Presentation delivered by William Gaultier, CEO of e-storm and Kendra Losee, Vice Chancellor of Marketing for National University System on develop a strategic social media plan based on research with students, senior management, competitors. A true way to get more strategic about social media beyond the tactics. e-storm has developed this strategic framework for ebates.com, sutter home, microsoft, pleo and many other organizations. Enjoy! and let us know what you think?

1. Walk Before You Run - What to Do Before Your
University Embraces Social Media
Presented to
AMA HIGHER
EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
2010
San Diego, California

2. Agenda
• Typical Social Media LifeCycle
• Social Media Audit – How to get your
organization onboard
• Staffing/Resources
• Content
• Tactical Implementation
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3. Timelines and phases
The Social Media Lifecycle
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4. Social Media Lifecycle
Audit
and
Analysis
Refine Strategy
and and
Integrate Social Planning
Media
Marketing
Objectives
Listen Develop
and and
Grow Deploy
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5. 24 month Social Media Framework
Promote university curriculum
Month 15
Open Education
Leverage mobile and online solutions to further connect
students with university services
Month 12 Student Tools
Sustained growth and retention in internal and external
communities Staff Adoption /
Month 9 Community Growth
To develop or not develop a behind-the-firewall
community for students,
alumni, faculty and admin Month 6 Online Community
Create a virtual community via popular social media
platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc)
Month 1 Social Media Brand Development
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6. Building the Foundation for Success
The Social Media Audit
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7. Social Media Audit – Purpose
IDENTIFY social media platforms in use by Your University
stakeholders, competitors, students, alumni
ANALYZE trends of social media in Higher Education
DISCOVER existing conversations about your University, your
competitors, the space you compete in – frequency and tonality –
and best methods of engagement
ALIGN social media planning efforts with all online marketing
activities
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8. Why a Social Media Audit
• Outcome of a Social Media audit will help:
– Determine a “built-to-fit” rollout strategy
– Accurately position your programs to the right stakeholders
– Ensure consistency in message
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9. Step 1 – The Right Tools for the Job
• Have a social media analytics tool do the heavy lifting
– e.g. ScoutLabs, Attentio, Listen Logic, Meteor, Radian6, eCairn,
Sysomos
• Set up queries to track:
– Your University’s brand terms, top 30 SEO terms
– Your University’s top 15-20 popular degrees/courses
– Competitors (who competes “traditionally” and “online”)
• Use findings as a quantitative baseline
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10. Step 2 – Interview Various Stakeholders
• Assess internal awareness and potential of social media
• Interview university admin at every level
– Can they be your social media workforce?
– From web developers up to chancellor
• Interview professors
– Do they use social media in the classroom?
– Spread efforts across adjunct, assistant and tenured faculty
• Interview students and alumni
– Do they use social media to connect with fellow students/alumni?
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11. Step 3 – Analyze the Conversations
• Where are your stakeholders, competitors, students, alumni,
industry engaging in conversations online?
• Review information gathered to develop:
– 5 low hanging fruit activities (immediate to 3 months)
• Outline the rationale and expected results
– 5 mid term activities (3-12 months)
– 5 long term activities (over 1 year)
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12. Step 4 – Develop Your Strategy
• Use findings to establish your “Day 0” situation, and to
develop strategies for:
– Staffing
– Content Development
– Engagement
– Measurement
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13. Ensuring resources are aligned
Staffing Strategy
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14. Social Media Team – Hire in Phases
Community Manager
Liaison between the “external” university and “internal” stakeholders
Content Manager
Develops engaging content for communities
Platform Manager
Manages architecture of Your University community
Director of Social Media
Oversees all your social media activity
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15. Social Media Team – Ideal Structure Stage I
Community
Reports directly to Marketing
manager
Internal Third-party Influencer
Domain of responsibility Community? channels Channels
(if applicable)
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16. Social Media Team – Ideal Structure Stage II
Director of
Reports directly to Marketing Social Media
Reports to Director of Social Community Platform Content
Media manager Developer manager
Internal Third-
Community? Writers Producers
Domain of responsibility party, influe
(if applicable ncer channels
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17. Expected relationship with other teams
Communications/PR Department of IT
Director of Social Media
Content Manager Community Manager Platform Manager
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18. Developing actionable content
Content Strategy
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19. Content Strategy – What is it?
“Content strategy plans for the
creation, publication, and
governance of useful, usable
content.”
– A List Apart, The Discipline of Content Strategy
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20. What kind of content is there?
