Facebook

A frightening and yet interesting thing happened to Rachel Reuben from SUNY New Paltz a few days ago. The Facebook page she created 2 years ago for her university disappeared. Rachel tried everything to get the page back as she explained in a post she wrote last week:Feeling Naked: A Tale of the Disappearing Facebook Fan Page.

Long story short: Rachel finally got her page back but not the 5,000 fans – although Facebook has since let her know that they are investigating the issue.

SUNY New Paltz | Facebook

This incident and especially the lack of responsiveness from Facebook definitely put a whole new light on the current trend to rely more and more on Facebook for communications between an institution and its students…

About 3 months ago, I was interviewed for a CASE Currents’ article about private vs. public social networks for alums. While I didn’t mention the possibility of such an incident, I tried to offer a balanced view on the topic.

The article written by Caroline Mayer, The Inner Circle, has been published in the October issue (but is only accessible to CASE members), so I thought some of you might be interested in my answers to Mayer’s questions.

1. How vital is it for schools to set up an online community? Is it necessary and why/ why not? Are alumni associations without online communities missing out on something?

I wouldn’t say that it is vital for schools to *set up* online communities. However, I believe it is very important to join the conversation taking place on the Web (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn come to mind) as these online communities gather alumni who are definitely passionate about their alma mater and want to engage with their peers.

A few years ago, online community solutions were pitched by vendors as the next (natural) step to alumni associations relying at that time on more traditional print directories. These wall-garden solutions were sold as the ultimate tools to gather demographic data and contact information from alumni as they would allow them to connect with their old classmates. Unfortunately, most of the implementations of these solutions failed to engage enough alums to get the conversation rolling.

Today, while the tools have evolved and more and more associations have created groups or pages on popular social networking websites, it is easier to reach a critical mass. But, this doesn’t mean that it is easier to nurture and develop online communities. It takes a lot of work and time, and associations should only launch online communities if they are sure they can invest the efforts necessary to make them successful.

2. Does it make any difference how it’s done? i.e. should it be a private network where only alums can go making it feel special (and giving the schools the access to databases such as email addresses) or should it be where most of the alums hang out these days (Facebook, Linkedin).

As I said above, the problem with private communities is participation.

Alums (and other constituents) live busy lives offline and online. If schools can offer a unique and compelling experience to their community members, they can definitely be successful with a private social networking website. However, they should prepare to work harder and longer to attract and keep these members interested. If they are successful, their hard work will be paid by access to more contact information.

In the case of the most popular social networking websites, it takes less effort to attract community members as they are already using these websites to keep up with their friends and colleagues, but it doesn’t mean it’s easier to keep them interested. On these sites, alums have other options to spend their time – countless options just one link away within the same familiar interface.

3. Is a private network worth the costs? Do private networks provide anything that Facebook and other networks don’t?

First, a private network doesn’t always come with a big price tag. More and more institutions launch private social networking websites using the Ning platform – which is basically free or cost a minimal monthly fee if you wish to remove Google ads or/and use a branded web address.

Some vendor solutions do come at a hefty price though. While the user experience offered by most of these solutions is very similar to the ones provided at no cost, some vendors have set up interesting link between their community application and other CRM/ERM solutions, allowing to set up a system tracking community members from engagement on the social networking website to donations — or matriculation in the case of prospective students.

Private networks also provide a sense of greater privacy – especially when alum associations choose to keep them totally private (you have to be a member to read AND post). On Facebook, pages – used by institutions to manage their community – are indexed by Google. Any comments made on these pages by a fan – i.e. a member of a Facebook page – can be associated to its author right from a Google search.

4. Is a public network worth the lack of control?

It really comes down to participation and engagement. Is it worth losing a bit of control if people are actually going to come to your party? Probably. Moreover, if schools manage to create communities on Facebook or Linkedin and become their administrator, they actually keep some control – they can delete comments, prioritize the order in which some discussions are displayed, etc. However, there is always a risk of backlash if schools intervene too much and try to censor conversations.

My new UB column is now available in the October issue as well as online: “Social Media Measurement 101: A seven-step plan to set up (and benefit from) a simple social measurement program “

Here are the 7 steps:
1. Define measurable goals for social media activities.
2. Choose key performance indicators (KPIs) carefully.
3. Plan ahead and properly set up the right measurement tools.
4. Capture the data at preset intervals.
5. Don’t forget some benchmarking.
6. Share your measurement data.
7. Use measurement data to craft your next moves.

Social Media Measurement 101

If you are a University Business reader who has just discovered collegewebeditor.com, welcome! Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog via RSS or email.

Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business has used online videos to promote its Graduate Program in Business Administration with great success.

I stumbled upon this mini-series composed of 4 different YouTube videos last week and found it very compelling.

Really great work and great acting talent.

