BEYOND LIKES
TOWARDS ENGAGEMENT
Connecting with Students via Social Technology
with Dr. @PaulGordonBrown
CONNECT
DALLAS, TX 2016

So who is this guy?
@paulgordonbrown

Research
Impact of social and digital
technology on college student’s
concepts of self.
Presentations
- Be. Act. Do. Digital Leadership.
- Digital Social Justice
- What Every Digital #SApro
Should Do
- Engaging With Students
Online and With Social Media
@paulgordonbrown

#Connect16
This session is Twitter-friendly.
@paulgordonbrown

Goals for this session.
Participants will be able to:
1. Recall macro-level trends in social media adoption and use by
college students
2. Describe real-world examples of ways social media have been
effective or ineffective at engaging students and why.
3. Recognize shifts necessary in current marketing/engagement
practices for the effective use of social media tools.
4. Utilize specific strategies learned from the presenters and
peers in their own practice and contexts.

Outline.
Social Media Trends
Content Examples
Divisional Example
Best Practices
Small Group Strategizing
Q&A

broadcasting

engagement

technology is a
TOOL

technology
is also a
CONTEXT

You don’t
Expert
have to be an

You might
“STEP IN IT”

89%
of adults 18-29 years old use social media
67%
access it on mobile
98%
of adults ages 18-29 are on the internet
70
70
70
43%
60%
89%
65+
50-64
30-49
70
78% 18-29
social media use
by age
(Brenner, 2013; Brenner & Smith, 2013; Pew Internet Project, n.d.)
younger generations
are using the internet,
social media, and mobile
technologies at a high rate

Social Media Trends.

0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
23
3437
53
87
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
18-29 year olds
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104

0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Age comparison
18-29 yo
65+ yo
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104

0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Household income comparison
Less than 30k/yr
More than 75k/yr30k-
30k-
75k+
75k+
75k+
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104

0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Race comparison
White Hispanic
Black
Black
Black
Black
White
White
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104

0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Sex comparison
Men Women
Women
Women
Men
Women
Men
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104

Content Examples.

Outcomes
1. Develop relationships with your students
2. Develop community
3. Model appropriate online behavior
4. Customer service
5. Marketing and information sharing
6. Reading student culture/discourse

Boston College

Outcomes1. Point out hurtful comments and
problematic behavior.
2. Describe the negative effects of hurtful
comments on target groups.
3. Modify their own behavior.
4. Create a more welcoming campus
climate.
5. Encourage student action.

Divisional Example.

Communication
Infrastructure

http://bit.ly/bsusmguide15

http://bit.ly/bsurccsmjd

integrated marketing
team managers
Kath Bukis
Print Shop Manager
Chloe Corsi
Manager
Catherine O’Malley
BSUlife.com Editor in Chief
Jessica Laudati
Design Team Manager
Emily Cohn
Video Team Manager
Laura Lawton
Social Media Manager
5 5 7
5 6 2

http://bit.ly/bsusmmarketingworksheet

Outcomes
1. Provide proper infrastructure for
sustainability.
2. Determine social media’s role in overall
division/department communication
strategies.
3. Educate departments using one
divisional approach as a guide.
4. Utilize student staff to actualize strategy.
(Staff)

Best practices.

istock / getty images
Centralized Decentralized
or Hybrid Model

istock / getty images
Administrative Support?
Campus Partners?

Who’s your audience?

All students?

A sub-population?

Parents?

Alumni?

Stakeholders?

Who’s your audience?

What’s your G.I.F.T.?
Modified from Gross, L. (2014). How to manage social media in higher education. http://lizgross.net/ebook/

GoalModified from Gross, 2014

Be helpful?
Be a champion?
Provide information?
Modified from Gross, 2014

Identity
?
Modified from Gross, 2014

?
The royal “we?”
Do we know who you are?
Or is it a persona?
Modified from Gross, 2014

Formality
Modified from Gross, 2014

LOL ! "
Thank you for your inquiry.
¯_( )_/¯
Modified from Gross, 2014

Tone
Modified from Gross, 2014

Playful?
Sarcastic?
Authoritative?
Modified from Gross, 2014

What’s your G.I.F.T.?
Modified from Gross, L. (2014). How to manage social media in higher education. http://lizgross.net/ebook/
Goal
Identity
Formality
Tone

CONTENT IS KING

Who’s
content?
developing your

Matrix
Topic Examples %
ModifiedfromGross,2014

Topic Examples %
Leadership
Articles
Found on the Web; Added to our blog from
student class assignments
40%
Highlights
Profiles of staff, student leaders, and highlights
of student organizations
30%
Pride Photos Photos of our mascot, photos from events 10%
Deadlines
Informational: org fair sign-ups, last day of
classes, last day to drop classes
20%
Modified from Gross, 2014

Small Group Strategizing

some things to
thinkabout

it takes
TIME

Be consistent
Be dedicated

social media
is NOT
required
EVERY
time
@paulgordonbrown

Resources.

.com

@paulgordonbrown
www.paulgordonbrown.com
paulgordonbrown@gmail.com