The document discusses SUNY Oswego's strategy of using student stories and content to help prospective students learn about the university. It outlines their goals of improving lives rather than just focusing on marketing. To achieve this, they empower current students like Alyssa Levenberg to create blog posts and videos sharing their experiences to help incoming students find their passion and make informed decisions. They provide coaching and feedback to help students succeed in telling relatable stories without focusing on likes, followers or going viral for its own sake.

1. Student stories and
content strategy:
‘Alyssa Explains It All’
to prospective students
Tim Nekritz, Assoc Dir of Public Affairs/Director of Web Communication
Alyssa Levenberg, junior communication major/web star
SUNY Oswego

2. Uncomfortable truth #1
If all your goals are
marketing goals,
you’re doing it wrong.
Shameless cute child photo insertion

3. Awesome truth #1
We’re in the business of
improving lives!

4. Goals before tools
•Address institutional/strategic
communication goals
•Help users find info they want
•Help our students find their
passion and purpose

5. “I WANT A FACEBOOK!”
is not a goal

6. “I WANT MORE
FOLLOWERS THAN OUR
RIVAL SCHOOL!”
is not a goal

7. “I WANT TO MAKE A
VIRAL VIDEO!”
is not a goal

8. Institutional/strategic goals
•Recruitment
•Transition
•Retention
•Involvement
•Well-being
•Student success

9. Uncomfortable truth #2
You can’t control everything,
especially the Internet

10. Awesome truth #2
You and your students can
create just about anything
amazing on the Internet!

11. But how?
We don’t “manage” students.
We empower them.
We ask them to tell stories.

12. Think like a coach

13. What skills do you want?

14. Actively recruit

15. Put them in position to succeed

16. Think in terms of depth

17. Let them play

18. Our rule
We don’t approve blog posts.
We approve bloggers!

19. Uncomfortable truth #3
Audiences generally don’t care
about our mission statement or
org chart.

20. Awesome truth #3
Incoming students love to hear
from current students!

21. Win/win feedback
We coordinate, monitor and
solicit feedback from incoming
students (FB2018).
That info informs videos, blog
posts, web content decisions.

22. Blogging evolution

23. Alyssa Explains It All

24. Your questions, Part I

25. Being yourself

26. Class of 2018: School colors

27. Video blogging: Please do
• Pick a topic that is relatable.
• -Partying and drink responsibly.
• Add your own experiences and stories.
• Look good! Dress nice, have space and good
lighting.
• Be yourself!

28. Video blogging: Please don’t
• Talk too much about one thing.
• Be over dramatic.
• Have distractions: noises, people, dim lighting.
• Never say anything negative.

30. Take heart: We’re all learning
“We’re so keenly aware of every
little mistake that we’re not at all
aware of the overall progress
we’re making.”
-- Chris Thile of Punch Brothers
“How to Grow a Band”

31. Questions?

32. Thanks for listening!
• Email: tim.nekritz@oswego.edu
• Twitter: @timnekritz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/tim.nekritz
• Alyssa Levenberg: @LyssLyss15
• http://www.youtube.com/imdaddyslittlegi
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