That’s why I contacted the manager of Concordia’s YouTube channel to find out more about it.

Shelagh Peden, Information & Project Coordinator at University Communications Services, was kind enough to answer my 3 questions over YouTube messaging system.

1) Did you use real students?

Yes, all subjects were JMSB undergrads (one non-JMSB) who showed interest in the program. They volunteered (not paid), and the whole thing was coordinated by a co-op student, including training the actors.

2) How did you promote these videos?

YouTube, GDBA website, Facebook, LinkedIn, our blog, sent to our alumni and friends (no print, all web-based and by word-of-mouth). The videos were also used the info sessions as an icebreaker, and someone went from class-to-class making 5-minute presentations. Most views of the video were through Facebook.

3) What kind of response did you got from prospective students? Were you able to trace any application to this initiative?

The program received more *qualified* applications than can be accepted (170 vs. 150). We didn’t specifically track applicants, felt it would be awkward to ask if they were swayed by video when it’s a graduate program.

This is our first program that targets Millennials (no ads in newspapers, just web-based).

YouTube – ConcordiaUni’s Channel

The registration deadline for the “Writing Right for the Web” 2-webinar series scheduled on May 5 and 6, 2009 is now approaching fast.

For more info and to register, you can visit www.higheredexperts.com/writingright

This series features 2 speakers who have mastered the art and craft of Web writing: Tim Nektriz from SUNY Oswego and Mary Beth Kurilko from Philadelphia U (and former Temple University)

May 5, 2009 – 1PM-2PM ET (rain date: May 12, 2009)
Web Writing 360: How to write right for all the online media
Tim Nekritz, Associate Director of Public Affairs at SUNY Oswego and Chief Content Editor of Oswego.edu, will explain why good web copy still matters in this age of YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. He will also share best practices in authoring great copy for websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter make sure your messages reach your targeted audiences.

May 6, 2009 – 1PM-2PM ET (rain date: May 13, 2009)
Web Writer Coaching 101: How to find, train, and nurture web contributors on campus
Mary Beth Kurilko, former Director of Web Communications at Temple University, will show you how distributive web content authorship can be the solution to all your institution’s web content issues. She will also share her 10-step plan to enroll, train and turn into great web contributors any of your campus administrative or academic writers.

Webinars: Higher Ed Experts

Already registered institutions include:

Appalachian State University
Suffolk University
Lethbridge College
Harrisburg Area Community College
Widener University
Penn State University
SUNY College at Oneonta
Kettering University
Indiana University East
SAIT Polytechnic
Eastern Mennonite University
Saint Anselm College
Olympic College
Florida International University
CSU Office
Connecticut College

For more info or to register: www.higheredexperts.com/writingright

If you have any questions, just email karine@higheredexperts.com

Once again I found in my inbox this morning a message from someone who wanted to register for the upcoming webinar series: “Saving Big″ (the initial registration deadline was yesterday at 9PM).

As a result, I decided to postpone the registration deadline until next Friday (January 30, 2009) at 9PM ET.

Register for Saving Big Webinars

If you want to learn about a few creative ideas to save big on your publications and admissions marketing while getting great results, this 2-webinar series featuring Rachel Reuben (SUNY at New Paltz) and Joe Hice (The University of Florida) will be worth your time and its cost (just $240 per connection – why not pack a room with your marketing, PR & admissions teams to watch both webinars to fire up a great brainstorming session?)

Some of the institutions registered for this series include:

• Yeshiva University
• Upper Iowa University
• Valparaiso University School of Law
• University of New Haven
• Emory University
• Cornerstone University
• University of Melbourne (Australia)

For more information and to register online, just go to www.higheredexperts.com/savingbig

Since we’re all experiencing tougher times in higher education, I’d like to extend a special offer valid for today only:

if you register and pay today (Jan 27) for Saving Big at www.higheredexperts.com/savingbig, you’ll get a free pass to watch on-demand one of our past webinars (you can choose among more than 30 great webinars).

If you have any problems or issues, just send me an email at karine@collegewebeditor.com

Our good friends from the Pew Internet and American Life Project have just released a very interesting 17-page report about adults and social networks websites.

The big news in this report is the increased interest shown by online adults for Facebook and Co according to the results of two different surveys done in May and December 2008.

The share of adult internet users who have a profile on an online social network site has more than quadrupled in the past four years — from 8% in 2005 to 35% now,1 according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project’s December 2008 tracking survey.

Below are some of the most interesting findings I grabbed from this report:

• 75% of our college crowd, young adults aged 18-24 have a profile (no big scoop here, but always nice to have some recent data, don’t you think?), 57% of online adults 25-34, 30% of online adults 35-44
• In February 2005, just 2% of adult internet users had visited an online social network “yesterday” while 19% of adult internet users had done so in December 2008.

