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Exploring strategies for social media in higher education

Archive for the category “Higher Education”

29 Apr 2013

Awesome Article Alert: Know your international student – Global or glocal?

Over the past few weeks, I have found myself engaged in various dialogues about higher education on an international level.  This is largely related to the recent series I organized, How the Internet Changed Career, and working with schools on the other side of the pond.  Speaking of which, the first part of the series was recorded and is available here; the second part will take place this Thursday, May 2nd, for any interested career services professionals out there.  Back to the matter at hand – international students.

I came across University World News’ article this morning on Facebook,  Know your international student – Global or glocal?  It reminded me, how would you characterize international students on your campus? How has the definition changed, especially due to technology? Are they global or glocal? Technology has had a major impact on this trend because students have the ability to interact and study on an international level thanks to social media and online education, like MOOCs.

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Rahul Choudaha takes a look at the motivations and barriers to students who pursue higher education on an international level. Not surprisingly, mobility is changing based on career goals and financial resources.  Have you seen an increase among international students on your campus? Would you define them as global or glocal?  How has the climate changed?  Does technology play a role?  Would love to hear your thoughts!

by Shannon

Posted by Shannon Kelly in Awesome Article Alert, Higher Education, International and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
15 Apr 2013

Awesome Event Alert: How the Internet Changed Career

I am very excited to share a series of upcoming events that will discuss social media on an international level: How the Internet Changed Career, presented by the Career Counselor Technology Forum.  This three-part series is geared towards career services professionals in higher education from all across the globe.  If you’re not in career services, you can follow along on Twitter by looking for #CCTF.

Admittedly, this is a bit of a shameless plug, as Kevin and I are both involved.  On the other hand, it is a great opportunity to see us in action (albeit through a webcam) and learn from other higher education professionals from the states and the UK.

For full details, visit the Career Counselor Technology Forum’s event page.

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Do you know of other awesome events for Social @ Edu readers? Don’t hesitate to let us know! You can share through the comments or our “About” page.

by Shannon

 

Posted by Shannon Kelly in Higher Education, International | Leave a Comment
02 Apr 2013
1 Comment

Awesome Article Alert: Can OpenCourseWare widen Europe’s science and technology skills-base?

MOOCs, or massive open online courses, are a very hot topic as of late.  It was no surprise an article on this subject came up in one of my Google alerts, and I wanted to share it with all of you today. International higher education and MOOCs are on my mind especially, as I’m currently taking a class on Coursera and developing several projects in partnership with universities abroad.

The article, Can OpenCourseWare widen Europe’s science and technology skills-base?, was written by Anka Mulder and comes from The Guardian’s Higher Education Professional Network blog (an amazing resource if you’re interested in international higher education).  Here are a few takeaways:

  • To reinvigorate an interest among women, minorities and non-traditional student groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects,  over 50 universities in the EU have partnered to create the OpenCourseWare for STEM (OCW4STEM) project.
  • The project is designed to increase access to higher education through flexible, distance learning because “online learning anonymises the classroom, allowing every learner to feel confident and secure among their peers.”   An important research finding from the US.

It will be very interesting to see how this project progresses and if it leads to an actual increase in STEM professionals.  Some questions this brings up for me are:  How does this project compare to Coursera? Will credit be given and how will that be handled across different institutions?

To read the full article, go to Can OpenCourseWare widen Europe’s science and technology skills-base?

What are you thoughts on the project and MOOCs? Would love to hear them!

by Shannon

Posted by Shannon Kelly in Awesome Article Alert, Higher Education, International and tagged , , , ,
27 Mar 2013
1 Comment

Guest Post: On The Importance of Finding Your Voice

We’ re on a roll with fantastic guest bloggers, and so this week we bring you Megan Wolleben.  Megan is an Assistant Director at the Bucknell University Career Development Center and manages all the social media and student marketing for the office. She also hates the word “commence.”  To connect with Megan, check her out LinkedIn & Twitter 

Megan Wolleben being authentically Megan

In the spirit of authenticity and finding your voice, the pic for this post is Megan Wolleben herself, just being herself.

