Social Media: Strategy First, Tools Second

Dr. Pamela Rutledge Director, Media Psychology Research Center

College Board

November 15, 2012

Technology Has Rewired the World

The Lecture vs. The Cocktail Party

Characteristics of a Lecture:

q  One to Many

q  Unidirectional and linear.

q  Only one person gets to talk at a time

q  You are supposed to stay in your chair and be quiet

q  The lights are on the stage

q  There is the same message for everyone

q  Not social unless you meet the guy in the chair next to you

q  Someone besides you decides when it’s over

q  At the end, you’re supposed to feel grateful and applaud.

Characteristics of a Cocktail Party

q  Full of conversations

q  Noisy and energetic

q  Everyone talks at once

q  Dynamic and social — You can connect with many

q  The lights shine on everyone equally

q  You get to choose when and what to eat or drink and who to talk with

q  You can decide when it’s over for you

q  When you leave, the host thanks you for coming.

Most prospective students have grown up in a cocktail party world

There Are Many Kinds of Social Technologies

Many types q  Information searches q  Folksonomy/Tagging q  Blogs q  Wikis q  Social Networking

Similar properties q  Participatory q  Interactive q  Constantly changing q  Create social connections q  Respond dynamically to user

New Expectations: Structural & Experiential

Interactive ⌘ On-Demand ⌫ Asynchronous ⌥ Broad Access

Today’s Prospective Student

Smart phones create Mobile Results-Only Living Environments

Everyone Has A Voice

The new normal: expect to participate, be heard, collaborate, and connect.

Benefits: Increased empathy, social capital, and efficacy beliefs.

Rules for Communicators

q  Relationships = authenticity

q  78% trust peers; 14% trust organizations

q  You don’t control your message

q  Less tolerance for hierarchies

q  Participation and exchange — not selling

q  New understanding of time and space = fast

q  New expectations of access = mobile + multichannel

It’s Not About the Tools

•  Media choice is the best tool for the job

•  Keep your eye on the goals

autonomy mastery

relatedness

self-efficacy engagement

competence optimism

resilience purpose

agency

Technology Enables Individual Action

The Impact for Colleges and Universities

q  Good News q  Social media environment

means more bang for your buck

q  Bad News q  Strategy, goals and planning

are more important than ever q  Social media isn’t one-size fits

all

How Do You Compete?

Storytelling is Timeless

q  Draw on ancient traditions, legends and myths

q  Create an authentic connection

q  It’s how we think

q  Engages at multiple sensory levels

Act 1 Context

Act 2 Action

Act 3 Resolution/Results

Exposition Denouement

Climax Tension

Time

Three Act Structure

Transmedia Storytelling

q  A story that… q  Unfolds across platforms q  Each piece adds something unique

and valuable q  Motivates user to find others

q  Users can… q  Join at different places q  Participate and contribute content

Henry Jenkins USC

Traditional Story Path

Transmedia Content

Case Study: Jay-Z

Main Story Anchor: Novel

Pig 1: Website

Pig 1: Anime Super Pig

Wolf: Website

Wolf: Ning Network for Team Wolf

Pig 2: Twitter Dialogue

Pig 3: Cooking Blog

Pig 3: YouTube Videos

Pig 3: Cookbook

Pig 3: Fan Page

Case Study: The Three Little Pigs

Sequels

An Invitation to Participate

Discovery Experience Exploration

Increasing Audience Engagement

There are the known knowns.

There are the known unknowns.

And then there are the unknown unknowns.

Donald Rumsfeld summarizes social media metrics

Traditional ROI Calculations

Ripple Effect

Focus on Qualitative Impact

q  Biggest value of social media is expanded relationship potential

q  Awareness

q  Brand mentions, reviews and share of voice

q  Fan Growth

q  Traffic

q  Engagement

q  Comments, questions, retweets, time on site

q  Customer and market intelligence

q  Product/service feedback

q  Customer needs, problems, values and experiences

Social media strategies start with a strategy, not with a Facebook page

Social Media Strategy

q  Tools are only useful if you know q  what you want to do

q  what tools will get the job done.

q  Online networks are like offline ones q  People use Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and LinkedIn

to meet people, get information, share resources and connect with colleagues

Social Media: Total Time Suck?

q  Social media networks are not a waste of time unless you allow them to be

q  Networking opportunities

q  Great way to build social capital

q  Be very clear on WHY you’re doing it and the outcomes you want to see

Social Media Mission Statement

q  Why am I on social networks and what will I use them for?

q  How do I want to build my personal or organizational brand using social media?

q  What outcomes do I want to see?

q  How does social media fit into the overall organizational and communications strategy?

Social Media Strategy

(Source: BigThunk, Number 8 Communications. Strategy image via Shutterstock.)

Choose your tools carefully

Access Control Potential Completely Public

Mostly public

Mostly private

Website x Blog x Twitter x x LinkedIn x x Facebook x x x Flickr x x x Pinterest x Industry sites x

Curation tools (Scoop, paper.li) x

Google+ x

Tool Audit Example: Privacy

Social Media Strategy

(Source: BigThunk, Number 8 Communications. Strategy image via Shutterstock.)

Connect your tools so they feed each other

Social Media Policy: Be Prepared

q  What information is public, what should be kept private?

q  What your rules are for researching customers and employees?

q  How you can be contacted and when? q  What is your policy for employees

social media use? q  How you will handle the inevitable

social media crisis? q  How often will I evaluate the strategy?

Key Points for Communicating

Effectively with New Technologies

q  Get your story straight

q  Think transmedia: communication must be fluid and consistent across multiple platforms and devices

q  Plan for collaboration

q  Having lots of tools isn’t what’s important, it’s what you do with them that counts

q  Do research

q  Go where the students are

q  LISTEN FIRST to find out what they think need, not what you think they need

q  Establish best practices for contact.

q  Recognize individual and cultural differences in access and needs

q  Mission Statement

q  Social Media Strategy q  Goals q  Tactics q  Measurement

q  Social Media Policy q  Ethics q  Boundaries

q  Be human, honest, and transparent

q  Be timely

q  Deliver value by synthesizing information and facilitating decisions

q  Allow for personalization and participation

Human Needs Institutional Connection Activities/Tools

Social connection Peers Social network communities, forums, video chats face to face

Social validation Staff & Faculty Access to administrators, faculty through email, webinars

Comfort and respect Information

Published deadlines, clear forms on line, fillable PDFs, savable applications, accurate and timely feedback

Entertainment Media Creative and unusual ways to engage, such as contests, games, virtual events

Access Mobile Lower barriers to entry with mobile formatting and apps

Participation Personalization, content creation (films, photos), interaction with current students.

Experience (Presence) Video tours, day in the life, ways to project

themselves into the campus experience

Implications

q  Collaborative

q  Participatory

q  Challenging

q  Relevant

q  Responsive

q  Inclusive

q  Respectful

q  Deliver Value

Effective education needs to adopt social media rules:

The prospective student isn’t going to take your word for it that what

you offer is valuable unless you have cultivated a relationship they trust.

"I feel like I know you guys already from your videos and blogs and

Facebook page ...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-james-michael-nolan/social-media-in-the-busin_b_1607245.html

Thank You.

Dr. Pamela Rutledge Media Psychology Research Center @pamelarutledge