Social Media Strategy: First Draft

• Form an action group of those on campus (staff, faculty, students!) interested in Twitter and other social media
  
• Hold a Twitter sandbox
• Show how easy it is; how little time it takes
• Showcase tools to make it even easier: TweetDeck, twhirl, Firefox extensions
• Ask folks who are active on Yammer to consider posting on Twitter
• Encourage these new Twitterers to tweet about work projects but also their personal interests -- these Twitter accounts need personality and a face behind them
• Emphasize the need to follow others: find counterparts at other higher ed institutions, people with similar personal interests, anyone you find interesting
• Stress importance of having conversations on Twitter
  • If someone has a question about obtaining a visa, and you are qualified to answer -- go for it! Link them to the video you made or the blog post you wrote!
  • Your conversations don't directly have to benefit MIIS; they can establish your credibility and help craft your digital personality/identity.
• Listen to Twitter chatter: assign people specific listening areas/terms that are relevant to them and have them monitor conversations regarding these topics
  
• Use Google Alerts/Twitter Search
  
• Possible search terms: MBA, Monterey, policy, MIIS, Monterey Institute, translation, interpretation, translate, interpret, language, language teaching, language education, localization management, TESOL, grad school, financial aid, visas
  
• By summer, brainstorm goals and tactical approaches
• Determine which tool(s) best suit what we want to accomplish
• Develop standard operating procedure for the Twitter team
• Audience: 2010 enrollment targets(?)

Introducing New Media to Key Decision-Makers

Assigned Reading

Definition of Social Media by Liz Strauss
A Primer on Social Media by Jocelyn Harmon
Is Web 2.0 Software You Purchase from Microsoft and other Stupid Questions You Might Be Afraid to Ask by Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

Reflection

The concept of social media may be relatively new to key decision-makers at MIIS. Rob and I must consider how we will introduce Twitter and explain why becoming part of the Twitterverse is so important.

Explaining Twitter to those unacquainted with the service is no easy task. Since microblogging is still relatively new, it is often misunderstood by those who are tech-savvy. I would compare Twitter to a blog, but also stress the fact that each "entry" is limited to 140 characters. These Twitter updates (or "tweets") are much shorter than a normal blog entry; therefore, it will take much less time to prepare and update Twitter than to maintain a normal blog.

I would begin by showing examples of how other higher ed institutions are using Twitter:

• Google Doc: Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
  The number of interesting ways is always evolving as more educators contribute to the list.


• Twitter @ Butler University
  These blog entries were written by Brad J. Ward, former e-communications director at Butler.


• Top 10 Higher-Ed Web Design Mistakes in 140
  Stewart Foss of eduStyle recently used Twitter to compile a list of the top 10 higher ed web design mistakes.

Twitter can be used in many different ways, so we should have an audience/focus in mind before we present our idea to the key decision-makers. Because the Monterey Institute is so small, I think it would be wise to begin with only one Twitter account (as opposed to some schools who have a separate Twitter name for admissions, athletics, etc.).

Finally, we must show the decision-makers how easy it will be to implement. We will have to decide who will have access to the MIIS Twitter account (probably more than one person) and how often they will be responsible for posting. For those unfamiliar with Twitter, we can provide examples of appropriate tweets. Each tweet should serve a purpose (such as promoting an event, announcing a deadline change, introducing a new MIIS employee, and so on).

In order to be successful on Twitter, we will also need to keep track of who is tweeting about MIIS and follow up with them if needed (I especially believe this after reading Ten 10 Reasons to Monitor Twitter as a University or College). "Following" people who follow MIIS on Twitter will also increase our credibility and help expand our Twitter network.