We say it all the time, “just be yourself.” Whether we are prepping students for interviews or career fairs, it seems to be our mantra:  “just be yourself.”  And it’s just as important for those of us in Higher Ed to remember:  just be yourself.

If 2012 was the year of #yolo, 2013 seems to be shaping up to be all about authenticity. In a world of self-publishing, sharing itty-bitty details of your life, and Instgramming your every bite it is no surprise that being authentic has come to be the number one rule of marketing. But what does being authentic have to do with higher education and, more specifically, career services? The answer in two words: a lot. We are dealing with an audience that doesn’t always want to hear our message, and yet we are dealing with messages worth hearing.  Perhaps students aren’t ready to talk about career, maybe we sound too parental, or maybe they fell asleep while listening to us drone on about “the importance of real world experience,” – just say internships! How many times have you felt like the teacher from Peanuts “wah-wah-wah”?

Blogs, and social media in general, allow for an authentic voice and I think it is really important that we (higher education professionals) use these mediums to find ours and take advantage.  Not only because we will have more fun doing it but because when it comes to influencers, online blogs rule.  Technorati’s “2013 Digital Influence Report”, revealed that blogs are some of the most powerful influencers, above Facebook and Twitter.  Although Technorati’s study was aimed at marketers and brands we can relate the information to us –we are still talking about behavior. Behavior that causes someone to visit a blog about a product is the same behavior that will cause someone to look for a blog about job searching or interviewing (i.e. career services) and wouldn’t it be nice if they found yours … and liked it!

We need to let our hair down and be human.  We need to be engaging in how we say things.  We need to find our style, our voice. What we have to say has not changed, but the only way students are going to listen is if we say it in a more fun way. I know it’s tough getting old and out of touch with the younger generation but don’t be afraid to use the cultural references that you know.  I once wrote a post about our “steps to success” series workshops with the title “Teach Me How To Dougie,” and yes I do know how to dougie.

We are no longer held to that (somewhat) stuffy university voice of old – the one that wears tweed jackets (nothing against tweed – I love a good elbow patch!). If you can’t remember what that voice was watch an episode of Downton Abbey and you will remember.  Blogs, social media, the world – they are all working to change the common voice and the old voice of higher education needs to change with it; we need to change with it.

I can be the first one to tell you that being witty every day can be challenging, and I’m not suggesting that you must do it every day. All it takes is an occasional display that we remember that we are talking to students, many of which are under 20 years old, who will grow up to thank us for teaching them metaphysics or how to dress for an interview but first really just want to discuss the fact that Bucknell was mentioned on Pretty Little Liars!

It can be exhausting to try to keep up, and I’m not suggesting we start watching Pretty Little Liars every week. I definitely think you need to be true to yourself, and, here is where I tie it all back to my opening line “just be yourself,” be authentic. I am a self-proclaimed dork and the students that read our blog know this.  I profess my love for NPR about once a week. I don’t try to deny that.  I embrace it. When I watch a movie and some aspect reminds me of career advice you better believe I’m going to write a post about it.  And just so you can mark your calendars: on June 7th Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn will be staring in a movie called “The Internship.”  I am already following the movie on Twitter and on Facebook!

To be heard we need to be culturally relevant and one thing that helps is taking your life and what is happening in the world, mixing it all with a bit of pop culture and adding in some career advice! So don’t be afraid to find your voice and start using it.

And if you haven’t realized it by now – my title was meant to be ironic!

