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Follow us on Twitter…Join our Facebook GroupHow to effectively integrate social media in your marketing and communications

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What we’re going to What we’re going to covercover

A (very short) introductionA (very short) introduction

Defining social mediaDefining social media

Benefits of social mediaBenefits of social media

Common pitfallsCommon pitfalls

Doing it rightDoing it right

Developing social media guidelinesDeveloping social media guidelines

Case Study exerciseCase Study exercise

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A (very) short A (very) short introductionintroduction

Journalist by tradeJournalist by trade

Worked in HE since 2000Worked in HE since 2000

From web skivvy to digital marketing managerFrom web skivvy to digital marketing manager

Passionate about social media both personally and Passionate about social media both personally and professionallyprofessionally

Annoyed by academics who think they know marketing Annoyed by academics who think they know marketing because they’ve produced a course leafletbecause they’ve produced a course leaflet

Constantly battling institutional politics to ensure marketing Constantly battling institutional politics to ensure marketing

and communications is done by those who know how to do itand communications is done by those who know how to do it

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Unless you’ve been hiding underneath a rock...Unless you’ve been hiding underneath a rock...

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What is social media?What is social media?Social media is media

designed to be disseminated through

social interaction, created using highly

accessible and scalable publishing

techniques.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

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http://www.hubspot.com

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Benefits to Marketing & Benefits to Marketing & CommunicationsCommunications

Opportunity to develop meaningful Opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with your audiencesrelationships with your audiences

Real-time response and feedback to your Real-time response and feedback to your communications messagescommunications messages

High impact yet low cost to implement High impact yet low cost to implement (especially compared to traditional media)(especially compared to traditional media)

Ability to influence and inform your target Ability to influence and inform your target audienceaudience

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So if social media is the best thing since sliced bread…

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Why do we get it so Why do we get it so wrong?wrong?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barnett/2836828090/

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Some Some common common pitfalls* pitfalls* * the following are based on real * the following are based on real people and situations (even if people and situations (even if some of them sound ridiculous)some of them sound ridiculous)

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http://www.bradfitzpatrick.com//

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Basing Basing campaigns on campaigns on technology rather technology rather

than messagethan message

“We’ve set up our Twitter account...now what?”

Image courtesy of http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/

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Wanting to control the public domain

“We want to grow our Facebook fans...but we won’t open our

page to comments or wall posts”

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http://www.socialsignal.com//

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Thinking spamming is acceptable

“Why don’t we promote our courses...on other people’s

fan pages!”

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http://www.socialsignal.com

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Having an argument with your audience

“I had to tell him where to stick his opinions...he started it!”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/si/146418069/http://www.flickr.com/photos/si/146418069/

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So, how do we do it right?

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Research, research and more research

* Know your market and why you want to engage with them

* Segment before you communicate

* Develop REAL USPs

* There’s no such thing as a ‘one size fits all’ solution

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Resource appropriately and

properly* Must have dedicated staff to

manage campaigns

* Ensure staff have the experience, understanding and training

* Choose reporting tools that will help you analyse activity based on your objectives

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You’ll still need your website - work on it!

* Link backs to your website enables you to find out what your audience is interested in

* Use social media to help you develop your website content

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Use a variety of approaches

* Social media platforms should be part of a wider marketing and communications strategy - and not the sole media you use for your campaigns

* Use social media to support and enhance your offline campaigns

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http://www.blackglass.com.auhttp://www.blackglass.com.au//

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It’s all about engagement, baby!

* Broadcasting is NOT engagement

* Neither is getting into arguments

* Be honest about your intentions

* Like any relationship, it won’t always be smooth sailing

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/nizzu/306600963/http://www.flickr.com/photos/nizzu/306600963/

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Think of social media as a manageable but

moving target

* You can change the direction of your campaigns based on information gathered

* Learn key SEO tools to get more accurate and meaningful statistics to measure ROI

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrism70/1296790440/http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrism70/1296790440/

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Test and evaluate everything

* The more meaningful the information you can gather from your evaluation, the better your future campaigns can be

* Take some risks - there is room for trial and error

* Base your evaluation on business objectives so you can benchmark ROI

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/tym/1255655367/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tym/1255655367/

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Now let’s put these Now let’s put these principles into practiceprinciples into practice

Task 1: In groups of four, choose a case study. Task 1: In groups of four, choose a case study. Based on the brief, how can social media Based on the brief, how can social media contribute to meeting the objectives of the contribute to meeting the objectives of the campaign?campaign?

(15 minutes + 10 minutes for feedback)(15 minutes + 10 minutes for feedback)

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Developing Social Media Developing Social Media GuidelinesGuidelines

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BenefitsBenefits

Gives clear guidance to staff/students on user Gives clear guidance to staff/students on user behaviours and the premise of social mediabehaviours and the premise of social media

Helps avoid legal action against institutionsHelps avoid legal action against institutions

Develops better relationships with your Develops better relationships with your audienceaudience

Provides steps on how to handle awkward or Provides steps on how to handle awkward or negative feedbacknegative feedback

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Introduce Introduce YourselfYourselfIf you’re If you’re representing your representing your institution, make institution, make sure you make that sure you make that clearclear

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/3537124962/http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/3537124962/

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Separation Separation of Private of Private and and ProfessionalProfessionalDon’t mix the two Don’t mix the two - set up separate - set up separate accounts/profilesaccounts/profiles

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http://www.joyoftech.comhttp://www.joyoftech.com

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Respond in Respond in a timely a timely mannermannerDon’t ignore Don’t ignore relevant questions relevant questions or queriesor queries

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanvirus/http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanvirus/4261285689/4261285689/

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Don’t spamDon’t spamDon’t bombard your Don’t bombard your audience with audience with invitations - not invitations - not everyone’s interested everyone’s interested in your Farmville profile in your Farmville profile (or event)(or event)

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http://www.socialsignal.comhttp://www.socialsignal.com//

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Don’t abuse Don’t abuse tool tool featuresfeaturesRemember Habitat?Remember Habitat?

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinv033/105684397/http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinv033/105684397/

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Be Be deliberate deliberate in your in your responseresponseYou are representing You are representing your institution - your institution - don’t be frivolous or don’t be frivolous or dismissive in your dismissive in your communicationcommunication

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetschwa/99535218/http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetschwa/99535218/

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Dotting the Dotting the i’s and i’s and crossing the crossing the t’st’sLeave the writing to Leave the writing to those who can - those who can - check and re-check check and re-check spelling, grammar spelling, grammar and punctuationand punctuation

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdnphoto/3425050480/http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdnphoto/3425050480/

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Now let’s put these Now let’s put these principles into practiceprinciples into practice

Task 2: In groups of four, critique the sample Task 2: In groups of four, critique the sample social media guidelines. Identify areas you social media guidelines. Identify areas you want to expand/add to and discuss how you want to expand/add to and discuss how you would implement this in your instutitionwould implement this in your instutition

(15 minutes + 10 minutes for feedback)(15 minutes + 10 minutes for feedback)

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Thank you for your Thank you for your participationparticipation

Joanna BlackburnJoanna BlackburnWeb Marketing ManagerWeb Marketing Manager

University of SalfordUniversity of Salfordj.m.blackburn@salford.ac.ukj.m.blackburn@salford.ac.uk@mancypino@mancypino

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