• Social network users are also more likely to be students — 68% of full time students and 71% of part-time students have a social network profile, while just 28% of adults who are not students use social networks.

• Nearly one third 31% of online white adults have a social networking profile, compared with 43% of African-Americans and 48% of Hispanics.
• So, where are those networking adults?
  • 50% of adult social network users have a profile on MySpace
  • 22% have a profile on Facebook
  • 6% have a profile on LinkedIn

  MySpace users are more likely to be women, Hispanic or black, to have a high school education or some experience with college. The median age of a MySpace user is 27 years old. Facebook users are more likely to be men and to have a college degree. The median age of a Facebook user is 26 years old. LinkedIn users are more likely to be men, to be white and to have a college degree. The median age of a LinkedIn user is 40 years old.

• When users do use social networks for professional and personal reasons, they will often maintain multiple profiles, generally on different sites.
  51% of social network users have two or more online profiles
  43% have only one online profile

There’s even more interesting data about the type of use depending on the websites. Go download this free PDF report now – and use to back up your social media initiatives.

Unless you were already on vacations or enjoying your office holiday party, you’ve probably heard about what some (and according to my sources, Andrew Careaga was the first to coin that term) have called “FacebookGate”

A few days before Christmas, Brad Ward uncovered, on his blog, a scheme perpetuated by College Prowler and another company to create hundreds (more than 300 according to Brad’s research) of Facebook “Class of 2013″ groups under false pretense and using some trademarked material (logo, name, etc.)

A lot has been written about the topic, but it looks like things have settled down on the Facebook front thanks to Brad and the community – some “fake” groups were deleted by Facebook itself, and it seems like others have been handed over to legitimate admins, i.e real admitted students of the Class of 2013.

But, the biggest lesson in the wake of this FacebookGate is just a reminder:
Institutions can’t control everything – especially when using a third-party website like Facebook.

Good news is that alternatives (some almost free, others a bit more expensive) to Facebook are available if your institution want to interact with prospective, admitted or current students in a controlled environment.

Mark Greenfield (UB), Mike Caulfield (MIT OpenCourseWare) and Adam Stahr (UNL) will share winning strategies, good tips and practical advice on how to use these alternatives – including the NING platform available for free – in a 3-webinar series scheduled next week (Jan 13-15, 2009).

Webinars: Higher Ed Experts

The goal of this series – that was scheduled before the FacebookGate story broke – is to help you evaluate and create a private social networking website, the perfect solution if all the media attention around the Facebook groups has scared your boss or your Admissions folks.

I’ve just postponed the registration deadline for this series to this Friday – January 9, 2009 at 9PM ET.

You can find out more about Social Networks MBA, this 3-webinar series, and secure your spot (places are limited) by visiting www.higheredexperts.com/socialnetworksmba

Questions? Just email karine@collegewebeditor.com

And, that’s just the program for the months of January, February and March 2009.

I’ve just wrapped up the upcoming webinar series for the first quarter of 2009, and I hope you’ll like the result.

With the tougher budget times we’re all facing in higher education, I’ve decided to focus the next webinar series I design for Higher Ed Experts on topics that will help you do more with less: social media, saving big, going paperless with your publications and implementing effective analytics programs for your Web and email initiatives.

As usual, places are limited, so it’s always wise to register ahead of time if you want to secure a spot for your team. You can register by visiting each of the dedicated web addresses of the series.

Social Networks MBA: How to develop and nurture a thriving community
January 13, 14 & 15, 2009
“Social Networks MBA” is a 3-webinar series that will help you decide if your institution should launch its own private niche social networking website. After this series, you will know why and how to nurture and develop a thriving online community around your own social networking website.

• Besides and Beyond Facebook: Do’s and Don’t’s for your niche social network by Mark Greenfield (University at Buffalo)
• ROI-Oriented Social Network in a Box: Why and how to buy an integrated social network by Adam Stahr (UNL)
• Add-Member Social Network Mix : Why and how to host your free online community on Ning by Mike Caulfiled (MIT OpenCourseWare)

Register by December 19 January 9, 2009 at www.higheredexperts.com/socialnetworksmba

Saving Big: Winning strategies to get better results even with a crunched budget
February 4 & 5, 2009
“Saving Big” is a 2-webinar series that will show you how embracing the right digital approach can help you dramatically cut costs while still meeting the needs of your target audiences. It will show you why and how social media can become a very budget-friendly asset in the battle to attract, engage and win over the brightest, but also why and how to save on any publication budgets without alienating readers and compromising editorial quality.

