User Generated Content

Tap into the POWER

Tom Williams

www.InnoGage.com

What is UGC?

User Generated Content

• Social Networks

• Video

• Photos

• Blogs

• Wikis

• Discussion Boards

www.InnoGage.com

What is UGC?

User Generated Content

• Social Networks

• Video

• Photos

• Blogs

• Wikis

• Discussion Boards

www.InnoGage.com

Problems with UGC

• Students are controlling the content

• You can’t stop it

• You must walk the line between influence and control

www.InnoGage.com

Benefits of UGC

• Users are more creative than you

• Much is practically free

• It’s REAL

• It’s GENUINE

• It’s NOT CANNED

• Credibility more Imptthan “Quality”

www.InnoGage.com

Social Networks

Facebook

MySpace

Ning

www.InnoGage.com

Social Networks

• Facebook – No Brainer

• MySpace – younger, lots of fake accounts

• Ning – personalized social networks

• Can share text, photos, video…etc.

www.InnoGage.com

PEOPLE MUST HAVE A REASON TO JOIN AND

STAY IN THE NETWORK

www.InnoGage.com

DePaul Quad & Café New Paltz

• Depaul Quad

– Parents of first year students

– Scared, nervous, looking for support

– Astounding success

– Helped keep helicopter moms at bay

www.InnoGage.com

DePaul Quad & Café New Paltz

• Café New Paltz

– Social network for accepted first year students

– Highly successful: Model for other institutions

– Formal UGC push failed; Organic content huge success!

www.InnoGage.com

www.InnoGage.com

Café New Paltz

• All the features

– Photos (1,063)

– Videos (19)

– Groups (20)

– Discussion Forum (98)

– Members (563)

www.InnoGage.com

Social Network Recap

• Have a reason for the community – one that makes sense

• Set ground rules, light the fire & step back

• Enable/encourage users to invite friends

• Highlight, promote, inspire and let it happen

• Participate but be explicit about your identity

www.InnoGage.com

Video

Launching a successful Video Contest

Illinois Institute of Technology

DePaul University

www.InnoGage.com

Launch a Video Contest

• DePaul University

– 120 days conception to launch

– Prize $$

– Approx 250 hours

– Channel: YouTube

– Promoted heavily on FB, Email, newspaper, fliers

www.InnoGage.com

Launch a Video Contest

• DePaul University

– Voting 1,2,3 closed

– People’s choice

– 19 videos submitted

– Traffic: 10,000 views

• Ah Hahs!!

– Most waited to last min

– Negative voting

– Negative comments

www.InnoGage.com

Launch a Video Contest

• Illinois Institute of Technology

– First Video Contest EVER in Higher Ed.

– Prize $$

– Provided equip, stock footage

– Provided Music (eliminated copyright risk)

– Channel: MyCollegeVid.com

– Promoted online, print, email

www.InnoGage.com

Launch a Video Contest

• IIT Results

– Very successful

– Supported rebranding

– Repurposed the video

– Total cost: $1,750

– Voting required custom development

www.InnoGage.com

Video Contest Recap

• Define contest clearly

– Video length, Info inclusion, Ground rules

• Give clearly defined rewards (Cash is King)

• Provide equipment (level playing field)

• Use formal voting (positive only)

• Promote!!

• Get Creative – Animoto!

www.InnoGage.com

Photos!

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words

Ohio State University

www.InnoGage.com

O-H-I-O Campaign

• Fell into it

• Provided a channel

• Promoted it

• 3,047 photos

• Used content for TV commercials!

www.InnoGage.com

Photo Recap

• Keep your eyes open

– What are student and alum already doing?

• Catalogue as you go

• Use Keywords

• Capture stories behind the photos

• Get rights if you can

www.InnoGage.com

Student Blogs

Cornerstone of your social media

www.InnoGage.com

Blogs: Value is ??

• What is your school getting out of this?

• Your brand or the bloggers?

• Reporting?

• Metrics?

www.InnoGage.com

Formula for Success

• Plan Plan Plan!

• Tie in SEO

• Pick Bloggers Carefully

• Engage audience

• Don’t get stale!

• External Analytics

• Internal Analytics

www.InnoGage.com

Security

• Social Media Policy

• Blogger Agreement

• Restrict Live Posting

• Moderate Comments

• reCAPTCHA

www.InnoGage.com

[RE]sources

• Social Media Policy Examples

– http://my.opera.com/community/blogs/corp-policy/

– http://blogs.cisco.com/news/comments/ciscos_internet_postings_policy/

– http://www.intel.com/sites/sitewide/en_US/social-media.htm

– http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/advice/personalweb/index.shtml

• 10 Must Haves for your social Media Policy (via Mashable)

– http://mashable.com/2009/06/02/social-media-policy-musts/

• Example Blogger Agreement

– http://centeach.uiowa.edu/BloggersAgreement.pdf

www.InnoGage.com

Friend me up!Tom Williams

W | 614.360.1872C | 773.213.8579@tom8williamstwilliams@innogage.comhttp://profile.to/tom8williamshttp://delicious.com/tom8williamshttp://flickr.com/photos/tom8williamshttp://www.linkedin.com/in/tom8williams