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May 2009
Higher Education Marketing Report
Welcome to the Social Web
By Adrienne Bartlett
Director of Marketing
TargetX
Remember when the internet was another world we called “cyberspace?” We talked about it as if it were some far-off land we reached only after traveling long hours on the information superhighway.

Back then, only “geeks” knew their way around a computer, and you had to be nothing short of a prodigy to actually create web content.

Even when personal computing and the internet went mainstream, still average users were restricted to passively surfing around, clicking and reading. And clicking some more. And reading some more.

Sounds boring, but even that was pretty darn cool at the time. Just the thought of it makes me nostalgic for animated gifs and Netscape Navigator. Ah, the 90's.
These days, the internet is quite different. Call it whatever you like — even “Web 2.0” if you must — but in the modern world,“"the web” is where we live. As its name suggests, it connects us in ways that were never possible before (at least not without the knowledge of complicated code). Advances in technology have brought the power of interaction and contribution to our desktops, and code monkeys aren't the only ones having fun anymore.
Yes, the web has officially gone social. Far from cyberspace, it's become an intimate part of our personal space. And tools of the trade like blogs, social networks, RSS, podcasts and streaming video have led the charge.
But it's impossible to talk about the next generation of the internet without mentioning the so-called “internet generation.” They may be jeered as overprotected and narcissistic, but don't count them out just yet. No one has harnessed the power of the social web quite like the Millennials.
This generation, born roughly between the years of 1980 and 2000, has come of age alongside the internet itself. Add to that the fact that the new cohort comes with equally tech-savvy Generation X-er parents, and it's easy to see why social media is so important for colleges and universities to understand.
This new breed of prospective families brings very sophisticated expectations to their online experiences and purchasing decisions. And too often college websites just don't measure up.
To remain successful, it's crucial for admissions marketers to develop relationships with prospects and facilitate the process of helping them make connections. Luckily, the social web provides ample opportunities for both.
The Era of Social Media
Simply put, social media refers to the technologies people use to share content online. These tools and services (usually free) make it easy to share content in the form of text, photos, audio, video, etc. — making the web much more like a conversation than a library. The end result is a completely and forever-changed communication landscape. If you're a graduate of the “old school,” you've probably already begun to experience the difference.
For starters, “marketers” no longer control the marketing message. The ease of content-sharing has turned traditional advertising (pushed down from above) into a conversation that builds from the ground up. And in a world where anyone can publish, experiences with your brand, both good and bad, have a home online: as comments on blogs, in forums on social networks - even in the form of entire dedicated websites.
Word of mouth now spreads virally and across the world in seconds. Consumers create the content, which, consequently, means they control the message.
Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff of Forrester provide an excellent primer for understanding the new rules of the web in their book Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. They observed, “In the era of social media, people use technologies to get what they need from each other, not traditional institutions.”
It's an important distinction, because it can be all too easy to get excited about the myriad new marketing channels; focusing solely on widgets and wikis and the latest Web 2.0 buzzwords. That would be missing the point though.
At its core, social media is not about technology. It's about people's desire to connect with each other. Sure, technology is a necessary conduit, but the true power of the social media revolution comes from our ability to share life experiences with others (regardless of the actual tool we use to do it).
In addition, these channels are not simply new avenues to push out more “talk at” messaging. Smart marketers know you've got to talk with your audience if you want to build relationships and customer loyalty.
Tools like social networks offer prospects the chance to be part of a community — a dynamic fulfillment piece if you will — one that keeps them coming back because of new content and the ability to make connections with current students, faculty, admissions officers and each other.
But, how do you compete in a world where glossy brochures and carefully worded email campaigns are far from the only messages getting out about your school? The answer: you participate. But first you've got to listen up.
Tapping In
Like any successful initiative, tapping into social media requires a bit of research.
In this case, that means paying close attention to the conversation that's already going on about your institution online — what Li and Bernoff call the “groundswell.”
