About

“News, tips and, hopefully, some good ideas for people taking care of websites and online marketing in colleges and universities.”

That’s the big idea (?) behind this blog.

Collegewebeditor.com is an independent, popular, and influential blog about the Web, marketing, and PR in higher education. Launched in February 2005, this niche blog now attracts more than 10,000 unique visitors per month, more than 2,000 readers by RSS feed and close to 2,500 email subscribers, a very targeted audience composed of higher ed professionals and executives.

Karine Joly is a Web marketing professional, an expert in social media marketing and the Web editor behind www.collegewebeditor.com.

In 2007, she founded Higher Ed Experts , a professional online school for executives and professionals working in universities and colleges around the world. At Higher Ed Experts, Karine oversees the development of the curriculum. She teaches an 8-week online course on Social Media Marketing for Higher Ed. She also designed and taught the capstone graduate online course for the MBA in Social Media at Southern New Hampshire University: Social Media Marketing Campaigns.
Her professional career spans more than 20 years of experience in communications in the US, Canada and France including 10 years in Web content development, marketing and strategy in higher education.
Karine authors the Internet Technologies column of University Business and writes periodically for other publications (University Affairs, CASE Currents, etc.). Karine is a regularly invited speaker at leading web conferences (CASE, American Marketing Association, EduComm, eduWeb, CUPRAP, etc.).

Karine was previously Web editor for a liberal arts college on the east coast and worked in the past on selective consulting projects related to social media, Web strategy, print/electronic publication audits for a small number of universities, colleges and schools.

Before focusing on Web 2.0 in higher education, she experienced first hand Web 1.0 as a Web editor at About.com, a top 10 Web property that is now part of The New York Times Company. Prior to the dot com boom (… and bust), Karine worked as a journalist for several radio stations, newspapers, and magazines in Europe.

She has a master’s degree in communication from La Sorbonne in Paris (CELSA) and a Webmaster Certificate from Rutgers University, NJ.

Recently published articles
Presentations
Interviews, Quotes & Mentions

Recently published articles:

