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Students are our best ambassadors in higher education and, in a climate where we have to do more with less, a real key to our ability to function in the social media sphere.
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Students: Your Social MediaSecret Weapons
Tim Nekritz
Director of Web Communication
SUNY Oswego
It was handsome at the auctionOh but when we got it homeIt grew up into something We could no longer contain
“Pigeon Camera,” The Tragically Hip
Class participation
Social media is _________.
Social media is inclusive.
Everyone’s a player
“If you guys know so much about women, how come you're here at like the Gas 'n' Sip on a Saturday night completely alone drinking beers with no women anywhere?”
We’re so lucky!
Our target market can be our solution!
• Prospective students trust them
• Prospective students look up to them
• Prospective student hope to be them
(We’re just old.)
Why current students?
Myth #1
You can’t trust students!
We already do.
Myth #2
Social media is a passing fad!
Social media’s getting bigger!
• Facebook nearing 500 million users
(bigger than US + Canada combined)
• YouTube boasts more than 24 hours of video uploaded every minute
• Twitter has 106+ million users
(~10x growth in year, 300K new per day)
Myth #3
Let’s stay where we control everything!
If you’re not there, someone else is!
• Aspirational*
• Propositional**
• Positional***
* Could take years
** Could take more years
*** Could consume the rest of your life
3 #highered development phases
PLEASEtry this
at home!
Our goals
• Better respond to/engage in social media
• Manage growing Facebook needs
• Create multimedia resources, especially toward prospective students
• Bolster SUNY Oswego presence throughout Web/Web 2.0
Great philosophers
“You go to war with the army you have.”-- Donald Rumsfeld, former U.S. Army secretary,
social media visionary
“Stop! Collaborate and listen!”-- Vanilla Ice, “rapper,”
master communicator
Our tools
• Blogs
• YouTube
• Flickr
• Geosocial**in development
Social media guidelines?
• SUNY Oswego's social media plan invites interactive communications on a timely manner with prospective students, current students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members and other supporters. Through use of Facebook, student blogs, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr and other emerging media, we aim to proactively position Oswego's status as a quality academic institution with fruitful experiences available inside and outside the classroom. Emphases encourage and encompass our friendliness, vibrancy and world of opportunities. Key messages are tied to specific times in prospective/current student cycles but also incorporate opportunities to share good news, especially in terms of campus reputation and outstanding student achievement.
Our social media guideposts
• Friendliness• Opportunity• Diversity of experiences• The underdog story
Our team!
Student team members
• Social media intern(s)
Facebook responses/conversations, photos, Web slideshows, videos
• Web video producer intern
YouTube/Facebook/oswego.edu videos
A meeting a week
• Project progress
• Propose projects
• Feedback
• Key points or things to know
• Updating of wiki
Facebook fan (like?) page
Class of 2014 group
YouTube
Flickr
Why student blogs?
• “Insiders’ view”
• Authentic experience
• Mediated communication
• “In Conversation City, everybody’s talkin’ You must have something to say.”
--”Queen of the Furrows,” The Tragically Hip
Golden Rule:
We don’t pre-approve blog posts!
- We pre-approve bloggers! -
Recruit?
• Network, network, network
• Fill your roles – like a team
• Recommendations welcome
Talk About the Passion
Our team
Challenge #1
Finding diversity of experience
Challenge #2
Holding back the years:
Fear senioritis!
Seek sophomores!
Challenge #3
The Achiever Paradox
- or -
“If you want something done,
ask a busy person!”
The busiest student/blogger I know
Challenge #4
All carrot,
no stick
Simple is good?
Challenge #5
[Akismet, FTW!]
Need for feedback?
[are you friends with students?]
Example: Class of 2013 feedback(Emerson College)
… or they do it for you
87 responses
Top themes (some responses had more than one)• Campus beauty (curb appeal): 28• Major/program: 26• "Comfortable," "felt right," "felt like home": 12• Lake/physical location: 11 (not including distance)• Distance (far enough/not too far): 11• New York state school: 10• The people/friendliness: 9• Sports/hockey: 8/4• Atmosphere (exact word): 6
Where to start?
Your 4 A’s
• Who are your brand Ambassadors?
• Who are your Advocates?
• Who are your Achievers?
• What are your top Affinity Groups?
En anglais?
• Orientation leaders (Laker leaders)
• Tour guides
• Other offices: student services, alumni
• Newsmakers
• Orgs
• Classes
• Things for which your college is/wants to be known
Tips and takeaways
• Goals first, then tools
• Sustainability
• Patience
• If at first you don’t succeed …
Questions?
Contact: nekritz@oswego.eduhttp://insidetimshead.wordpress.com
Follow www.twitter.com/timnekritz
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