Blogs & Twitter:Capturing Real-Time Experiences
for Engagement & Promotion
Gene BeginDigital Marketing DirectorBabson College
Vanessa TheoharisMarketing CoordinatorUndergraduate School, Babson College
Audiences
CurrentStudents
Parents
Alumni
Recruiters
Prospective Audiences
Prospective Students
Current Undergrads
Current Grads
Faculty & Staff
International Students
Business Community (Recruiters, Exec Ed, Entrepreneurs, etc.)
Alumni
Parents & Families
Research Community
BLOGS
Blogging Platforms
WordPress
Blogger
Hubspot
Tumblr
Content Contributor Models
• Staff Coordinated• Off-shore courses, volunteer programs abroad, etc.
•Student Owned• Individual content produced without college support
• Student College-Branded• Online ambassadors; centered around the person
•Program-Specific Student Bloggers• Abroad program, admission, 1st year programs, internships, etc.
Consuming the Content
Customer Service
PromotionBrand Monitoring
Advising &
Teaching Tool
Distribution Channels
WebsiteShare ThisFacebook
TwitterLinkedIn
Blog ReadersIntegration with Print
Best Practices
• Interactive; keep user engaged• Editorial process• Include links• Tagging, categories• Titling
• Try adding title last• Bad: Habitat – Day 3 or Blog Post #88• Good: Applying Babson’s Entrepreneurial Education to the Orphanage
Top 10 Places to Study Abroad
Content Contributor Models
• Staff coordination • Off-shore courses, volunteer programs abroad (i.e. @BabsonBRIC)
• Student College-Branded• Online ambassadors
• Student Owned• Individual content produced without college support
• General Accounts • International Program Office• Per Program
Consuming the Content
Customer Service
Customer Service
PromotionBrand Monitoring
Advising &
Teaching Tool
Pre During Post
• Pre: general OIP account, promotion of events and programs
• During: student-created content, capturing real-time experiences
• Post: general OIP account, follow-up promotion, re-entry
Tweeting the Study Abroad Experience
Distribution Channels
• How to reach Twitterers• Directories (CampusTweet, Wefollow.com, etc.)• Twitter lists• Hashtag searches (#studyabroad, #highered, #basaa, etc.)• Brand monitoring• Engage in conversation
• How to reach NON-Twitterers• Website – account and hashtag streams• Facebook• Physical Presence – TVs or computers streaming tweets
• At events (Education Aboard Fairs, Orientation, etc.)• In main office (at check-in)
Best Practices
• Editorial process• Links to share content (your own and others)• Ample space for RT-ing• Interacting with Twitter community• Ask questions and answer questions• Continuous brand monitoring• Lists and searches
Twitter Applications & Platforms
• Twitter.com• Tweetdeck• CoTweet• HootSuite• EasyTweets• Tweetie
• Seesmic• Digsby• Echofon• Mobile
(apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry)• UberTwitter• Twitterberry, etc.
Blogs
Web siteTwitter
• Link to web site• Promote via Twitter and/or Facebook
• Connect students to alumni and employers• Monitor jobs & career interest groups• Promote Events• Link to web site
• Promote all social media platforms
• Promote programs, web site and blogs• Listen, Interact & Engage
• Promote programs, web site and blogs• Groups for niche student interaction
Managing an Online Presence
Key Takeaways
• To Each Their Own… Content Contributor Model• Conversation = Promotion• Leverage Student-Created Content• Pre > During > Post• Editorial Process• Extend the Content
Questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Gene Begin Vanessa [email protected] [email protected] @gbegin @vanessaTsmileswww.linkedin.com/in/genebegin www.linkedin.com/in/vanessatheoharis
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