With 96% of U.S. college students on Facebook, it’s easy to conclude this social media platform can be an effective communications tool within our education system. This case study shows how Salter>Mitchell created a new Facebook app to connect with college students.

1. Get Social: Connecting with
Students Online
Heidi Otway, APR
Director of PR and Social Media
117 S. Gadsden Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301 | 850.681.3200

2. About Salter>Mitchell
Clients
SalterMitchell won the
2010 Dick Pope
All Florida Grand Image
Award from the
Florida Public Relations
Association

3. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research

6. How We Made a Social Connection
with Students Online

7. Case Study: Campus Connection
Salter>Mitchell needed to
created a unique, “upstream”
social marketing intervention to
prevent suicide on college and
university campuses.

8. The transition to college can be tough
• Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for all
youths ages 10 to 24.*
• Completions rise sharply at ages 20-24.*
• Studies show as many as half of college
students have contemplated suicide.**
* Florida Vital Statistics Annual Report 2000-2006, Table D-11.
** Drum, David J. et al, New Data on the Nature of Suicidal Crises in College
Students: Shifting the Paradigm, American Psychological Association, Vol.
40, No. 3, 213–222, 2009

9. What is our audience shopping for?
It’s actually pretty simple:
 To connect
 Not to look stupid
 To meet like-minded people
 Not to be lonely

10. Our
approach:
Make
connecting
on campus
easier

11. Web portal
allows non-
Facebook
users to
participate

12. Case Study: Pilot Project at UNF

13. Interrupt

14. Interact:
One Stop
Shop to
make a
campus
connection!

15. Engage

16. Evaluate

17. Get Social…
…Interrupt, Interact, Engage

18. Let’s Connect
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/heidiotway
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/heidotway
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/heidiotway
Email:
Heidi.Otway@SalterMitchell.com