Got Social Media?

Whether you get it or not, social media is here to stay. The real question is … are you leveraging it effectively to engage your target audience? Given that the social media revolution is the biggest change to communications since the printing press, we should understand how we can embrace social media instead of running from it.

And this can mean different things to different organizations depending on their communication objectives and target audiences. Some traditional brands (e.g. Ford) use social media exclusively to launch new products and this strategy is working well for them – it’s a great fit considering their audience’s preferences for product information and the undeniable fact that word of mouth and testimonials help sell products. In fact, some companies are dedicating entire advertising budgets to social media. While I personally (and professionally) think that is putting too many eggs into one basket, there are a few considerations we should entertain as we embark upon the social media highway.

Facebook Fan Pages

One study conducted by McCorkindale, DiStaso & Fussell-Sisco, "How Millennials Are Interacting with Organizations on Facebook,” states that 69 percent of millenials rarely visit Facebook fan pages (i.e. Facebook pages belonging to organizations). Yikes, that means that college students aren’t visiting your Facebook site? Not exactly... while millennials can sniff a sales pitch a mile away, they are inclined to like organizations which fit into the following categories:

• Sororities and fraternities
• Nonprofits (including religious orgs)
• Sports teams
• Local organizations
• College organizations
• Bands

And if you are able to offer a promotional item or a service discount, then your chances are even greater of being liked by this much sought after group. Click here to read the article by Ragan.com http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/44683.aspx.

Content is Still King

Yes, some old school rules still apply in this rapidly changing digital world. Like a social media plan (we’ll save that discussion for a later date), it is extremely beneficial to think through your content. Is it timely? Is it compelling? Will it engage your audience and inspire them to perform a desired behavior? If not, move on. It is far better to have less but high quality content than to have content for the sake of having a lot of content. Believe me, I am just as guilty as anyone for slapping up a posting and hoping it sticks. But the real meat of the matter is whether you inspire folks to take action – purchase tickets, register for an event, etc. There is more to measure than likes and fans.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Did you know that the Division of Student Affairs has more than 8 departmental Facebook fan pages, 7 Twitter accounts, 3 YouTube sites and 3 Link-In accounts. And that doesn’t even account for interdepartmental program sites. But the point is - you are among good company in exploring the potential of social media at Georgia Tech. As part of their strategic plan, the Office of Communications and Marketing is developing a social media plan for the Institute – one after which we can model our own social media plans. For now, I offer you the following listing of Facebook fan pages. If you have a Facebook site for your department, visit other fan pages and become a fan or even post a comment. It is a great way to cross-pollinate with like-minded organizations.

Division of Student Affairs

Campus Recreation Center 

Career Services 

Leadership & Civic Engagement 

Women’s Resource Center 

Ferst Center for the Arts 

Leadership Education and Development 

Parents Program 

 
On a closing note, I invite you to view a recent presentation, Getting the Word Out in Web 3.0, given by Richard Warren of What’s Up Innovation. Pretty informative presentation delivered during a Brown Bag series hosted by the Office of Communications and Marketing. Visit the Communications and Marketing Educational Resources page http://www.gatech.edu/comm/toolbox/education.html for a full listing of Brown Bag presentations.