How Social Networks are Changing College Marketing, PR, and Alumni Relations Dan Forbush NAICU Public Relations Academy February 1, 2009

Evolution of Computers in Marketing Communications 1970s IBM Memory Typewriter Early 1980s Desktop Publishing Mid 1980s CompuServe Late1980s Email / Listservs Mid 1990s Static Web Late 1990s Dynamic Web Mid 2000s Social Web Late 2000s Mobile Web Mid 2020s Neural Web We’re Here

1970s IBM Memory Typewriter

Early 1980s Desktop Publishing

Mid 1980s CompuServe

Late1980s Email / Listservs

Mid 1990s Static Web

Late 1990s Dynamic Web

Mid 2000s Social Web

Late 2000s Mobile Web

Mid 2020s Neural Web

2009: Our Expanding Digital World Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Basecamp Box.net Slideshare MySpace ITunes Flickr iGoogle Blogs Podcasts Wikis

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

LinkedIn

Basecamp

Box.net

Slideshare

MySpace

ITunes

Flickr

iGoogle

Blogs

Podcasts

Wikis

The 2008 Presidential Race

Main Obama Facebook Page

Obama’s YouTube Channel

Obama’s LinkedIn Group

Obama in Twitter

‘ Obama Everywhere’

OrganizingforAmerica.com

‘ Barack Obama won the presidency in a landslide victory by converting everyday people into engaged volunteers, donors and advocates through social networks, email advocacy, text messaging and online video.’ Michael Krempasky EVP, Digital Public Affairs Edelman Obama’s Achievement

‘ Barack Obama won the presidency in a landslide victory by converting everyday people into engaged volunteers, donors and advocates through social networks, email advocacy, text messaging and online video.’

Michael Krempasky

EVP, Digital Public Affairs

Edelman

Why Our Use of Social Networks is Exploding* They enable us to manage large extended networks more effectively They provide information about others that serves as a ‘social lubricant,’ making it easy to interact They give us new ways to connect with one another over shared interests, problems, or experiences, and to mobilize coordinated actions * Nicole Ellison, Michigan State University ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008

They enable us to manage large extended networks more effectively

They provide information about others that serves as a ‘social lubricant,’ making it easy to interact

They give us new ways to connect with one another over shared interests, problems, or experiences, and to mobilize coordinated actions

In Higher Education “ Social networking sites (SNSs) like Facebook and MySpace now constitute an integral part of the daily communications practices for many students. For those of us in higher education, it is particularly important to understand SNS practices, outcomes and motivations for use because these sites are fundamentally changing the social fabric of the university … “ Nicole Ellison Michigan State University ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008

“ Social networking sites (SNSs) like Facebook and MySpace

now constitute an integral part of the daily communications

practices for many students. For those of us in higher education,

it is particularly important to understand SNS practices, outcomes

and motivations for use because these sites are fundamentally

changing the social fabric of the university … “

Nicole Ellison

Michigan State University

ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008

Social Networks Are Transforming PR, Marketing and Alumni Relations Because: They’re interactive, engaging and ‘viral’ They powerfully support ‘word of mouth’ They’re merging with conventional Web sites They’re the future

They’re interactive, engaging and ‘viral’

They powerfully support ‘word of mouth’

They’re merging with conventional Web sites

They’re the future

Inauguration Day

What’s Your Social Networking Strategy?

What’s Your

Social Networking

Strategy?

At Skidmore We see the introduction of a Skidmore-managed social network as our best hope for strengthening our connections with young alumni

We see the introduction of a Skidmore-managed social network as our best hope for strengthening our connections with young alumni

Why Do We Need to? Caller ID Screening: Annual fund callers now must make 16 calls for every live connection Revenues from Calls are Declining: From $260,000 in 2005 to $110,000 in 2008 Renewed Focus on Volunteers: Personal contacts by peers are key

Caller ID Screening: Annual fund callers now must make 16 calls for every live connection

Revenues from Calls are Declining: From $260,000 in 2005 to $110,000 in 2008

Renewed Focus on Volunteers: Personal contacts by peers are key

New Capabilities the New ‘Skidmore Network’ Must Offer Enable alumni to easily network by professional groups Enable alumni to easily network by affinity groups Enable alumni to post electronic class notes And…

Enable alumni to easily network by professional groups

Enable alumni to easily network by affinity groups

Enable alumni to post electronic class notes

And…

Alumni must be able to access the new Skidmore Network using their Facebook user name and password

Why Facebook?

