Social Media Strategy

[Fritz McDonald]

Many institutions are getting involved in social media—and this is a good thing. A 2008 study by the UMass-Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research states that colleges and universities are adopting social media tactics faster than Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, more than 700 institutional Facebook “Pages” launched by December 2007 shortly after the site opened its doors to corporations and non-profit organizations. Still, a review of eduStyle’s Gallery of Social Sites reveals a strong similarity among Facebook school pages. They typically include the kinds of photography and images available from campus marketing sources, don’t necessarily make the best use of outside applications and other robust Facebook features, and sometimes have startlingly few friends—for example, a mid-sized public institution with a student population of 16,000 and only 1,000 friends.

It's great to see such a high level of enthusiasm for social media in the academic world. In my travels, I've met countless internal web and marketing people who are committing much of their own time to educating their institutions about the benefits of the social web. And while you can find colleges and universities who are doing it right, it's disappointing to witness such a limited use of these tools. In order to gain any benefit from the social web, institutional social networks need to build sustainable communities that grow and significantly expand their reach. Simply throwing a page up on Facebook or pulling together your own online network is no guarantee of success—if you build it, they may or may not come. Colleges and universities would be wise to develop networks that have the same kind of power commercial networks like Twitter or MySpace do—the power to attract members who will broadcast network benefits throughout the digital ecosystem, attract other members, and create an ongoing community which feeds marketing and recruiting efforts.

In my ongoing posts here, I'm going to discuss just how they can do that.

[Fritz McDonald]

It's nice to have you join us Barb....I hear what you're saying. In addition to my session, you might check out Chris Brogan's session. I rely on him often...and Michael, I'm very excited to hear what you're doing. I agree--building your own community will pay tremendous dividends for the both the short- and long-term. My session will focus a lot on this, and I hope it will help. If you haven't read this book, you really should:Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies by Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff.

[Michael McCready]

This is where we are now. Our College has recently re-branded (new name, logo, website, etc.) but the website still is static (even though it uses Joomla) in the sense that it is one-way communication. One of my hopes/plans is to integrate our portal and external website to create a social community for our College. While we are still planning on creating a Facebook page, this College online community will help with retention, recruitment and keep visitors coming back to our site. A lot of what we're planning is based on research done by Noel Levitz. The stage we are at now is developing our Web Strategy Plan - a component of which will be Web 2.0 technologies. I am really looking forward to the "Surf’s Up: Creating an Effective Web 2.0 Plan" session on Saturday. I will be at the pre-conference session on Wednesday. Look forward to meeting some of you.

[Barb Dreger]

This is a good discussion. I am thrilled to see your comments Fritz about developing a clear strategy before just doing "stuff". I see too much of this. At FVTC, we are looking to clarify our strategies in order to move forward. We're thinking about launching an alumni effort on Facebook. I look forward to learning more this week, including how to support social media within a college.

[Fritz McDonald]

Thanks to both of you for participating...I'm looking forward to meeting you Robin and helping out where I can. I think there are a few good ways to state your case and have people take it seriously...and Alice, you don't have to be a techie to get all of this. In fact, the most successful blogs are by writers!

[Alice Crann Good]

Thank you. I am not a techie, but I do understand the importance of keeping up with technology. I am a writer/editor who is constantly learning, trying to understand all of this. I am so happy Robin is attending the conference...hopefully get us started. I also know a person who has similar skills as you Fritz and would be thrilled to add him to our staff. Thanks for your time.

[Robin Mertins]

That's a start for me. Our marketing department has recognized the opportunities that social media provides but no idea on how to move forward with it. As Alice said earlier, we have to sell our administration on its value. The other issue we face is who the players will be. We obviously think it should be the marketing department so it can be coordinated with our traditional marketing program. I'd like to know how other colleges handle this.
I'm really looking forward to the conference and to meeting you.

[Fritz McDonald]

Welcome to you both and thanks for chiming in...I think the first thing you have to do is to define a clear use for whatever social media you're intent on using. In other words, start with a strategy that outlines what you intend to use and how it will help your recruiting, marketing, or advancement efforts. I just wrote a white paper on this issue and in it I list the following potentional strategic goals for either developing a social network or joining Facebook as an institution:
o Expanding admissions inquiry pools
o Tracking prospective students as they move through the recruiting funnel
o Improving yield and conversion rates
o Bringing alumni back home and integrating them into recruiting and fundraising
o Expanding potential donor pools, particularly for annual funds
o Broadcasting your brand through viral word of mouse
o Expanding the reach and constancy of your institutional identity
A powerful network can have a positive impact on all of these, but it can’t and shouldn’t replace traditional marketing programs. More importantly, it should never be undertaken without a clear strategy. Too many institutions are jumping into tactics and technology before clarifying their social media objectives. Doing so will go a long way toward convincing your communities that getting into social media will move your institutions forward.
Does that help?

[Maria Thompson]

Great question! I'm wondering the same thing. How do you get around the perception that Facebook, etc., is "playing"?

[Alice Crann Good]

Our college marketing department understands the importance and power of social media, but we face great challenges educating people who are not keeping pace with technology and resist change. Do you have any advice on how to approach administrators and staff...how to explain the benefits of social media and networking?