“Getting the Word Out – Communicating With Your Students in
Today’s World”
Do not forget the basics:
Primary Source of Information
Secondary Sources of Information
Primary Sources
Paper lettersE-mail
When do you obtain email addresses?Assign an institutional email address… but how
do you ensure they check it??Keep subject line consistent and identifiableBe able to handle rejected email addressesBe able to produce a paper letter if student
requests
Why a Secondary Source?No longer a one way street
GenerationalMillennials are the heaviest usersBaby Boomers are the fastest growing users
People now spend more time on social networking sites than on e-mail
Why? What’s in it for You?Meeting students where they are
Larger reach with fewer resources
Common questions Shorter lines
Gives you a competitive advantage
If you’re not out there, who is?
Secondary Sources:
Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Newsletters, text messages, phone messages, etc.
Facebook, Texting, and YouTube were the most widely used
Many were blocked from accessing social media sites at work
Used social media more in their personal lives
What’s going on today?Facebook has over 500 million users
If Facebook were a country it would be the 3rd largest
An average Facebook user spends:• 55 minutes a day• 6.5 hours a week• 1.2 days a month
More than 30 billion pieces of content shared each month
What’s going on today?YouTubeReceives over 2 billion viewers each day24 hours of video uploaded every minuteMore than half of YouTube users are under age 20To watch all the videos currently on YouTube, a
person has to live for around 1,000 years
Twitter80% of Twitter users use Twitter on mobile
devicesOver 50 million tweets in 2010Over 100 million current users
Social Media: How do you begin?What resources do you have available
• People• Content (text, videos)• Tools• TrainingMake it official: Have requirements and approval
process for an official university social media account.
Have whoever approves the account designated as an administrator
Crisis management/handling negative sentiment & mistakes
Things to RememberNot just a duplication of your website- BE
INTERACTIVE!
Make sure the information here is also made available through your university’s primary source
Should be treated a little more professionally than other typical social medial accounts.
Use relevant keywords in “About Us” box
Check for format and spelling!
Keep posts short and to-the-point
Include FAQs, Photo Tabs, Events, Deadlines, Links,
Use e-mail or your listserv to announce your page
Promote
Facebook and Twitter icons on your website
Cross-promote
Hosts contests to gain followers
Weekly updates to retain fans
InteractUse your website to push informationMake students, faculty, alums your advocates
Security and PrivacyPersonally Identifiable Information (PII)
Privacy settings
Encourage students to use caution
Social media is public
What’s on the horizonMashableSocial Media TodayTechCrunchThe Next WebSocial Media Examiner
ResourcesFascinating Social Media Facts 201021 Creative Ways to Increase Your Facebook Fanbase