By Surveying Our Alumni, We Learned: Twice as many Skidmore alumni use Facebook as MySpace 79 percent of alumni who use Facebook say they use it daily The more experienced with Facebook a Skidmore alumnus/a is, the less likely he or she is to join a Skidmore-managed network

Twice as many Skidmore alumni use Facebook

as MySpace

79 percent of alumni who use Facebook say

they use it daily

The more experienced with Facebook a Skidmore

alumnus/a is, the less likely he or she is to join

a Skidmore-managed network

Here’s What They’re Telling Us ‘ W h y reinvent the wheel? Facebook and Linkedin are sophisticated sites with lots of resources. Skidmore won't be able to duplicate their service.’ ‘ Who needs to remember another password?’ ‘ Yo u need to go where people are, not expect them to come to you.’

‘ W h y reinvent the wheel? Facebook and Linkedin are sophisticated sites with lots of resources. Skidmore won't be able to duplicate their service.’

‘ Who needs to remember another password?’

‘ Yo u need to go where people are, not expect them to come to you.’

What Makes Facebook So ‘Sticky’ ?

‘ Friending’

Content-Sharing

Content-Sharing

Content-Sharing

Content-Sharing

News Feed (mine)

News Feed (all friends)

Interactions Galore (50,000 Applications)

Facebook Pages Institutional voice No ads Visible to all – no login needed Link Event pages to it Listserv function - Blog function - Discussion topics - Share photos and videos Pull in videos from YouTube ‘ Fans’ can connect with each other And more … Ideal for creating niche communities

Institutional voice

No ads

Visible to all – no login needed

Link Event pages to it

Listserv function

- Blog function

- Discussion topics

- Share photos and videos

Pull in videos from YouTube

‘ Fans’ can connect with each

other

And more …

Measurement Facebook’s ‘Insight’ tool enables you to analyze traffic to your Page by any of the following: Wall Posts Video Plays New Fans Audio Plays Fans Photo Views Unique Views Discussion Topics Page Views

Facebook’s ‘Insight’ tool enables you to analyze traffic to your Page by any of the following:

Page Views

Fans

Creating a Niche Community in Facebook

Creating a Niche Community A Q&A An Alumnus Q&A YouTube video

An Alumnus Q&A

YouTube video

Creating a Niche Community ‘ Notes’ is like a blog ‘ Notes’ is like a blog

Creating a Niche Community Alumni profiles

Creating a Niche Community Alumnus MySpace Page

Key Goals in Skidmore Network Create an application that enables alums in any profession to create and maintain profiles of themselves in a Facebook community directly relevant to their interests Link these profiles to their profiles in Skidmore’s alumni database so they can easily update key information

Create an application that enables alums in any profession to create and maintain profiles of themselves in a Facebook community directly relevant to their interests

Link these profiles to their profiles in Skidmore’s alumni database so they can easily update key information

Would You Like to Partner with Us ? Let’s develop the architecture for an ideal alumni community in Facebook and share the development costs! Write or call me: [email_address] 518-580-5746

Let’s develop the architecture for an ideal alumni community in Facebook and share the development costs!

Write or call me:

[email_address]

518-580-5746

Facebook Connect will be in key in this

Facebook Connect

will be in key in this

Facebook Connect ‘ We believe the next evolution of data portability is about much more than data. It's about giving users the ability to take their identity and friends with them around the Web, while being able to trust that their information is always up to date and always protected by their privacy settings.’ Facebook May 9, 2008

‘ We believe the next evolution of data portability is about much more than data. It's about giving users the ability to take their identity and friends with them around the Web, while being able to trust that their information is always up to date and always protected by their privacy settings.’

Facebook

May 9, 2008

How It Works Developers may add Facebook’s ‘rich social context’ to their own websites Users may connect their Facebook account to any partner website for ‘single sign-on’ Users may take their profile information with them wherever they go on the Web Users may take their friends with them wherever they go on the Web

Developers may add Facebook’s ‘rich social context’ to their own websites

Users may connect their Facebook account to any partner website for ‘single sign-on’

Users may take their profile information with them wherever they go on the Web

Users may take their friends with them wherever they go on the Web

New Forms of Facebook-enabled Public Dialog: Two Examples

New Forms of

Facebook-enabled

Public Dialog:

Two Examples

Facebook Connect With CNN.com

Facebook Connect With CNN Forum

An Example from Higher Ed Ithaca College: Facebook Connect With iModules

Facebook Connect with iModules’ ‘Encompass’* Connects member identity and content in their Ithaca College alumni community directly to Facebook. Event registrations, class notes, and online donations can be published on a member’s Facebook News Feed. *Thanks to Ithaca’s Julie Doherty for the screenshots that follow

Connects member identity and content in their Ithaca College alumni community directly to Facebook.