For more on blogs & influence, check out: http://blog.sysomos.com/2013/03/11/when-it-comes-to-digital-influencers-blogs-rule/

Posted by Social @ Edu Guest Contributor in Food for Thought, Guest Post, Higher Education, Strategy and tagged , , , , , , , ,
25 Mar 2013
3 Comments

6 Ways Social Media Has Changed Students’ Expectations

While working on a project for a potential client this week, I got lost in a train of thought about social media and expectations.  There have been a few studies I’ve stumbled upon in the past that talk about things like “what Facebook does to your brain” or “how Pinterest influences shopping decisions.”  I find all of these fascinating.  Naturally, I’m interested in making ties back to education, which leads me to the following question I’ve been reflecting on: what are ways that social media has changed students’ expectations?  Here’s the list of thoughts, examples, and questions I scribbled (and now, typed):

1.) Information in an instant – One could argue that widespread high-speed internet access and wireless mobile devices have also contributed to people’s desire for information in an instant (and I’d agree), but I think social media is a big contributor to this.  I think of Twitter, specifically.  At 140 characters or less per tweet, this social network moves fast.  To stay relevant, Twitter users are expected to be responsive… immediately.  In fact, Unmetric actually measured Twitter response time of some US banks and reported on it.  How will students, many of whom adopters of Twitter, come to expect education be delivered to them?

2.) Crowdsourcing for answers – Gone are the days when an individual must use a journalist or professional critic to source opinions and ideas.  With social media, people can even avoid search engines.  Wondering what are some good restaurants in San Francisco so you can visit them on an upcoming vacation?  Ask your Facebook Friends and see who’s been there.  This is why there’s such a big push to integrate “search” & “social” (think: Bing & Facebook and pretty much everything about Google+).  How might this be changing the notion of information & authority in the education space?

3.) Transparency rules the day - With people and information so widely accessible in ways they never have been before, individuals expect the truth and accountability.  If a CEO is communicating on social media and a scandal about her company makes the news, you better believe that followers of that CEO are going to ask her directly about it.  And they’ll expect an answer.  If they don’t get one they like (or perhaps worse, one with not enough information), they’ll express that, too.  Transparency is key in the age of social media.  What is higher education doing to respond to this trend?

An infographic which sums up some ideas about social media and expecations of transparency nicely

This infographic sums up some ideas about social media and expectations of transparency nicely. Click the image to be taken to the blog where I found this content.

4.) What was private is now public - Whether we like it or not, social media has changed our notions of personal information and privacy.  What where once internal dialogues, including what one is thinking of making for dinner or how someone wants new living room furniture to look, are now out there.  They’re probably indexed in Google results pages (somewhere).  When was the last time you were about to meet someone potentially important to you and you didn’t think about searching Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. for them to get the scoop?  How is this changing student life & relationships on campuses across the country?

5.) Everyone is an author - Individuals are now in a time where they can write and publish something to the web in seconds.  From virtually anywhere.  What’s more, on social media, this is all attached and credited to them personally.  Everyone has become an author.  Everyone is writing an autobiography.  As such, people want to be able to craft their own journey, build their own audience, find and share things relevant to them.  Social media, when used intelligently, can do that for them, and the world can watch.

Think of Perez Hilton’s rise to fame due to his controversial blog or Justin Bieber’s enormous celebrity status after having been discovered on YouTube.  How is this changing how students define themselves?  Or changing how they get jobs?  Shameless plug: I just wrote an article on social media & job searching for Vault.com.

6.) Control is for all of us - Combine access to decision-makers, information direct from sources, and multiple platforms for people to share their own voices, and you wind up with an expectation that “control” should be shared.  Organizations are wise to consider this carefully.  My favorite example of this notion is the story of Gap, the clothing company who tried to change their logo back in 2010.  When they announced and debuted the new logo, what they didn’t expect was tremendous backlash from social media – so much that it caused them to revert back to their previous logo.  It’s clear from lessons learned that “listening” on social media is critical.  Could this or will this expectation affect university governance?  Will more stakeholders (i.e. students, alumni, parents, trustees, etc.) be engaged in the decision-making process than before?