University Business

• Colleges go live on social media – May 2017
  Streaming video over social platforms makes viewers part of the higher ed action
• Roadmap of higher ed goes beyond the basics of digital marketing analytics – Mar 2017
  A new approach to measuring the internet effectiveness of colleges and universities
• Digital marketing trends for higher ed in 2017 – Jan 2017
  New technologies and platform integrations offer more ways to connect in college
• Time to AMP your college website? – Nov 2016
  New standard holds promise for mobile web developers, but may not make sense for all colleges and universities
• Meeting new college students’ digital expectations – Sep 2016
  Survey provides insight into how prospectsstudents want to be reached
• Turning “likes” to action—and higher ed revenues – Jul 2016
  Paid advertising on social media gets mixed results
• 4 insights on higher ed websites – May 2016
  Analytics benchmarking project offers guidance on maximizing digital communications
• Videos show 360-degree campus views – Mar 2016
  Higher ed deploys immersive video to create virtual tours and tell eye-catching stories
• 5 digital trends for higher ed in 2016 – Jan 2016
  Targeted marketing, digital assistants and drones will pay a part in higher ed’s internet mix
• Advanced web analytics for higher ed – Nov 2015
  How to measure the impact of digital initiatives
• Should you care about Periscope in higher ed? – Sep 2015
  Early adopters explored possible campus use of live, mobile video over the summer.
• Video drives deeper dives into college websites – July 2015
  How colleges can funnel visits from home page to admissions and other key web pages.
• Challenges in social media measurement for higher ed – May 2015
  Most institutions think they measure the impact and the performance of social media, but only a few have shown they are ready to invest the necessary time and resources to measure what really matters.
• Should your university SnapChat? – Mar 2015
  Colleges follow a new generation of students on this visual mobile-messaging platform.
• 2015 Trends for digital professionals – Jan 2015
  Predictive web analytics can guide higher ed marketers in charting their course with more certainty.
• Putting web analytics data to use in higher education – Nov 2014
  No matter how much data you collect, it’s useful only if you’re asking the right questions
• Colleges shouldn’t toss social media terms of service – Sep 2014
  Ignoring these often overlooked agreements could be troublesome for your institution.
• Pros and cons of using social logins on campus – July 2014
  People are logged in to social media all day—it takes only a click to sign in with social logins.
• Going atomic – May 2014
  New tools to develop responsive websites.
• Universal Analytics: A game changer for higher ed? – Mar 2014
  Learn what every higher ed digital analytics professional will soon be talking about.
• Digital trends to shape 2014 – Jan 2014
  How online trends will impact the work of digital professionals this year
• Tips for managing digital projects in higher education – Nov 2013
  The keys to keeping your head above water
• Colleges and universities must prioritize SEO – Sep 2013
  Why search engine optimization should be a priority for your university website
• “Crowdfunding for Higher Ed.” – July 2013
  Crowdfunding follows social media, MOOCs as higher ed trend
• “To Go or Not to Go … Responsive” – May 2013
  The trend toward a responsive approach to web design and why it’s catching on”
• “Three Steps to Data-Driven Decisions with Web Analytics” – March 2013
  Beyond “reportics”
• “Seven trends that will shape 2013” – January 2013
  Digital and Web in Higher Ed
• “The New Digital Advertising Order” – November 2012
  Using online advertising to reach target audiences
• “The End of Online Writing?” – September 2012
  Disruptive forces and their impact on content for the web
• “The Rise of Analytics-Driven Decisions” – June 2012
  Relying on web analytics in decision making
• “The 2012 State of the Mobile Web in Higher Ed” – April 2012
  Mobile solutions now at the majority of institutions
• “One Design to Rule Them All?” – February 2012
  Responsive web design in higher education
• “Time to Get Strategic With Content” – November/December 2011
  Why it’s worth the investment and how to get started
• “Web Accessibility: Required, Not Optional” – September 2011
  The time is now for web accessibility in higher education
• “Analytics: The Holy Grail of Social Media?” – June 2011
  A year of growth for measuring social media activity
• “The State of the Mobile Web in Higher Education” – April 2011
  Mobile solutions and strategies—and the budgets behind them
• “Location, location, location?” – February 2011
  Should institutions dive into Foursquare and other location-based services?
• “Getting Your Email in Their Inboxes” – November/December 2010
  Using email service providers for improved deliverability of messages to external audiences.
• “The State of Online Analytics in Higher Ed” – September 2010
  Survey confirms need for web and social media analytics revolution.
• “Embracing Web Analytics” – June 2010
  Why and how to get a web analytics revolution started at your institution.
• “How to Select the Right CMS” – April 2010
  A five-step plan for evaluating web content management systems.
• “Websites Gone Mobile” – February 2010
  More institutions exploring—and succeeding with—mobile web.
• “How to YouTube with Success” – November/December 2009
  Six tips for optimizing online videos.
• “Social Media Measurement 101” – October 2009
  A seven-step plan to set up (and benefit from) a simple social measurement program.
• “The ABCs of Mobile Marketing” – July/August 2009
  Words to know in exploring this new frontier in higher education marketing.
• “2010: Print to Web Odyssey?” – June 2009
  A five-step plan for assessing and negotiating the transition from print to web publications.
• “Web Redesign on a Dime” – April 2009
  Tools, tips, and tricks to revamp or upgrade an institutional website.
• “More with Less” – February 2009
  7 ways to survive the budget crunch.
• “Should You Twitter?” – January 2009
  Real and effective communication, 140 characters at a time.
• “It’s the Community, Stupid!” – October 2008
  A seven-step plan to raise and nurture any community online.
• “E-mail, Gmail, Hotmail, and Beyond” – August 2008
  Three questions to ask before switching to a free e-mail solution.
• “Magazines: Gone Digital, Going Paperless?” – June 2008
  Making decisions in the transition from print to digital for campus publications.
• “It’s 2008: Is Your 911 Website Ready?” – April 2008
  Eight tips for designing an institution’s crisis web template.
• “Facebook Applications: The Game Changer?” – February 2008
  New ways higher ed institutions can use social networking.
• “10 Steps to Better Blogs” – November 2007
  Creating a blog is easy. Making it great requires a plan.
• “Demand Print or Print On Demand?” – October 2007
  TO PRINT OR NOT TO PRINT? That is the question more and more institutions are contemplating when budgeting for their publications targeted to prospective or current students.
• “Lights, Camera, YouTube, Action!” – August 2007
  Higher ed institutions can unleash the power of online videos without breaking the budget.
• “A Second Life for Higher Education?” – June 2007
  Virtual worlds may wind up breathing new life into teaching, learning, and creative expression.
• “Facebook, MySpace, and Co.” – April 2007
  IHEs ponder whether or not to embrace social networking websites.
• “PR on the Web 101” – February 2007
  Institutional Public Relations teams may be preventing their schools from getting deserved media coverage. Here’s how the web can help.
• “10 Tips to a Successful Website Redesign” – December 2006
  Web professionals who have “been there, done that” share some pointers.
• “10 Tips for Surviving a CMS Switch” – October 2006
  Make the switch to a new content management system as seamless as possible.
• “License to Recruit?” – August 2006
  Admissions-sponsored student blogging can get real results for your institution.
• “RSS: The Next Big Thing in University Web Communications” – June 2006
  Investing in this technology can help get an institution’s news delivered-and read.
• “The Brand (Brave?) New World Of Online Public Relations” – April 2006
  Ready or not, IHEs must strategize about how they appear in mentions on the web.
• “The Power of Podcasts” – February 2006
  Universities explore mp3 technology as a new marketing tool.

