social media in higher education
TRANSCRIPT
Social media: Start the
conversation
Sarah EvansDirector of Communications
Twitter: PRsarahevansSkype: Prsarahelizabeth
AIM: PrsarahelizabethLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/prsarahevans
How did you hear about
Gov. Blagojevich?
ALL before 7:00 a.m.
How did my president hear about it?
At ECC we use*• +
• +• +Another way to converse
with our stakeholders
*We are still in a “beginner” stage with social media and have selected these media to focus on at this time.
Social media enhances communication and serves
as ANOTHER way to engage.
@ECCdistrict509
Elgin Spartans
ECC Alumni Network
ECC Visual & Performing Arts
QUICK TIP: Check the availability of your name at
www.usernamecheck.com
RESULT!
RESULT!
RESULT!
Reach out to networks in creative ways
Took photo with mobile phone and tagged Elgin Spartans.
RESULT!
RESULT!
RESULT!
Status update!
Who is doing it well?
Who is doing it well?
Who is doing it well?
So, what’s the ROI?
“The problem with trying to determine ROI for
social media is you are trying to put numeric
quantities around human interactions and
conversations, which are not quantifiable.”
– Jason Falls, director of social media for Doe-Anderson
You CAN, however, think about
NEW metrics!
What are your CONVERSATION goals?
• Money-making vs. Perception-building
• Think ROA – Return on Attention• What are your objectives?– Build relationships?– Build awareness?– Both?
Evaluating results
• A few measurement ideas– Incoming traffic from links– Number of people subscribed to RSS feeds– Number of people in social media groups– Track backs or link backs– Conversation tracking tools like Summize or Monitorr– Comments on blog posts– Increased attendance at events– Increased enrollment
What do these conversations do, besides build the relationship?
• Build product/institution awareness• Create interest• Provide information• Stimulate demand• Reinforce the brand
QUICK TIP: Watch “Social Media in Plain English” for a
quick intro.
Start your conversation!
Getting started tips:
1. Check for username availability2. Register on 1-3 sites3. Search for those you would like
in your conversation4. Reach out to them5. Engage (daily)