While the ways we use social media and the ways we live our lives cannot (and, in some cases, should not) always mirror each other, I have to wonder what this new method of communicating has done and will do to expectations.  What do you think of this idea about  ”social media and expectations”?  How about social media and expectations with respect to education?  I invite you to put on your pondering caps with me and share your thoughts in a comment.

By: Kevin

Posted by Kevin Grubb in Food for Thought, Higher Education and tagged , , , , , ,
09 Mar 2013
2 Comments

Assessing Innovation in Higher Education: An Interview with Gary Alan Miller and Katherine Nobles

“There is a ‘curse’ that you’ve probably heard at some point: ‘May you live in interesting times.’ “

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This quote kicked off Gary Alan Miller and Katherine Nobles’ Innovating in Times of Change series for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) publication, Spotlight. My curiosity was piqued instantly; today, I hope to do the same for you. Miller and Nobles, both at UNC Chapel Hill, took a close look at the state of innovation among higher education career centers in the U.S. through their 2012 Study on Career Center Innovation. Recently, I sat down with these “investigators of innovation” to learn more, on behalf of Social @ Edu readers. I hope our discussion below inspires you to consider the state of innovation in your own department.
Take me back to the beginning of your research, what was your motivation?

Katherine Nobles (KN): Gary and I started talking this past summer about media trends. There was a lot of attention devoted to the return on investing in a college education by students and their parents, with the rising cost of tuition and questioning the higher education bubble. The pressure on career services was mounting to stay innovative. We wanted to conduct a pulse check to gauge where we, career centers, stood and what we were, and are, doing to stay current.

Why innovation? Why is this concept important to career centers, even the higher education field in general?

Gary Alan Miller (GM): The strength and weakness of higher education, as a field, is that it persists. By this I mean, campuses have been around for hundreds of years.  Institutions and their departments have cycles and rhythms that keep them moving forward.  But, those cycles don’t always result in progression.  Sometimes they reinforce repeition.   The rest of the world was changing faster than our field.

We recognized a need to look at how Career Services, as one department within an institution, was responding to these changes. Career Services used to be THE resource for students when it came to professional development and plans for post-graduation.  This has shifted. There are more competitors today, third parties outside of higher education, that help students and recent graduates today. If we focus on past successes, where we didn’t have competition, we lose sight of our relevancy and ability to serve students and alumni effectively.

How does innovation relate to social media?

KN: We were surprised by several findings. One that caught our attention, in particular, was related to social media.  Social media was one of the least cited influences of innovation.
GM: One of the foundational assumptions of our study was that innovation is the implementation of creative solutions.  It does not have to be related to technology, like social media.

Why do you think innovation does not have to be related to use of technology or social media?

KN:  Innovation has a broad definition. Our research was based on PwC’s three criteria to define the innovation readiness of an organization: process, climate and leadership.  Respondents defined innovation in many ways related to their process, i.e. how to capture ideas and implement innovative programs. These were not all related to technology.
GM:  But, it is an easy trap to fall into.  For example, most schools reported they offered new, innovative programs or services over the past two years, and actually more so than new technologies.  But, when we asked them to name specific innovations, they tended to tell us about technology-based innovations.  So, part of what we want to emphasize with our study is that innovation IS more than just technology.  Much more!

What were other important findings? What else did you not expect?

KN: In all three categories, process, climate and leadership, the highest obstacles to innovation were budget and time.  This was not shocking, of course.  These are obstacles for everyone.  The question becomes, what are centers that self-identified as more innovative doing that others aren’t? That is an important lesson to remember.  We have common obstacles, so what can you do to overcome them?
GM:  The third most prevalent obstacle was boundaries established outside of the office, meaning views of what people think you should and should not be doing.  This was surprising.  Staff and centers as a whole are looking around their schools and think they can’t do something because another department/center is already or it’s not part of their mission.
KN:   The lowest ranked obstacle was fear of failure, which we did not expect.  This ranking made us think that career services practitioners are willing to take risks to become more innovative, but we saw a disconnect here between directors and staff.  Directors believe that people in their offices can take bold action with unclear outcomes more so than actual staff members do.  This presents a great opportunity for directors to clearly communicate their comfort with uncertainty and risk to unleash innovative practices from their staff.