Event registrations, class notes, and online donations can be published on a member’s Facebook News Feed.

Single Sign-on Visitors to the alumni community with a Facebook account can associate their identity with a member record in the alumni site. Once successful, the accounts are “connected” and the member can choose to login with either their community or Facebook username and password in the future.

Visitors to the alumni community with a Facebook account can associate their identity with a member record in the alumni site.

Once successful, the accounts are “connected” and the member can choose to login with either their community or Facebook username and password in the future.

Single Sign-on Login page includes the “Connect with Facebook” button

Login page includes the “Connect with Facebook” button

Single Sign-on Clicking on the Facebook button invokes this login dialog box

Clicking on the Facebook button invokes this login dialog box

Single Sign-on Page allowing member to “link” the two accounts

Single Sign-on Successfully logged in, pulling picture and name from Facebook

Successfully logged in, pulling picture and name from Facebook

News Feed Propagation When visitors, logged in via Facebook Connect, interact with an enabled form, they are presented with a dialog box. Visitors may elect to propagate their activity into their Facebook News Feed or not.

When visitors, logged in via Facebook Connect, interact with an enabled form, they are presented with a dialog box.

Visitors may elect to propagate their activity into their Facebook News Feed or not.

News Feed Propagation Confirmation step of an event with a “Share on Facebook” button

Confirmation step of an event with a “Share on Facebook” button

News Feed Propagation Dialog box confirming publication to Facebook News Feed

Dialog box confirming publication to Facebook News Feed

News Feed Propagation Facebook News Feed including alumni web site member activity

Facebook News Feed including alumni web site member activity

There’s a Lot You Can Do To Strengthen Your Institution’s Visibility in Facebook Itself – for Free!

We’ve Launched a Series of Facebook Pages and Groups Skidmore Alumni Class of 2013 Alumni in Digital Media Skidmore Musicians Online Skidmore Global We’ve told alumni we’ll help them create their own

We’ve Created ‘Skidmore Interactive’ To Bring It All Together This is our ‘home page for Skidmore’s online communities’ It’s the core of our social network

We Embarked on a Graphic Identity Program in Facebook. Here’s our Main Alumni Group.

Our Career Services Page

Our Class of 2013 Page

Our ‘Online Musicians’ Group

We Produced a Special Issue of Our Magazine: ‘Digital Skidmore’

We Inserted a Four-Page Promotion: ‘Making Friends with the Web’ Our objective was to build alumni audiences in Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube and to begin a serious discussion about a Skidmore-managed social network

Plus: We’ve created a team of student Facebook contributors We’ve brought our entire Alumni Board into an ‘Alumni Board’ group in Facebook We’ve created an alumni social networking advisory group

We’ve created a team of student Facebook contributors

We’ve brought our entire Alumni Board into an ‘Alumni Board’ group in Facebook

We’ve created an alumni social networking advisory group

‘ Laddering’ Support through Tiers of Engagement* *Edelman Personal Create a profile, post a comment, make a donation, sign up for email, ‘friend’ a classmate Social Post pictures or videos, write a blog post, join a discussion or group, post a class note Advocate Recruit others to donate, host an event, create a group

Challenges Resistance to Facebook among faculty and colleagues Mastering new technologies and genres Finding comfortable blend of one’s personal and professional persona Figuring out how to play the role of ‘community manager’

Resistance to Facebook among faculty and colleagues

Mastering new technologies and genres

Finding comfortable blend of one’s personal and professional persona

Figuring out how to play the role of ‘community manager’

Role of Community Manager Establish goals, develop strategy and monitor progress Master the new tools and teach others Keep content fresh Generate and promote the ‘conversation’ Serve as the institution’s visible, interactive representative in social spaces Develop and extend ‘online persona’

Establish goals, develop strategy and monitor progress

Master the new tools and teach others

Keep content fresh

Generate and promote the ‘conversation’

Serve as the institution’s visible, interactive representative in social spaces

Develop and extend ‘online persona’

Aspects of Your ‘Online Persona’ Your profile content: photo, bio, photo collections, videos Your friends The nature of content you post The ‘voice’ with which you post Your privacy settings

Your profile content: photo, bio, photo collections, videos

Your friends

The nature of content you post

The ‘voice’ with which you post

Your privacy settings

My Facebook Profile

Other Networks, Sites, and Smart Approaches

Twitter.com

Tinyurl.com

Twitter feed

Yammer

Basecamp

BigThink

Google Maps ‘Mashup’ at Colgate

Box.net

Slideshare

The Vatican on YouTube

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