It's free market research and incredibly valuable feedback — so there's no excuse not to close the loop. A good place to start is by setting up Google Alerts or searching for mentions of your institution on sites like Technorati, Facebook and YouTube.
Due diligence is an important step here, as it's critical to test the waters before diving in head-first. Only after you listen and gauge the online sentiment about your school can you decide on an optimal strategy for participating yourself.
Can't we just ignore it?
When it comes down to it, social media has changed the (online) face of communication and the way brands interact with consumers (read: the way schools need to interact with prospects). As much as we'd sometimes love it to, higher ed does not exist in a vacuum.
If you've thought about simply ignoring it — remember that social media is no flash-in-the-pan trend.
A recent study conducted by Nora Barnes and Eric Mattson from the Center for Marketing Research of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth was entitled “The Game Has Changed: College Admissions Outpace Corporations in Embracing Social Media.” It concluded that 61% of admissions offices currently use at least one form of social media (defined as blogs, social networking, message boards, online videos, wikis and podcasting).
The study, based on detailed interviews with 453 admissions departments, also found that 33% use blogs, 29% engage in social networking and 19% offer online videos. In addition, 88% reported that social media is either very important or somewhat important to their marketing/recruiting strategy.
Still wish it would all just go away? Consider what happens when your competition takes advantage of social recruiting while you continue to cling only to traditional, one-way methods of communication.
While it's true that opening yourself up is risky — it's also very real. And no amount of technology or social media initiatives can be successful in today's environment unless they first focus on being authentic.
The Demand for Authenticity
According to a 2006 Ad Age study, 64% of consumers believe advertising is dishonest or unrealistic. As a result, authenticity reigns as the new consumer demand. And prospective students are pretty demanding consumers.
Discouraged by staged photos and “too-perfect” descriptions of campus life, prospects are seeking other ways to find out “real” information about the schools they're interested in. Like other consumers, they are demanding authenticity and aren't finding it in most college marketing materials (including websites).
As a result, sites like “College Confidential” and “Rate My Professor” have emerged as a means for prospects and their parents to search for the insider information they feel they're not getting elsewhere.
The time has come to stop pretending everything on our campuses is always positive and perfect. Prospects know it isn't, and they can spot a phony. Even worse, they are quick to expose brands and ignite backlash online if they feel they've been misled. The truth is, teens these days are very forgiving of flaws if they feel you are giving them the “real deal.”
Current social recruiting initiatives like student blogs have become incredibly popular because, when executed properly, they allow real students to tell stories about what life is really like on campus. Stories render authenticity — and since most of us would trust a stranger's review on Amazon over any “official” product claims made by a company — it's easy to understand why.
Schools that learn to deliver a truly authentic and engaging online experience will recruit and retain “best-fit” students and develop a distinct advantage as the sentiment against passive, “fake” marketing only grows more sour.
Put it in perspective
While the social web can be volatile and tough to navigate, the advantages of adopting social media as part of your recruitment efforts certainly outweigh the risks. Especially when you factor in the comparatively low cost and the ability to engage visitors and keep them on your site longer.
One last word of warning though: Social media is not a “catch-all” solution to every recruitment marketing woe. It's just another piece (albeit an incredibly timely, relevant and important piece) of what should be a comprehensive communication plan.
Together the elements of your plan should focus on telling your college's story authentically and allowing prospects to participate and make connections with you and each other.
So don't get too caught up in strategic planning and cost-benefit analysis on this one. I'm all for strategy and planning — but not to the point that it paralyzes us from actually doing something. Part of the beauty of social media is the ease with which you can try something new. If it works, great. If not, take it down and move on. It's obviously not what your audience wants from you.
To put it all in perspective, consider the advice of Bob Pearson, VP of Communities & Conversations for Dell. When asked about social media initiatives in a time of recession, he answered that social media becomes “more important” and that Dell sees a “greater adoption in this kind of economic climate.” Why? “It's not that expensive to do, and it gets us closer to our customers.”
Copyright © 2009 by Higher Education Marketing Report