photo credit: dbarefoot

Social Media is Consumer generated media It is media that is

designed to be shared, sharing means that it is easy to comment on, that it is easy to send, there are no costs associated with viewing the media and last but not least it is always available.

Social media enables people to share information with friends and colleges using the Internet

Really Simple Syndication

http://crankyprofessor.com

Social NetworkingSocial Networking is the use of communities to

engage with others: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter. Social Networking sites often include social media tools to facilitate the interaction and conversation

Social Networking

Why is Social Media important?If your kids are awake they are probably onlineThe average young American now spends every

waking minute – except the time in school – using a smart phone, computer, TV or other electronic device according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Those ages 8 – 18 spend more than 7 hours a day with such devices. And that does not count the hour and a half that youths spend texting or talking on their phones

16 to 24 year oldsThey have higher demands!!Growing up online has shaped how teens and young

adults receive, process and act on information. They expect information to be brief, instant and always on (there are no office hours)

Peer EndorsementThe vast majority of people report the opinion they

trust most is from ‘someone like me’. For the first time in our history, peers have bested the wisdom of experts

Peer endorsement is the single greatest decision-making accelerant. Through Social Media, peer influence cycles are happening at a velocity never before seen. Decision making is clearly becoming more social

The Asian Market

How popular are Social Networks?According to the analysts at Hitwise, social networks

in general are more popular than search engines in some parts of the world

Facebook’s overall web traffic pulled ahead of Google’s for the first time in the U.S. in March of this year.

Facebook dominates the current crop of social networks, accounting for the majority (55%) of all social site visits. When compared to the wider web, Google gets around 9.3% of all web traffic, while Facebook captures just over 7%

Why do colleges invest in Social Media?For many of the same reasons they invest in more

traditional marketing and advertisingCreate awarenessEncourage connectionInspire loyaltyCreate ambassadors Recruit best fit studentsBuild powerful relations with alumniCreate stronger reputations

Irish HEIs usage of Social NetworksPrivate Colleges have been much faster to adopt

social communications than public collegesPublic sector -greater usage in the last 9 monthsHow do we rate compared to our main competitors?

What is Social Media and how can you use it to enhance student support?

Social Media provides context, pictures, words, shared meaning

Facebook, YouTube ( some examples –education programme information, housing, orientation, announcements)

Youtube.edu Ustream

The toughest way to use social media is also one of the

best:

Give students something they need!

Online Student Support