Research Assistant – Social Media & Audience Growth
About The Position
Faculty Laura Lanteri is seeking a student or junior researcher to support the development and audience-building strategy for an independent documentary about beauty, culture, identity, and the global beauty industry. The role focuses on researching how the project can build meaningful social media traction ahead of fundraising, production, and release. The position is primarily remote, with occasional on-campus presence required with advance notice and when needed to fulfill the job responsibilities. The position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement between SENS-UAW, Local 7902 and the University.
Requirements
- Strong understanding of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and emerging social platforms.
- Excellent online research skills.
- Good instinct for what makes people watch, share, comment, and participate.
- Strong awareness of contemporary beauty, fashion, media, and internet culture.
- Ability to identify trends early rather than only report on established trends.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to translate research into clear, actionable recommendations.
- Curiosity about how communities form and how ideas gain cultural traction online.
Nice To Haves
- Student in marketing, communications, media studies, fashion, film, journalism, cultural studies, or a related field.
- Experience creating social content, managing an account, researching creators, working with analytics, or growing an online community.
Responsibilities
- Research current conversations, trends, creators, communities, and cultural moments related to beauty, identity, aesthetics, body image, fashion, and contemporary culture.
- Identify topics and angles with potential for organic social engagement.
- Research relevant TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, and other online communities.
- Identify creators, journalists, experts, commentators, and potential collaborators who could expand the documentary’s reach.
- Track emerging conversations and cultural shifts that could provide entry points for the film.
- Analyze successful documentary, media, beauty, and culture accounts to understand what drives engagement and audience growth.
- Research social-platform formats, hooks, narratives, and content structures that perform well.
- Help identify potential audience segments and the online communities where they gather.
- Build and maintain lists of creators, accounts, publications, podcasts, communities, and potential amplification partners.
- Develop recommendations for content themes, posting opportunities, collaborations, and audience-building experiments.
- Track social-content performance and help identify what is generating the strongest response.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
