Meet Nick Fiorellini
Nick Fiorellini in the Power Center at Duquesne University.
Hi, I’m Nick, and I’m currently pursuing an M.F.A in media arts and technology. I’m taking this class to strengthen my expertise in media communication and apply new strategies to my work in marketing and storytelling. I would describe my approach to work and school as collaborative, creative, and deadline oriented.
Background
I work at Duquesne as the Director of Marketing and Communication for the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts. I primarily oversee the strategic planning of the school’s website, social media, and engagement initiatives. I occasionally take on freelance and consulting work, where I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with some amazing clients, including The Guardian, Teen Vogue, The Philadelphia Citizen, JSTOR Daily, and more. I’m also an adult basic education tutor with Literacy Pittsburgh, where I help students study as they earn their GED or HiSET.
Before moving to Pittsburgh in 2023, I lived in Philly and worked at the third-oldest school for the blind in the country, where I managed communication for the development office.
I received my BA in American studies and literature from Bard College and certificate in grant writing from Temple University.
As part of my graduate thesis, I want to research digital marketing strategies and retention of blind and visually impaired students. Between 70-80% of blind and visually impaired youth enroll in at least one college course with the intention of obtaining a two- or four-year degree. (This is equal to or exceeding the rate of sighted individuals.) However, only 53% of these college students attain 30 credits or sophomore status in 10 years, and 75% of these students will drop out at least once.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn.
Semester Assignments
Since the start of this class, I’ve focused on applying digital marketing strategies through hands-on projects that bridge theory and practice. My assignments have explored everything from brand positioning to analytics, helping me refine my skills in audience engagement, data-driven decision-making, and content optimization.
SWOT Analysis on Liquid Death – Examined how the brand’s unconventional marketing tactics contribute to its success, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. In this assignment, I also mentioned how customer service interactions on social media impact the brand and reputation of the company. Read my SWOT analysis.
GA4 Tracking and UTM Links – Analyzed how trackable links provide insights into user behavior and campaign effectiveness, reinforcing the importance of data in refining content strategy. Read my experience with GA4.
Digital Accessibility and SEO — Wrote how best digital accessibility practices benefits everyone, not just those who are blind or visually impaired. Read my argument for accessibility.
Strategic Organic Strategy for P2 — Strategized how future students of this class can better optimize their social media assignments to drive traffic to the Pursue and Persuade blog. Read my social media strategy.
“Mastering SEO strategies, GA4 analytics, and UTM tracking has transformed how I approach digital content. Conducting a SWOT analysis on Liquid Death and exploring customer service on social media reinforced the role of engagement and data in shaping effective marketing campaigns, ensuring that every post and campaign serves a strategic purpose.”
Fun Facts
I’m an avid reader and writer. There’s so much writing that has changed the way I think, write, and approach life—but here are 10 that have moved me the most:
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley
The American by Henry James
Zoo Station: The Story of Christiane F. by Vera Christiane Felscherinow
Pierce the Skin: Selected Poems, 1982-2007 by Henri Cole
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
“My Family's Slave” by Alex Tizon
Weather by Jenny Offill
“What Bobby McIlvaine Left Behind” by Jennifer Senior
“His Name was Emmett Till” by Wright Thompson
The Kingdom of Sand by Andrew Holleran
Fun fact: I’m an advocate for the Oxford comma.
Inspiring Quotation
“I feel a thousand capacities spring up in me. I am arch, gay, languid, melancholy by turns. I am rooted, but I flow. All gold, flowing that way, I say to this one, ‘Come.’ Rippling black, I say to that one, ‘No.’”
This passage from Virginia Woolf’s The Waves reminds me to hold onto my core values while being open to change.
Semester Goals
Create content that is engaging and WCAG Level AA compliant.
Explore new tools for creating digital content.
Enhance my social listening skills to create authentic content.
Knowledge for 2025
I will continue to diversify my content across digital platforms to engage different audiences. As the college selection process for students on traditional academic paths increasingly involves an investment from the entire family, prospective students, parents, and even grandparents must see content that resonates with them and showcases the value of attending an institution.
Knowledge from this Course
There’s always something to learn about social media.
Just this week, I found out you can quietly change the order of posts in an Instagram carousel — technically a glitch, not a feature, but still a useful workaround.
This class went by quickly, but I’m leaving with a much deeper understanding of how these platforms operate behind the scenes. Being able to view running ads and page admin counts through Facebook’s transparency tools matters more than I expected. It’s not just about tracking competitors, but understanding how public-facing credibility and trust are built. The legal concerns around influencer marketing, especially for medical products, made it clear how easily ethical lines can blur when advertising relies on personal identity. And the psychology behind ad campaigns? That’s its own rabbit hole. Webs of Influence helped me think critically about the small, often invisible choices that make content persuasive. I really enjoyed the book and will be keeping a copy of it in my office!