The Commons

I had the opportunity to sit on the judging panel for the upcoming AMA Higher Education Symposium – coming up November 15-18 in Boston. Not that I was able to be there the day the selections were made, having been called to a “can’t miss” meeting near Atlanta.  So, rather than sitting with my colleagues in an airless O’Hare meeting room, I was enjoying a beautiful spring day in the Blue Ridge mountains with blooming redbud and dogwood trees…the sacrifices we make!

I did evaluate all the submissions, though, and gave my recommendations to the committee.  And what struck me most about the proposals we reviewed – nearly 100 in all – was that more than a third of them focused around web 2.0, social media, and related topics.

The word “tweet” hasn’t been tossed around this much since the last Looney Tunes cartoon fest.  But for any smart marketer – as for Sylvester – the issue not just sighting that elusive prey, but figuring out how to wrap our claws around it.  Thufferin’ Thuccotash! 

The key is to discern not just what can we do – because the options are truly staggering – but what we must do.  Resources – both cash and time – are scarce.  So how do we determine which of the many social media opportunities we should invest in and which are just a passing fancy?  My answer, for now, is straight Machiavelli:  “I must see where my followers are going so I can lead them.”

In which formats are your target audiences engaged?  And is this all unadulterated UGC or are they receptive to – clicking or tagging or digging – a more “institutional” voice in their desired format?  Are they involved in serious exploration of content – as relates to critical decision-making – or are they surfing the ripples?

On a site I spent some time on recently – www.mynextcollege.com – “The Dean” balances comments between snarky and solid, all grounded by his signature “does it look like I work here?”  And then there are all the sites that are pure UGC – www.ratemyprofessors.com, www.collegeconfidential.com, www.studentsreview.com, www.myusearchblog.com, and their ilk – and the 900-pound gorillas of Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, Flickr, and (a baby gorilla) Ning.

Any “final” resolution now would be absurd to project; new platforms crop up almost daily.  There are some that are nearly the “price of admission” to be considered in the game at all – notably, the upland gorillas mentioned above.  But there are some things to keep in mind as you develop content for these venues:

•    Focus: Your audience will tell you.

•    Voice: All research shows that today’s prospective students are very aware of when they’re being “marketed.”  And the research also shows that they don’t necessarily mind being the target, if the outreach is funny, relevant, and fits their interests.

•    WOM and viral: The ultimate goal is to be so in the middle of the conversation that people digg you forward – as happened with the University of Minnesota with their “science of Watchmen” video on YouTube that got more than 1.5 million hits.  And was this successful because people wanted to know about the University of Minnesota? Of course not – it’s because they’re geeks for Watchmen.  Give them something that they’re interested in, and they’ll center it in the discourse.

•    ‘Tude: You gotta have ‘tude, dude.  Whether you’re talking with prospective or current students, alumni, or web wanderers, you have to put forward some sort of characteristic energy and stance that make people sit up and take notice, laugh, get mildly offended – or just notice you.

•    Integration: Your social media presence has to connect to everything else you’re doing – as in any brand communications initiative.  If you create a presence in social media, or establish a personality, you have to “pay off” that presence and personality in your website, direct marketing materials, publications, and the like.  Otherwise, you’re just confusing the market, and nobody can afford to do that.

So, I’m not tweeting yet – having been intimidated by the Chicago tweetmaster who has posted 20,000 times since the first of the year (once every six minutes, 18 hours a day, seven days a week) – but if you want me to I’ll start.  Just let me know and I’ll try to figure out what to say.  (Hey, it’s six minutes later and I don’t have any new thoughts!  Uh-oh…)

- Rob Moore, Managing Partner

Tags: blogging, higher education, interactive, media strategy, nonprofit marketing, social media, technology, trends, twitter, web 2.0