Promotional Informational Educational Social
• University and program • University news • Class material, university • Content generated by
overviews, promotional releases, campus events non-commissioned
student testimonials updates, media students and faculty
interviews with faculty
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21. Purpose of Content Strategy
• Ensure sustainable brand development
• Provide internal/external stakeholders with means
to engage with the brand
• Ultimately, actionable and engaging content will
help your university with its core marketing
objectives of:
– Student retention
– Brand awareness
– Student acquisition
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22. Typical Content Channels
Proprietary
Website: University.edu, Student Portal, etc.
Community: Landing Page, Internal Community,
Blog
Third-party
Media Sharing: YouTube, Flickr, iTunes University
Social Networks: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yelp
Influencers
Websites: RateMyProfessors, Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers
Public opinion: General public, Bloggers, Tweeters
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23. Content Strategy – Initial Steps?
• Develop a social landing page
• Create social media style guide
• Begin monitoring and engaging through third-party/influencer channels
with content and information
– Higher Education Review sites
– General Review sites
– Social Networks and Communities
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24. Ensuring brand consistency
Monitoring your online perception
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25. HigherEd Review Sites – A Few Examples
SITE SUMMARY METHODOLOGY
College Prowler University review site Editors (self-appointed and
for prospective college students) provide reviews
students
GetEducated Online EDU comparison Tuition costs are the basis
site of most ratings, coupled
with reviews from public
(which are sparse
throughout)
Rate My Professors Most popular professor Students rate professors on
rating service various criteria
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26. HigherEd Review Sites – A Few Sources (cont’d)
SITE SUMMARY METHODOLOGY
Student Reviews Student-run survey- Students rate universities
focused college review through surveys,
site questionnaires and
comments
TheUniversityReview Review site for students Universities are given
and alumni report cards based on
rating of various criteria
Unigo Relatively new college “Insider scoops” are
search portal complemented by
editorialized profiles and
reviews
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27. General Review Sites – A Few Sources
SITE SUMMARY METHODOLOGY
Answers.com Community-driven Q&A Peer-to-peer question and
site, with editorial answers
pages
CitySearch Online city guide, Similar to Yelp, local
providing reviews of students provide ratings
local businesses and reviews of campus
education
Epinions One of the first general Individuals offer ratings,
consumer reviews sites pros vs. cons, and personal
reviews
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28. General Review Sites – A Few Sources
SITE SUMMARY METHODOLOGY
Wikipedia Largest Internet Community contributors
community and editors oversee the
encyclopedia site
Yahoo! Answers Community-driven Peer-to-peer question
Q&A site and answer, with best
answers voted by others
Yelp Largest local search Individuals rate and
and reviews site review businesses
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29. Content, Strategy, Measurement – What Next?
Developing the Plans
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30. Content Creation – University Blog
Immediate Q1 Q2
Week 1 Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4
Activity • Issue call for • Create private •Brainstorm • Integration with • Launch with first
participation blog on hosted or editorial topics university.edu batch of 8-10
among faculty internal platform • Final blog design • Commission posts
and staff • Construct complete pool of 20 generic • Determine
• Develop blog wireframes and blog posts feasibility of
strategy and plan integration plan individual faculty
• Formulate • Invite all faculty and student blogs
blogging to familiarize with
guidelines, platform
training
Milestones • 10 confirmed • 30 general blog • 20 general blog • 2 new blog posts
faculty and post topics posts ready for per week
administration queued, outlined publishing • 10 additional
bloggers confirmed bloggers
Resources / •Marketing • Marketing •Marketing • 3 faculty (5 hrs) • Content mgr
(expected • IT • 3 admin (5 hrs) (30%)
monthly • Content mgr • Community mgr
bandwidth) (20%) (10%)
• Community mgr
(20%)
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31. Content Management –Proprietary Channels
Immediate Q1 Q2
Week 1 Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4
Social Media • Develop • Deploy landing • Include Student • Transition • Promote blog
landing page wireframe page Commons (if landing page
applicable elements into
/appropriate) university.edu
homepage
University.edu • Create high- • Deploy • Deploy social • Integrate
level sitemap for refreshed minimal sharing features relevant posts
integrating social social presence across into various
elements on homepage university.edu university.edu
(RSS, social pages
bookmarks, etc) • Begin evaluating
“social layer”
solutions
Resources / •Marketing •Marketing •Marketing •Platform mgr • Platform mgr
(expected •IT (40%) (20%)
monthly
bandwidth)
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32. Thank You!
William Gaultier Kendra Losee
CEO Associate Vice Chancellor
e-storm international National University System
Tel.: +1-415-352-1214 Tel: +1-858-642-8650
william@e-storm.com klosee@nu.edu
www.e-storm.com www.nusystem.org
twitter.com/wgaultier
linkedin.com/in/williamgaultier
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