What lesson can be applied to any department in higher education?

GM: The impact we hope to have is to generate a lot of conversations among career services professionals.  To become an innovative department or to foster innovation, you need to raise certain questions and create a space for self-analysis and dialogue.  Do we have a vision? Do we have a strategic plan? What are we doing that could be done better?  What do we simply need to stop doing?
KN:  Exactly, there were a lot of insights that came out of the study. The idea of climate, leadership, and process really applies to any organization and we hope that higher education professionals will use the insights from the study to reflect on their own department.  Keeping in mind that innovation is the implementation of creative solutions, the universal lesson is that an organization can have an innovative climate and leadership, but you’ve got to have process and tools in place to capture and act on ideas.

Creativity and dialogue are at the heart of innovation in career services, higher education, or any industry for that matter.  How do you define innovation? What innovative programs have you, or  your department, implemented?  We would love to hear from you and continue the discussion here at Social @ Edu.

If you’re interested in learning more about Miller and Nobles, visit the Career Center Innovation website. They have an upcoming webinar through NACE on March 14th, 2013, as well as two more installments to their Innovating in Times of Change series.

Posted by Shannon Kelly in Higher Education, Interview, Strategy and tagged , ,
06 Mar 2013
1 Comment

Guest Post: Using Social Media to Unite the PA Wine Industry

We’re excited to welcome another guest post & voice to social @ edu – Denise Gardner, Penn State Extension Enologist – who offers her story about utilizing Facebook & Twitter to connect higher education to industry in her field.

I’m pretty sure that at every wine conference I attend (yes, there are such things as “wine conferences”) there are always a series of seminars/workshops on social media and how to utilize it for winery business and marketing.  However, the wine industry seems to be slightly cautious when it comes to using social media – how to use it, when to use it, why to use it.

When I started working for Penn State Extension as their state enologist, I decided immediately to implement a social media plan into my program.  Why?  Well, for one, if I was going to encourage wineries to use social media, I thought I could use my program as a firm example.  In addition, social media offers the quickest way I can reach a lot of people in a short amount of time, especially with limited resources.  And it is an amazing way to connect people.

For the most part, I use a Facebook page (“Penn State Extension Enology”) and a Twitter account (@WineNews4You) for my Extension programs.  Facebook is a great way to see what wineries throughout PA are doing on a daily or weekly basis and how they are reaching out to wine consumers.  I love the use of wine quotes, free coupons for events, competitions to enhance selling products, and updates on what is going on in the winery.  I think this really helps consumers feel like they are a “part of the brand.”  [P.S. Now is the time to go on Facebook and find your favorite wineries to follow!]

As I kind of view myself as a central hub for the wineries, linking up to all of them allows them to turn around and link to each other.  One of the greatest benefits of this process is that I think it makes businesses feel like they are a part of a greater unit – that we are all working as one team.

A screenshot of Penn State Extension Enology Facebook Page

A screenshot of Penn State Extension Enology Facebook Page. I use my own picture so that if people then want to link to my own Facebook account, they know I am the same person. I think this gives the program a personal touch and recognition that a person is actively involved in the program.

Additionally, Facebook allows me to send out mass messages to all of the wineries quickly.  There are now 189 wineries in Pennsylvania, so if I’m suddenly fielding 10 emails a week about the use of sulfur dioxide in the winery, I can quickly put up a post on Facebook and Twitter, and hope additional wineries will receive this important information.  I also use the Facebook page as a way to update wineries on national/global news items that I think may be of relevance to the industry here in Pennsylvania.   Additionally, it keeps wineries and consumers up-to-date on my activities – where I am in the state, what workshops I am holding, and what those workshops entail.  Furthermore, I add a lot of pictures of our research harvest project and Extension programs with hopes that this will catch interest among all the wineries.

