Creating Your Social Strategy

Tools, Content, NewsCASE Presentation, UNO

April 24, 2012

Your Time Isn’t Infinite(Neither is anyone’s attention span)

• Before you begin any social media

plan:

– Determine the MAX amount of time and

resources you can spend;

– Your efforts will be guided by this

number;

– Use it to narrow your number of

channels.

Content Calendars

• Simple yet necessary

– Create a spreadsheet of your messages:

• Facebook – daily

• Google + - Daily

• Twitter – three times daily

• Blog – weekly

• Video – bi-weekly

• Pinterest – (all the time – it’s very addictive!)

Social Media: It’s Rented

• You “rent” space on Facebook,

Twitter, YouTube, etc.

– Subject to their changes;

– Subject to their rules;

– Access to millions of potential prospects.

• It’s were your audiences live.

Owned vs. Rented

• You “own” your website.

– Have to draw users there;

– Creating engaging communities in this

area takes far more effort;

– You have complete control.

THE RENTED MEDIA

Facebook TwitterYouTube/VimeoPinterest Google +

Take Facebook to the Next Level

• North Social Applications

– Developed in partnership with Facebook.

– A “buffet” of applications including:

• Embed your YouTube channel;

• Create a micro-commerce site (for top-selling school

merchandise);

• Sweepstakes (with a built-in contact management system);

• Create Groupon style deals for University students;

• Donation page;

• Much, much more.

North Social Applications

Google +• Complaint: No one is there!

• Solution

– Think of Google + as a search engine

optimization tool.

– Google ranks based on +1’s

• Add the button to your content.

• Use the Google + search bar to monitor conversation.

– Find the influencers much easier that any other social site.

Personalized Search Results

YouTube/Vimeo (Video)

• Video is a non-negotiable.

• Doesn’t have to be time intensive.

– Most colleges have a group of free (or incredibly cheap),

talented videographers on campus.

• What are your campus groups already doing?

– Can you share their efforts on University pages?

• Consider having a page per audience you wish to

reach.

Interesting Tools: Fundraising

New Alumni – An investment in the future

Solution: Micro-Donations – Kickstarter – allows you to raise funds for specific projects

through social media with multiple small donations.

» Can add multi-media.

» Progress chart is public.

» Easy to spread the word and let others spread the

word for you.

YouTube/Vimeo (Video)

• Video is a non-negotiable.

• Doesn’t have to be time intensive.

– Most colleges have a group of free (or incredibly cheap),

talented videographers on campus.

• What are your campus groups already doing?

– Can you share their efforts on University pages?

• Consider having a page per audience you wish to

reach.

Interesting Tools: Branding

• Pinterest– Newest of the shiny new tools:• Very high visual impact;• Shares to more popular sites.

– Great for branding: • Lifestyle boards (Oberlin is a GREAT

example); • Provides links to original material;• If you don’t, your students will.

Branding

Create a branded “lifestyle” for your college

Branding

Your students, alumni and supporters will brand for you

OWNED MEDIA

WebsitesInternal Communities

Case Study: Watch Me Bloom

• Targeted, marketable, fun -- and effective for

drawing in potential applicants.

• Site incorporates cutting-edge, radical design. Its

interactive, animated landscape looks like a video

game app.

Case Study

Watch Me Bloom

Case Study: Watch Me Bloom

• Take a diagnostic test that poses a series of

hypothetical scenarios and recommends a course of

study based on your answers.

• Mouse over different buildings on the cartoon

rendering of campus and watch unscripted films of

students talking about those places.

• Create a "profile" that includes your name and e-mail

address.

Case Study

Watch Me Bloom

Case Study: Watch Me Bloom

Results:

• Significant increase in traffic on college’s main website.

• Increase in self-initiated contacts.

• Web inquiries and phone calls increased exponentially.

• Half of the prospective students who completed profiles

on the site, thus enabling the college to contact them

directly, did enroll.

Case Study: Watch Me Bloom

Andrew WettengelEngagement Director, Phenomblue

402-933-4050 x251awettengel@phenomblue.com

Case Study

Social Media Tips

• Have a good plan, especially related to

content

– Where will your content come from?

– Who will be responsible for maintaining and

monitoring the content?

– How will you engage your audience?

– Regular meetings with everyone who posts.

Social Media Tips

• Need centralization/consistency of brand

– Some universities have hundreds of Facebook

pages, official and non-official.

– Try to create a hub for social media – one

Facebook page that links to all mediums.

Social Media Tips

• Current, SHORT stories (new projects, new President’s

vision, etc) with an easy way to access more info.

• Remember the students/future alums (philanthropy week

ideas)

• Connection to the university is key- ENGAGE the alums

– Who was your favorite professor?

– What was your favorite spot on campus? (offer to take a photo)

– What was your favorite class?

Social Media Tips

• Create active job boards and recruiting channels – think of what will

benefit alums

• Appeal to their curiosity, sense of humor and core needs.

• Let faculty, students and alums be your ambassadors – fresh material.

• Have fun, even with complaints.

• Consider your audience when choosing your social media channels

(e.g., LinkedIn for alums)

• Quality over quantity – do not need to be everywhere.

NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

Case StudyTips for Reaching Journalists

Case Study: WOWT

• Goals

– Reach non-traditional local news viewers

– Turn them into Channel 6 News viewers

Case Study: WOWT

• Reach non-traditional local news viewers

– Website -- WOWT.com is our new deadline.

Nothing waits for an “appointment” newscast. It’s

delivered first on our webchannel. Fresh stories

bring readers back. At least 60 new stories added

each day.

Case Study: WOWT

• Reach non-traditional local news viewers

– Facebook Fan page – join our viewers (and potential

viewers) life lines. Ask for their input on stories of the

day or just what they are dealing with in their lives. 8

posts per day on Channel 6 News page. All talent

required to have a fan page

– Contests to build our likes and personalize our talent

Case Study: WOWT

• Reach non-traditional local news viewers

– Twitter – Breaking news tweets sent ASAP. Weather

tweets sent in 4 day parts. News stories/updates

(with tiny url) sent as many times as possible

throughout the day.

– Live Weather Camera/Chat – during severe weather

live talk back with viewers

Case Study: WOWT

• Turn them into Channel 6 News viewers

– Website – WOWT.com has the freshest, must up-to-

date news 24/7. If there is breaking news, Channel 6

News is where to turn

– Facebook Fan page –

• Responding to fan comments, and thanking them. Increases

“talking about” numbers.

Case Study: WOWT

• Turn them into Channel 6 News viewers

– Twitter – Pushes viewers to wowt.com with tiny url, then

to Channel 6 for breaking news

– Live Weather Camera/Chat – we are part of our viewers

severe weather plan. The power may go out, but The

Weather Authority is still with you. Now we are where

viewers turn to find out about nuisance weather too.

Reaching Journalists

• Build a relationship with journalist on twitter

– Create a list of important journalist

– Share their stories

– Reply to questions

– It’s OK to “cc” friendly journalist when tweeting

news releases

Reaching Journalists

– Make sure your online newsrooms makes it

easy to share

– A great press room will also help with Search

Engine Optimization

– The same videos, articles and pictures that are

great for SM are great for the media

Key Takeaways

• Changes are a part of the system, keep up with the

newest tech.

• Determine your resources.

• Determine your audiences and where they live in

social streams.

• Create relationships with media

• Media can be used across a wide array of channels