The document discusses using social media in the post-secondary education context. It describes Laurentian University's growth over the past decade in terms of enrollment, rankings, and new programs. It then outlines key takeaways about using social media to define a university's brand voice and value proposition, expanding its network to key audiences like alumni and future students, and using social media for government relations. Specific advice addresses creating social media communities, resources for policy, governance structure, actively listening and monitoring conversations, and acting strategically on social media to facilitate conversations.

1. Social Media in the
PSE Context
Joanne Musico & Jean-Paul Rains

2. Having a story to tell
• One of fastest-growing universities in Canada, enrolment up from 6,000 to
close to 10,000 in past decade
• Jumped seven places in Maclean‟s university rankings in the past two
years, the highest increase of any Canadian university
• Maclean‟s: one of three Canadian universities “on the radar”
• Globe and Mail: “Laurentian has buzz”; “Sudbury: the unlikely magnet for
global education”
• Canada‟s newest medical school, upcoming school of architecture
• Mining, forensic science programs receiving international attention
• Planning for new campus in Barrie
• New strategic plan, academic plan

3. Key takeaways
1. Your brand‟s voice and value proposition
2. Expanding your social network with key audiences
3. Government Relations through Social Media

4. Your Brand’s Voice and Value Proposition
• What are the qualifiers of your brand‟s voice?
• Who are you speaking to?
– How can you best reach those audiences?
• What do you perceive your value to be?
– Does that value differ from your audience‟s perceived value?

5. Your Brand’s Voice and Value Proposition
• Enabling your internal community to share the voice
– Creating your Social Media Community
• Approaching policy and resourcing
– Our „Handbook‟
– Resources for policy creation
• Governance structure
– Collaborative
– Building capacity over building approval structures

6. Athletics
Community
Community Manager
Future
Alumni Manager Students
Student Part-Time
Bloggers Student
Student
Success

7. Expanding your network with key audiences
• Social Network should reflect your stakeholder network
• Move beyond your immediate followers
• Actively listening
• Knowing when to act and when to observe

8. Expanding your network with key audiences
• Social Network should reflect your stakeholder network
– Does your Twitter account follow these stakeholders?
• Move beyond your immediate followers
– Who is influencing your stakeholders?

9. Expanding your network with key audiences
• Actively listening
– Monitoring tools
– Twitter Search
– IceRocket.com

10. Expanding your network with key audiences
• Knowing when to act and when to observe
Pride
Venting
Question
Community Manager

11. GR through Social Media
• The art of the Alley-Oop, on Twitter
• Strategic Tweets and striking the political balance
• Sharing Networks and the power of your Re-Tweet
• Being a conduit for conversation

12. The art of the GR through Social Media
• The art of the Alley-Oop, on Twitter
• Strategic Tweets and striking the political balance

13. GR through Social Media
• Sharing Networks and the power of your Re-Tweet
• Being a conduit for conversation

14. Thank you, merci!
QUESTIONS?