University Affairs

• Crisis communications 2.0 – Sep 2007
  New technologies are changing the way schools get the message out when a crisis erupts on campus. But the most valuable tool in the communications toolkit is still a well-tested plan.

CASE’s Currents

• “User Generation” (CASE membership required) – March 2007
  Web 2.0 might sound like tech jargon or just another buzzword, but it’s more than that–it’s a paradigm shift in communications that is greatly affecting education. This article defines the term and offers some background, describes how it relates to technology, outlines how and why Web 2.0 affects education, and offers a detailed description of the new mix of marketing and communications channels campuses should consider as part of a strategic communications plan.

Conference presentations & workshops:

HighEdWeb Conference – October 10, 2017 – Hartford, CT

• Beyond Basics: Advanced GA in Higher Ed – panel discussion with Alan Etkin and Joshua Dodson

eduWeb Conference – August 7, 2017 – Boston, MA

• Higher Ed Digital Analytics Roadmap: How to find your way on the road to marketing measurement

  

University of New Brunswick – July 11, 2017 – Fredericton & St John, NB (Canada)

• Analytics Therapy: 2-hour workshop on getting started with your communication measurement practice.

  

CCA Conference – June 15, 2016 – Roanoke, VA

• Analytics Therapy: 3-hour workshop on getting started with your communication measurement practice.

  

PSEWeb Conference – July 28, 2015 – Montreal (Canada)

• Falling in love (again) with Web Analytics in Higher Ed: 1-hour conference keynote

UB Tech Conference – June 15, 2015 – Orlando, FL

• Gone Digital, Going Strategic: Dawn & Rise of Digital Professionals in Higher Ed

McGill University IT Town Hall – April 28, 2015 – Montreal (Canada)

• #Change: Now Trending for Generations, Expectations & Higher Education: 1-hour keynote session
  

High Ed Web Conference (#heweb13), October 7, 2013 – Buffalo, NY

• Can you pass the social media license test? Social Media TOS Crash Course – 1-hour session
  
• Challenge Shmallenge – We’ve Got This: Women Paving Their Own Way – Panel (moderator)

eduWeb Conference, July 29, 2013 – Boston, MA

• Can you pass the social media license test? Social Media TOS Crash Course – 1-hour session

PSE Web Conference, June 24 2013 – Vancouver, BC (CANADA)

• Can you pass the social media license test? Social Media TOS Crash Course – 1-hour session

eduWeb Conference, July 31, 2012 – Boston, MA

• The 2012 State of Social Media and Web Analytics in Higher Ed – 1-hour session
  

UB Tech Conference, June 10, 2012 – Las Vegas, NV

• The 2012 State of Social Media and Web Analytics in Higher Ed – 1-hour session

8th Annual Innovations in E-Learning Symposium, June 6 & 7, 2012 – George Mason University – Fairfax, VA

• The 2012 State of Social Media and Web Analytics in Higher Ed – 1-hour session
• A Social Media Marketer Guide to Online Course Design

J. Boye Conference – May 10, 2012 – Philadelphia, PA

• The 2012 State of Social Media and Web Analytics in Higher Ed – 1-hour session

Clarkson University Professional Development Day – April 11, 2012 – Potsdam, NY

• Social Media Audit – 1-hour session to present the results of an audit of all the social media properties associated to Clarkson University
• Social Media 101 – 1-hour session for staff and faculty members
• Social Media Strategy – 1,5 hour session for staff and faculty members

CASE National Conference for Publications Professionals – November 11, 2010 – New Orleans, LA

• The State of Print and Electronic Publications in Higher Education– a 1-hour keynote presentation
  
• Start the (Word)Presses: How to create the online version of your magazine with WordPress – a 1-hour workshop

SIM Tech 2010 Conference – October 21st, 2010 – Las Vegas, NV

• The Higher Ed Web Analytics Revolution– a 1-hour keynote presentation with Shelby Thayer’s participation
  
  The Higher Ed Analytics Revolution from Karine Joly

High Ed Web Conference 2010 – October 12, 2010 – Cincinnati, OH

• Let’s Start the Higher Ed Web Analytics Revolution! – a poster session

eduWeb Conference 2010 – July 26, 2010 – Chicago, IL

• Measure Twice, Cut Once: A 7-Step Plan to Your Digital Marketing Measurement Strategy – a 1-hour presentation

EduComm Conference – June 8, 2010 – Las Vegas, NV

• Measure Twice, Cut Once: A 7-Step Plan to Your Digital Marketing Measurement Strategy – a 1-hour presentation

CASE Europe – Beyond the hype: getting the most from your web presence – May 14, 2009 – London, UK

• Livecast from Montreal to introduce a recorded Higher Ed Experts’ webinar about admissions-sponsored students blogs presented by Nancy Prater in July 2007

CUPRAP Spring Conference – March 11-13, 2009 – Hersey, PA

• “It’s the Community, Stupid! 7-Step Plan to Raise and Nurture Any Community Online – Take 2” First part of a 3-hour workshop about social media.

AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education – 2008 – November 16-19, 2008 – Chicago, IL

• “Blogging Boot Camp” 4-hour Workshop.

eduWeb Conference 2008 – July 21-23, 2008 – Atlantic City, NJ

• “It’s the Community, Stupid! 7-Step Plan to Raise and Nurture Any Community Online” Closing Keynote Speech.

Podcasting for Education Conference – April 2 & 3, 2008 – The University of Warwick, Conventry, UK

• “The State of Higher Ed Podcasting in the US” 45-minute presentation given via a Web link.

HighEdWebDev 2007 – October 15-17, 2007 – Rochester, NY

• “12-Step Program to Better Blogs” 1-hour presentation.

Virginia’s Community College Institutional Advancement and PR Peer Group Conference – June 6-7, 2007 – Staunton, VA

• “How to Survive PR 2.0…and Thrive in the Brand New World of (Web) Communications” (PDF) 1-hour presentation followed by 1-hour workshop.

CASE Annual Conference for Senior Communication and Marketing Professionals – September 13-15, 2006 – Philadelphia

• “Welcome to Web 2.0” – co-presented with Joe Hice, Associate VP of Marketing and Public Relations at the University of Florida. (rated “Stellar Presentation” based on the audience evaluation)
• “The Face(book) of Things to Come: Crisis Communications in a Networked World” – co-presented with Joe Hice

Interviews, Quotes & Mentions in the news:

• eCampus News, Sept 19, 2012 – Technologists: Colleges must adjust to the multi-screen world by Dennis Carter
• PRWeb 2012 – Public Relations Blogs – 25 Essential PR Bloggers You Should Be Reading
• MLive, July 25, 2012 – Central Michigan University utilizes Facebook Timeline to celebrate 120th anniversary by Lindsay Knake
• eSchool News, June 27, 2012 – Collegewebeditor.com is an authority on all things marketing
• ED Tech, June 15, 2012 – Q&A with Must-Read IT Blogger Karine Joly by Jimmy Daly
• eCampus News, June 5, 2012 – Survey: Analytics ‘revolution’ slow to reach recruitment by Dennis Carter
• ED Tech, May 15, 2012 – The Dean’s List: 50 Must-Read Higher Education Technology Blogs by ED Tech Staff
• eCampus News, April 4, 2012 – The ‘Holy Grail’ of college websites might be here by Dennis Carter
• CSUS, April 8, 2011 – CSUS Website Continues to Receive Professional Praise
• FOX Business, February 3, 2011 – Top Education Trends for 2011 by Emily Driscoll
• Community College Times, November 24, 2010 – Favorite blogs, part 1: higher education edition by Redante Asuncion-Reed
• Union College Concordiensis, October 28, 2010 – Union in Motion: Union’s new video sharing site hits the web.
• eCampus News, June 10, 2010 – “How colleges can drive traffic to their web sites: Marketing expert tells higher-ed IT officials about her process for developing a loyal following online” by Dennis Carter
• CASE’s Currents, October 2009 – “The Inner Circle” by Caroline Mayer
• CASE’s Currents, March 2009 – “Living in a Digital Age” by Douglas Vaira and “Streaming Media” by John Pulley
• Campus Wired Blog – The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 8, 2008 – “Colgate University Has an Official Twitterer. World Yawns.” by Scott Carlson.
• University Affairs, August-September 2008 – “Presidents who blog” by Daniel McCabe.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 4, 2008 – “Study Raises New Privacy Concerns About Facebook” by Jeffrey Young.
• Campus Wired Blog – The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 6, 2007 – “Colleges Create Offbeat Videos to Try to Build Web Buzz” by Jeffrey Young.
• University of Maryland News, December 4, 2007 – “The Little Holiday Video That Could”.
• Southern Arkansas University News, November 14, 2007 – “SAU one of the first to launch new Facebook pages” by Becky Bell.
• CASE’s Currents, September 2007 – “Fear and Loathing in Web 2.0” by Andrea Jarrell
• Aiken Standard, August 24, 2007 – “USCA expanding Web presence” by Rob Novit
• CASE’s Currents, May-June 2007 – “Slice of Life – Calendar Pearls” by Patricia Quigley
• Hispanic Outlook of Higher Education, June 18, 2007 – “College Web Sites Going Interactive/Getting Makeovers” by Marilyn Gilroy
• HigherEdBlogCon 2006, April 2006 – Interview with Karine Joly
• collegewebeditor.com, November 2005 – 100th Post Interview: Karine Joly, the Web editor behind collegewebeditor.com