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Pin, Like, & Tweet: Find the Social
Media Strategy Right for Your Office
Ellen Hatfield, University of MN Duluth
Minnesota Career Development Association
April 26, 2013
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Overview
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What is social media?
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Questions to answer before starting to use social media
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Different social media platforms to consider
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Tips & best practices
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What is Social Media?
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What does “social media” mean to you?
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Social Media Revolution (from
Socialnomics)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUCfFcchw
1w
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Reactions to video?
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What is Social Media?
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Definition: “virtual places where people share; everybody
and anybody can share anything anywhere anytime”
(Joosten, 2012)
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“Social media are a collection of Internet websites, services,
and practices that support collaboration, community
building, participation, and sharing.” (Junco, Heiberger, &
Loken, 2011 in Joosten, 2012)
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Social media is conversation, community, customer service,
listening, contest/promotions, and information
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User-centered and encourages interaction & collaboration
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Types of Social Media
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Social Networking – Facebook, LinkedIn
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Blogging & Microblogging – WordPress, Twitter
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Video & Photo Sharing – YouTube, Instagram
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Social Bookmarking – Pinterest
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Other – FourSquare, StumbleUpon, and many more
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In-presentation Definitions
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Social Media – all platforms that can be identified as social
networking, microblogging, video sharing, and social
bookmarking
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Platform – individual social media
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Social Media in Higher Education
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Create important & meaningful ways for students to connect
with faculty & staff
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Make education & social resources of the institution more
accessible to students
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Supplement more traditional ways of communicating
information to students (email, website, posters,
presentations)
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Enable students to become more engaged & connected to
their educational experience
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Why is a strategy important?
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An implementation is never effective unless users know WHY
they are using technology. (Joosten, 2012)
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How does it fit with the mission of your office, division, and/or
university?
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Help justify human and financial resources invested
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To show how you can better connect with and serve your
“customer.”
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Strategy Questions to Answer
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What is your goal/purpose/intended outcome?
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What is already happening on your campus or in related
offices?
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Who is your intended audience and what platforms are they
using already?
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Is there someone, or group of people, who can dedicate time
learning the platform and using it on a daily basis?
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What are you already doing and are you doing it well?
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How will you assess if you’ve achieved your goal(s)?
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What is your
goal/purpose/intended outcome?
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Why do you want to use social media?
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Students come first, not the platform
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Have the office (and/or decision makers) on board – share
research or other tangible evidence
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Learn about the platforms and the impact each could have
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What is already happening on your
campus or in related offices?
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Existing social media policy
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Connect with others doing social media
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If there are certain platforms that are successful & fit with
your goals, make sure you have a presence.
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Who is your intended audience and
what platforms are they using already?
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Intended audience examples: students/clients, employers,
community
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What platforms are they using? Start with these platforms.
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Social media allows us to connect with students, staff, faculty,
and other audiences in new & engaging ways
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Takes time to build and engage with audience
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can dedicate time learning the platform and
using it on a daily basis?
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Who will do it?
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Is it an extra duty on top of everything they are already doing
or is it being swapped out with something else?
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Are students who work for you delivering the information? If
so, make sure to train them!
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How often?
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Each platform requires different timing and potentially different
content (or the same content being presented in different ways)
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May need to post weekly, daily, or multiple times a day
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What are you already doing and
are you doing it well?
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Do current methods fit with your goal?
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Best to improve before adding more
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Ideas of how to assess current methods
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Survey your audience – What do they want?
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Evaluate statistics such as followers, likes, clicks, or repins
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How active are you?
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What type of information is being shared?
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Are you interactive with audience? If so, how?
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How will you assess if you’ve
achieved your goal(s)?
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What do you want to know?
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What metrics are supplied by the platforms in use?
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Do they provide the information you’re wanting to know?
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If not, seek out other methods of assessment.
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Your definition of success/goal achievement will be unique
to your office/institution.
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Review, tweak, implement, repeat
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Platform Example - Facebook
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Platform Example - LinkedIn
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Platform Example - Twitter
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Platform Examples - Pinterest
Other boards include: Words of Inspiration, Career/Internship Tips, Books
Worth Reading, Internship programs, Dress for Success-Women, Dress for
Success-Men, Infographics
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Platform Example - Blog
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Platform Example - YouTube
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Tips & Best Practices
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Measure success in interactions and engagement
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Quality over quantity
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Use your chosen platforms. Everyday.
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Connect with other offices on campus to cross-promote and
to learn from
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Also connect with like offices on different campuses
Designate a person (or team of people) to be responsible for
the social media strategy
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Include students when possible
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Resources
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Dalton, J.C., & Crosby, P.C. (2013). Digital identity: How social media are
influencing student learning and development in college. Journal of
College & Character, 14, 1-4. doi: 10.1515/jcc-2013-0001
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Joosten, T. (2012). Social media for educators: Strategies and best
practices. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
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Joosten, T., Pasquini, L., & Harness, L. (2013). Guiding social media at our
institutions. Planning for Higher Education, 41,(2), 1-11. Retrieved from
http://techknowtools.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/guiding-socialmedia-at-our-institutions-article/
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Kruger, K. (2013). The new normal: Social networking and student affairs.
Journal of College & Character, 14, 31-38. doi: 10.1515/jcc-2013-0005
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Paperclip Communications (2011). Student affairs strategic
communications [video webcast]
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Stoller, E. (2013). Our shared future: Social media, leadership,
vulnerability, and digital identity. Journal of College & Character, 14, 5-10.
doi: 10.1515/jcc-2013-0002
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Any Questions?