• Recruiting on a budget 101: Master plan to win the social media jackpot with prospective students by Rachel Reuben (SUNY at New Paltz)
• Taming the print beast: How to stretch the publication dollars of your institution by Joe Hice (UF)

Register at by January 26, 2009 www.higheredexperts.com/savingbig

Stop the Presses: Why and how to go digital with your magazine or newsletter
March 3, 4 & 5, 2009 July 7, 8 & 9, 2009
“Stop the Presses” is a 3-webinar series that will show you why more and more higher ed institutions have gone digital with their news-oriented publications. It will also help you get ready for an eventual switch from print to electronic or to better integrate both media at your institution by sharing winning strategies, lessons learned and practical advice from editors of higher ed digital magazines.

• Going Paperless: How to prepare and survive the transition from print to digital by John Lofy (Michigan University)
• Paper and Pixels 101 by Bonny Griffith (Ithaca College)
• The Editor’s Guide to the Digital Galaxy: How to edit a paperless and multimedia magazine by Karl Bates (Duke University)

Register by Feburary 23, 2009 at www.higheredexperts.com/stopthepresses

Analytics 360: How to track and measure (and show to your boss) the ROI of your online initiatives
March 24, 25 & 26, 2009
“Analytics 360″ is a 3-webinar series that will help you jump start, fine tune and optimize an effective web and email analytics program for your institution or your department. It will show you the best way to track and measure important data with the help of the tool of the trade, Google Analytics, calculate return on investment and use your analytics program to improve your web and email initiatives.

• Web Analytics 101: How to plan, start and implement a comprehensive analytics program by Joshua Ellis and Shelby Thayer (Penn State University)
• Advanced Web Analytics: How to track data, measure ROI and improve your web initiatives by Joshua Ellis and Shelby Thayer (Penn State University)
• Advanced Email Analytics: How to track data, measure ROI and improve your email initiatives by Karlyn Morissette (Dartmouth College)

Register by March 16, 2009 at www.higheredexperts.com/analytics360

Questions? Email me at karine@collegewebeditor.com

It’s that time of the year to reflect about what was done (and written) during the last 12 or so months. In the past (in 2005, 2006 but not last year though), I compiled a few lists of blog posts for you.

So, here is another one: the list of the top 10 most viewed posts that were published in 2008 on this blog – each of them was viewed more than 1,000 times, so I guess you might want to add them to your reading list if you skipped them previously.

1. How to get a branded YouTube channel for your institution in just a few easy steps
2. How to transfer your Facebook group members to your Facebook page
3. Don’t upload your higher ed video to YouTube (or other video-sharing websites) before doing these 5 simple things
4. After 2 dorms were destroyed by a tornado and its website went down, Union University relies on a blog and its Facebook page for its online emergency communications
5. Northern Illinois University: Another tragedy unfolding on the website homepage
6. Facebook pages now support Flash, HTML and photo uploads by users
7. OSU’s new homepage includes a tag cloud for most popular links
8. Admissions Offices spend twice more of their budget on print than on electronic student recruitment methods
9. Email, Gmail, Hotmail and Beyond: Outsourcing email for better and worse?
10. Get the report about the state of advertising and sponsorship in print and electronic higher ed publications

This session is presented by Richard Hesel from the Art & Science Group.

Why this research?

studentPOLL is quarterly survey done since 1994 about different issues with a national sample.
Now, sample is done through The College Board and their SAT takers database.

90% of every college-bound students visits social networking websites (97% of African American)
84% have a profile page (93% of African American)
Why don’t they have it?
Parents 28%
Don’t have time 46%

Facebook and MySpace dominate
79% on Facebook (55% for Hispanics), 69% on MySpace (Hispanics 88%)
60% Facebook the most often visited with MySpace far behind 38%

70% visit site at least once a day, 32% 3 or more time

Why do they use social networking websites?

86% to stay in touch with friends they rarely see
80% with friends they see regularly
61% to talk about homework with classmates
41% have friends they met for the first time on a site (Hispanics and African American are more likely)
18% claim that they met their closest friends on the site

Only 7% report attending an event sponsored by a college they are interested in, 9% an event related to college admissions.
56% for parties.

What about privacy?
69% extremely or somewhat concerned that private information on their profile might affect their chances of admission to college.
59% that employers might use this information
50% keep private everything on their personal profiles
64% have changed the default privacy settings
83% are careful because their parents or other adults might see it.

22% looked for college pages on social networking sites
18% used sites to gather information or impressions about colleges (looking for friends, comments, students groups, pictures)
16% would be more interested in a college where a friend attend, 48% somehow interested

Campus visits have still the biggest influence (72% much more interested)
College websites 47%

Some conclusions from Richard Hesel

• No digital divide on uses of SNS with college-bound students
• SNS not a primary or effective marketing/communications tool for prospective students
• Direct marketing through SNS may be seen as an invasion of private space and become counter productive
• Greater commercialization of SNS may further dilute potential value as college communications tool
• Focus on nuanced personal social connections
• Use of SNS as a communication tool may be more effective with minority students

Get all the details of this survey results on the presentation PDF file (attention, this is a big PPT file)