A screenshot of the Penn State Extension Enology Facebook Album on Harvest/Fermentation Research Project

A screenshot of the Penn State Extension Enology Facebook Album on Harvest/Fermentation Research Project

Facebook also helps spur conversation within the industry.  For example, I’ve had several winemakers ask questions on Facebook.  While I manage the page and can correct any technical mistakes in an answer, I really enjoy the fact that other winemakers contribute their opinions and experience to the original question.  I have to agree that having more than one answer is sometimes more helpful than receiving only my answer.  And sometimes, I learn things, too.  That’s definitely a bonus!

In addition to my Facebook page, I also manage a professional Facebook account, “Denise M. Gardner.”  This is a way for me to connect to wineries, consumers, or professionals with regards to what I am tasting throughout the year.  Yes… I taste wines ALL the time.  So I use Facebook as a way to inform consumers as to what I am tasting.  Is it always Pennsylvania wine?  No.  But I do that on purpose to make sure my taste buds are fresh and avoiding palate fatigue or adaptation to Mid-Atlantic wines.  You too can befriend me today to see what it is that I am tasting.  And I promise you that you’ll be able to find some unique wine selections in all sorts of styles and price ranges!

A screen shot of the Denise M. Gardner Facebook Page

Consumers, wine professionals, and wineries can link up to my own personal Facebook to view my wine tastings and ratings… in addition to getting to know me a bit more!

Twitter has been helpful towards my position in that it allows me to stay readily connected to the national wine industry.  I find out a lot of west coast news through Twitter, which is essential for my position.  It gives a quick idea on what is going on out there even though I’m regionally located in the center of Pennsylvania.  If I catch a tweet that is incredibly relevant, I can then decide to invest more time into reading through an entire news article or contact some experts regarding a post.

A screenshot of the @WineNews4You Twitter Feed that features national wine news and wine reviews.

A screenshot of the @WineNews4You Twitter Feed that features national wine news and wine reviews. A great way to find out what is going on in the national and global wine industry.

Twitter also helped connect me to [wine] critics and wine reviewers, which has been beneficial in two ways thus far.  First, it allows me to review wines that are popular in the mass wine media.  Second, it puts more Pennsylvania wines in the critics’ Twitter streams so that they can see what we are producing here in the state.  In addition, I get opportunities to highlight Pennsylvania winery achievements that critics and “non-wine-industry-followers” get a chance to read through.  I hope these posts give them a quick reason to visit a Pennsylvania winery, try Pennsylvania wines, or at least open them up to wine tasting in general.

The key to social media, especially in a position like mine, is to get people invested in your social media programs, and this takes some real time and investment.  It can also be a real challenge for those businesses that are not in tune with social media.  How do you convince someone how useful these tools can be for their production if they hardly spend any time on the internet?  As I’m in an industry that crosses generational bridges, I often have to consider how I’m reaching my audience.  To combat this, I try advertising my Facebook and Twitter accounts on as many different media types as possible. This includes putting symbols on business cards, mass mailings, oral presentations, the Extension Enology website, and Extension Enology News ListServ.  I hope that through these outlets, more people will find the social media programs a bit more relevant to their production.

Penn State Extension Website featuring links to the professional Facebook and Twitter accounts. For a greater review of this website, click the image to be take to the page http://extension.psu.edu/enology

The Penn State Extension Website featuring links to the professional Facebook and Twitter accounts. For a greater review of this website, click the image to be take to the page http://extension.psu.edu/enology

Posted by Social @ Edu Guest Contributor in Food for Thought, Higher Education, Strategy and tagged , , , , , ,
02 Mar 2013

Awesome Article Alert: The 2012 Social Admissions Report

In a recent exchange of emails, I came across a SlideShare report of a study about the role and impact of social media in the admissions process for higher education.  The “2012 Social Admissions Report” conducted by Zinch and Inigral, a market leader in social enrollment management solutions for higher education, details how 7,000 college-bound high school students used social media in their college search.  Within just a few clicks, I was fascinated.  Here are my 5 most intriguing finds from the report:

