Andrew Careaga presented on social media strategies for universities. He discussed defining social media and its objectives, not just as a marketing channel. Careaga outlined Missouri University of Science and Technology's social media strategy of extending its reach online through relationship building and providing additional communication channels. He provided tips for creating a social media strategy including defining goals, audiences, and key performance indicators and emphasizing organic content over programmed posts.

1. Social media:
the road ahead
Leadership Phelps County
Andrew Careaga – Missouri S&T Communications
June 12, 2014
Image by Jason Howie
(www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie)

2. The only note
you’ll need to
take today:
www.slideshare.net/andrewcareaga
Image by Jason Howie
(www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie)

3. Digital selfie
 Director of Communications at
Missouri S&T since 2004 (on S&T staff
since 1991)
 Journalism background
 Co-manage university’s social media
presence
 Twitter & Facebook <- mainly
 YouTube, Instagram, Flickr, LinkedIn
 Blogger (Higher Ed Marketing –
andrewcareaga.wordpress.com)
 Twitter fanatic (@andrewcareaga)
 Tweeting about:
#highered
#music
#stlcards

5. Image by Chris Lott
(www.flickr.com/
photos/fncll)

6. Thanks to Justin Roberts, UM System, for the graphic!

7. Social media is…
 ‘a shift in how people discover, read
and share news, information and
content’ – Wikipedia
 user-generated content
 ‘architecture of participation’

8. Social media is not…
 just another marketing/communication
channel
 a substitute for other marketing/
communication
 merely an option
 a complete waste of time

9. Most importantly,
social media is…
…. social!

10. A few seconds on the Internet
Source: Caroline Moss, “Here’s What Happens on the Internet in Just 5 Seconds,” Business Insider, June 2, 2014
(www.businessinsider.com/internet-in-real-time-2014-6)

14. meme (meem)
1. ‘An idea, behavior, or style that
spreads from person to person within
a culture.’
2. A unit for carrying cultural ideas,
symbols or practices.
Source: Wikipedia (naturally)

15. Some popular Internet memes

16. Doge (pronounced dohj)

28. ‘The Missouri
University of
Science and
Technology just
won April Fool’s
Day.’
Wired Tumblr
(wired.tumblr.com)
April 1, 2014
(27,006 “likes”)

29. Results: Web traffic spiked
April 1, 2014
 413,556 pageviews
 371,538 (@90%)
from off-campus

30. How they found us
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000
Facebook
Reddit
Google
Twitter
Tumblr
Gawker
Facebook mobile
UK Telegraph
UK Guardian
All visits
Off-campus

31. Social media reach: Facebook

32. Social media reach: Twitter
• 168 mentions of @MissouriSandT
• 120 retweets
• Total reach: 393,321
• Retweet reach: 33,764

33. SO WHAT?

34. Source: HubSpot, 101 Awesome Marketing Quotes (www.hubspot.com/101-marketing-quotes/)

35. Missouri S&T’s social media strategy
Objectives Measures
Extend university reach and
influence online by connecting
and building relationships with
key audiences (prospective
students, current students,
alumni, influentials)
•number and types of followers
•social media referrals to web
content (campaign-based and
not)
•feedback from friends,
followers, etc.
Provide additional channels for
audiences to communicate and
interact with the university
•volume and quality of
feedback
•Comments
•“likes”
•RTs, @s

36. Missouri S&T’s social media strategy
(continued)
Objectives Measures
Provide additional channels for
audiences to receive official
university information
•number and types of followers
Monitor online reputation of
the university in the social
media sphere
•number of interactions
•qualitative analysis of
comments

37. Creating a social media strategy
GOALS/AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT (KPIs) BEST PRACTICES
GOAL 1 Post what your audience
wants to hear
GOAL 2 Maintain a (conservative)
schedule
GOAL 3 Vary your content
GOAL 4 Use calls-to-action
Keep it casual
Monitor and respond
Stay positive
Integrate with other
marketing

38. There is no
viral
button

39. Organic beats
programmed
every time

40. The social media audience…
 Wants snackable content
 Expects personalized channels
 Multi-tasks. Constantly.
 Wants what’s near, new and now
 Has an audience
 Uses social media for self-actualization
Source: Kristina Jonathan, “The Evolving Social Media Landscape,” in 2013: Ten Digital Trends
(trends.clickhere.com/the-evolving-social-media-landscape)

43. Five rules for social media success
1. Listen
2. Add value
3. Respond (when
appropriate)
4. Do good things
5. Be real

44. Helpful hints
• Most “liked” Facebook pages: movies,
books, musicians/bands
• Least “liked” pages: religious
organizations, pets, bars, pharma
• Sharing videos more effective on
Facebook than Twitter
• Click-through rates are higher on
weekends
Source: Dan Zarrella, “The Science of Social Media” (smsci.danzarrella.com)

45. More helpful hints
• Numbers matter
• Bigger and louder works – to a point
• Avoid “link fatigue”
• Stay positive
• It isn’t all about us
• Use combined relevance
• Help your audience look cool
Source: Dan Zarrella, “The Science of Social Media” (smsci.danzarrella.com)

46. I Identity
M Mom Rule
P Positivity
A Add Value
C Career
T Think
Adapted from Fieldhouse Media
Getting
personal on
social media:
Rules to live by

47. House rule No. 1
Don’t
be evil
Photo: “Devil,” by elycefeliz on Flickr

48. House rule No. 2
Don’t
be
dumb
Photo: “Jester,” by Susan Averello on Flickr

49. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas;
what happens on Twitter stay on Google
forever!”
Jure Klepic
Social media guy
Image: “Google Logo,” by SEO on Flickr

50. Thanks!
Twitter: @andrewcareaga
Facebook: facebook.com/andrewcareaga
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/andrewcareaga
Image by Jason Howie
(www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie)