing foundation with a mobile - friendly website, consistent social media activity on Instagram and LinkedIn, and professional branding that highlights its AACSB accreditation and connection to Birming ham’s business community. However, opportunities remain to enhance engagement and storytelling, optimize underutilized platforms like X and Facebook, and incorporate more dynamic, interactive features across digital channels to better connect with prospect ive students, alumni, and stakeholders. With a few strategic updates, Collat can elevate its digital presence to align more closely with best practices and audience expectations. Research and Data Collection The UAB Collat School of Business website effectively communicates the institution’s commitment to innovation , AACSB accreditation, and ties to Birmingham’s business community. While informative, it could benefit from more dynamic storytelling and visual updates to enhance engagement. Navigation is user - friendly, but the broken Facebook link detracts from the experience. The site is mobile - friendly, accommodating high mobile traffic. (UAB Collat School of Business, n.d.). Collat maintains a strong presence across multiple social media platforms but has areas for improvement. The Facebook link on the website is broken and needs updating. LinkedIn posts are frequent and professional, covering programs, events, and student achievements, though more interaction in the comments is needed. In stagram effectively highlights student life and events with vibrant stories and regular updates that drive engagement. On X (formerly PROJECT STAGE 1: AUDIT AND GAP ANALYSIS 3 Twitter), content is relevant and shares industry insights, but it functions more as an information feed than a platform for meaningful interaction. The YouTube channel features a solid collection of content, including lectures and testimonials, offering a dditional value (UAB Collat School of Business, n.d.). Benchmark Against Competitor s Two peer institutions, T he University of Alabama’s (UA) Culverhouse College of Business and Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, serve as benchmarks for excellence in digital marketing. UA 's Culverhouse College of Business excels with a modern, interactive website, frequent social media posts featuring student and faculty highlights, and targeted campaigns showcasing alumni and industry partnerships. (Culverhouse College of Business, n.d.). Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business enhances engagement with dynamic tools like virt ual tours, diverse content showcasing campus life, and interactive social media features such as live Q&As and polls, fostering community and connectivity (Harbert College of Business, n.d.). SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis highlights Collat’s strong branding, mobile - friendly website, and engaging Instagram and LinkedIn content. Weaknesses include a broken Facebook link, underutilized platforms like X, and missed storytelling opportunities. Opportunities lie in leveraging TikTok, dynamic website features, and alumni partnerships, while threats include competitor strategies, shifting preferences for short - form content, and outdated links or algorithms. Figure 1 provides a concise overview of these findings. PROJECT STAGE 1: AUDIT AND GAP ANALYSIS 4 Figure 1 SWOT Analysis Gap Analysis Current State: Collat has a strong digital foundation with a mobile - friendly website, professional branding, and consistent Instagram and LinkedIn content. However, the website lacks dynamic features, a broken Facebook link hinders usability, and X (formerly Twitter) is underu tilized for engagement. Student testimonials could be more personal, and audience interaction remains limited. PROJECT STAGE 1: AUDIT AND GAP ANALYSIS 5 Desired State: Collat should build a modern digital presence with dynamic website tools like virtual tours and multimedia storytelling, engaging social media supported by a cohesive content strategy, and campaigns leveraging alumni and partnerships. High - quality, targete d content will ensure a competitive edge. Figure 2 illustrates the current state, desired state, gaps, and recommendations for website usability, social media, audience engagement, storytelling, and platform optimization. Addressing these gaps will strengthen Collat’s digital marketing and align it with be st practices. Figure 2 Gap Analysis Report PROJECT STAGE 1: AUDIT AND GAP ANALYSIS 6 Recommendations to Address Gaps Collat can close its digital marketing gaps and build a stronger, more engaging online presence that reflects its values and drives its mission forward by enhancing website usability with interactive features, implementing a comprehensive social media cont ent strategy, improving audience engagement, developing targeted storytelling campaigns, and optimizing content for each platform. 1. Website Usability: Create a user - friendly, engaging website to meet student expectations and strengthen Collat ’s position . This can be achieved by adding interactive tours (e.g., Matterport) to showcase facilities , creat ing clickable visuals like a “Path to Graduation” to simplify program details , includ ing testimonials, alumni stories, and faculty spotlights on key pages , and us ing dynamic elements like animations and carousels to highlight achievements. 2. Social Media Strategy: Enhance social presence and engagement with tailored, consistent strategies. Plan weekly platform - specific posts (e.g., alumni stories, student spotlights), share emotional alumni and student success stories with visuals, use polls, Q&A sessions, and promp ts for two - way interaction, make X conversational with discussion prompts and replies, and track metrics to refine content and identify high - performing strategies. 3. Audience Engagement: Shift focus from broadcasting updates to fostering meaningful interactions. Use polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions (e.g., “Ask Me Anything” events), respond to comments and post open - ended questions to spark discussions, and run contests or challenges (e.g., photo contests with hashtags like #CollatProud). PROJECT STAGE 1: AUDIT AND GAP ANALYSIS 7 4. Storytelling and Content Depth: Enhance emotional storytelling to showcase Collat’s impact. Highlight alumni and student achievements with profiles or videos (e.g., “Where Are They Now?”), use video testimonials and “Day in the Life” features for deeper engagement, share snippets of stor ies on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X with links to longer content on YouTube, and focus on themes like diversity or innovation (e.g., graduation stories). 5. Platform Optimization: Maximize engagement with tailored platform strategies. Create platform - specific content (e.g., community stories on Facebook, updates on X), use a content calendar for consistent posting (e.g., 3 – 4 posts weekly on Instagram and Facebook), update profiles with branded visuals and complete bios, and track engagement analytics to refine strategies and focus on resonating content. PROJECT STAGE 1: AUDIT AND GAP ANALYSIS 8 References Culverhouse College of Business. (n.d.). Homepage . Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://culverhouse.ua.edu Harbert College of Business. (n.d.). Homepage . Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://harbert.auburn.edu UAB Collat School of Business. (n.d.). Homepage . Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://www.uab.edu/business/home UAB Collat School of Business. (n.d.). LinkedIn . Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://www.linkedin.com/school/university - of - alabama - at - birmingham - collat - school - of - business/posts/?feedView=all UAB Collat School of Business. (n.d.). Instagram . Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/uabcollatbusiness/ UAB Collat School of Business. (n.d.). X (formerly Twitter) . Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://x.com/UABSchoolofBiz UAB Collat School of Business. (n.d.). YouTube channel . Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9mE7Eyz - zB8DR1HBNC - uhw