  1. 71% used a mobile phone to visit a school’s website.  Is your site mobile-friendly yet?
  2. 75% “never” use Pinterest.  And yet it was named the #3 social network in 2012.  Interesting.
  3. 68% used social media to research colleges & universities.  Would love to see a year to year comparison on that stat, because I would bet my bottom dollar that percentage is growing.  Fast.
  4. Facebook was the most popular social network used to research colleges & universities.  YouTube was #2.  I previously wrote a post about the importance of YouTube in higher education.  I suspect that will continue to grow.
  5. 75% said they would join a social network created for students at the institution.  Does this mean a custom social network for just your school?  Would love to hear if anyone has one and how it works.

But that’s certainly not all of the interesting facts, so head on over to SlideShare and check out the 2012 Social Admissions Report.

A screenshot of the 2012 Social Admissions Report on SlideShare

A screenshot of the 2012 Social Admissions Report on SlideShare

And for the admissions/enrollment folks out there, I found some interesting reads on Inigral’s blog about social media & admissions.  Check it out.

In what ways are you or your college/university engaging with students in the admissions process?  Share your insight with us in a Comment.  I’m curious to hear some best practices around this subject!

By Kevin

Posted by Kevin Grubb in Awesome Article Alert, Food for Thought, Higher Education and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
01 Mar 2013
2 Comments

Guest Post: Social Media in the City: An Overview of Social Media in Vancouver

We’re excited to welcome our first international guest author here on Social @ Edu, Jessica Hurford.  Hurford is a Social Media Coordinator and Copywriter at Brighton College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Simon Fraser University. 

Social Media in Vancouver

 For many people, using social media is deeply engrained in their everyday routine. We wake up and the first thing we do is check our mobile which instantly connects us with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you name it. In Vancouver, social media reigns! The city is highly dependent on it to stay connected and up-to-date. Vancouverites use social media for everything from social gatherings (like tweet-ups) to finding romance.

Around the city there are also numerous groups and events that have come to exist solely because of social media. The Social Media Network was designed in reaction to the overwhelming growth of social media world-wide. This network works to provide post-secondary students in Vancouver with the tools to take social media to the next level. The overarching goal here is to “stand out amidst [the] over-saturation”.[1]  They feature two collegiate chapters with two of the city’s largest post-secondary institutions, Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.

Another interesting example of the relevance of social media in Vancouver is the up and coming Social Media Awards, which was created by the Social Media Network. The event aims to not only highlight significant social media efforts within the city, but also to connect students and industry professionals in order to continue the proliferation of the social media community in Vancouver.

Social Media in Higher Education

 Social media within post-secondary institutions is becoming more and more prevalent as well. Just about every single institution in the city of Vancouver and surrounding has immersed itself fully in the social media pool.

Many schools now connect with students through social media which helps to encourage a sense of community both on and off campus. Creating community within some Vancouver schools has been an ongoing issue, especially in many of Vancouver’s career colleges.

 

Social Media at Brighton College

At Brighton College we are currently operating across four main social media outlets: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Linked In. We feel that each platform benefits the college in a specific way. For example, through Facebook we are able to interact with and answer student inquiries as well as connect directly to potential students who may be interested in certain program information. Via Linked In we have our educational advisors working to help connect students and recent graduates with employers looking to hire.

From this we can see that being knowledgeable about how to use social media is an increasing requirement to stay connected in any city, let a social media heavy city like Vancouver. Emerging are many social media training courses and programs to help facilitate this movement. For example, Brighton College currently offers a Web Marketing Specialist Diploma which instructs students about proper social media etiquette and standards as well as providing a strong marketing background for students to build upon.

When something such as social media actually begins to change the way that people think, act, and conduct business, it’s clear that a social media education is a good education to have.

Posted by Social @ Edu Guest Contributor in Guest Post, Higher Education and tagged , ,
10 Feb 2013
4 Comments

To Pin or Not To Pin: The Debate Over Pinterest Use in Higher Ed

topinTo pin or not to pin, that is the question many colleges and universities are asking themselves about Pinterest today. This platform, designed to organize and share things across the web, has taken off thanks to topics driven by images, such as fashion trends, wedding tips and recipe ideas.  Pinterest has experienced success in the retail industry and among women, yet, it is one social media platform that is still up for debate among higher education institutions.

If you look closer, there is a case to be made for Pinterest in the higher education industry. Below, I’ll break down a few key points, including the visual content curation trend, the visual identity of colleges and universities, and how to put this all together for a school’s potential use of this “virtual pinboard”. Considering it is the third most popular network, according to Experian’s 2012 Digital Marketer report, I hope my thoughts encourage you to join the pinning debate, or re-evaluate your stance on the subject.

Visual Content Curation Trend

According to Pew’s Internet and American Life Project (a go-to source for U.S. social media usage), 56 percent of adult internet users create or curate photos or videos online.  In other words, a significant portion of the adult population, and a key demographic served by the higher education industry, are interacting through visual media.  They are adding photos and videos online, liking, sharing and identifying common areas of interests thanks to Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube and, now, Pinterest.

Images send a message instantly, and require less effort to comprehend that message, compared to text. The importance of pictures and videos to mass communication is not new, but the speed and manner in which they spread is, thanks to social media.  So, one point to consider in your potential use of Pinterest is, what message do you want to spread instantly? Furthermore, what visual medium can convey that message?

Visual Identity in Higher Education 

The visual identity of any college or university is crucial to their brand, and examples are rampant in higher education.  Go to any school’s website, you’ll find the school’s colors, their logo clearly displayed and pictures of students, faculty and more to showcase campus life.   The visual branding of an institution can be traced back through its history; such as Harvard’s College Arms, which were drawn up in 1836.

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Harvard University’s homepage

Today, branding has grown in importance, especially as conveyed through photographs and videos.  The higher education landscape has become populated with more competitors, and there are even more avenues (here’s social media coming into the picture again) to illustrate why your institution’s brand is better than the next.  Therefore, the next piece when considering Pinterest is, what elements of your existing visual identity should be curated/aggregated online?

Pinterest & Curating Higher Education’s Image

If we put this all together, we have to think about 1) visual messages, 2) visual identity/brand and 3) online curation. When you identify the first two pieces, Pinterest is a convenient platform where one can aggregate them and create an interactive setting. For example, wouldn’t you want your brand ambassadors (think: current students and alumni) to literally illustrate  why your school is best and share that with prospective students and donors?

Admissions and development are just two of many departments that could leverage the platform, and even possibly measure conversions created by Pinterest, which has contributed to its success in the retail industry.   Retail has great examples of how to use virtual pinboards, but there are many examples in our own industry. As a career services professional, I’ve seen great uses of Pinterest, and been inspired, by NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development and Bucknell University Career Development Center.  Contests are a very popular practice on Pinterest; not only does it foster engagement, but it draws attention to your latest social media practice. Whole Foods had a very creative contest over the holidays with their cookie swap.  I hope you review these samples, but seek out others to see the innovative uses of the platform.

The key to Pinterest is to be creative and think with a visual-state of mind.  It is a virtual pinboard and content curator that higher education can utilize. It is designed to share interests and inspiration. We inspire thousands of minds every day on our campuses, and I hope this post inspired you to pin, rather than not pin.

If you’re a visual learner and would like to see another approach to this post, refer to my Prezi given at NACE’s Social Media Mashup in Philadelphia. Finally, if you have an example of a creative use of Pinterest in higher education, please let us know – sharing is at the heart of Social @ Edu!

by Shannon

Posted by Shannon Kelly in Higher Education, Pinterest, Strategy and tagged , ,

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