BEYOND LIKES
TOWARDS ENGAGEMENT
Connecting with Students via Social Technology
with Dr. @PaulGordonBrown
CONNECT
DALLAS, TX 2016
So who is this guy?
@paulgordonbrown
Research
Impact of social and digital
technology on college student’s
concepts of self.
Presentations
- Be. Act. Do. Digital Leadership.
- Digital Social Justice
- What Every Digital #SApro
Should Do
- Engaging With Students
Online and With Social Media
@paulgordonbrown
#Connect16
This session is Twitter-friendly.
@paulgordonbrown
Goals for this session.
Participants will be able to:
1.  Recall macro-level trends in social media adoption and use by
college students
2.  Describe real-world examples of ways social media have been
effective or ineffective at engaging students and why.
3.  Recognize shifts necessary in current marketing/engagement
practices for the effective use of social media tools.
4.  Utilize specific strategies learned from the presenters and
peers in their own practice and contexts.
Outline.
Social Media Trends
Content Examples
Divisional Example
Best Practices
Small Group Strategizing
Q&A
broadcasting
engagement
technology is a
TOOL
technology
is also a
CONTEXT
You don’t
Expert
have to be an
You might
“STEP IN IT”
89%
of adults 18-29 years old use social media
67%
access it on mobile
98%
of adults ages 18-29 are on the internet
70
70
70
43%
60%
89%
65+
50-64
30-49
70
78% 18-29
social media use
by age
(Brenner, 2013; Brenner & Smith, 2013; Pew Internet Project, n.d.)
younger generations
are using the internet,
social media, and mobile
technologies at a high rate
Social Media Trends.
0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
23
3437
53
87
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
18-29 year olds
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104
0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Age comparison
18-29 yo
65+ yo
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104
0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Household income comparison
Less than 30k/yr
More than 75k/yr30k-
30k-
75k+
75k+
75k+
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104
0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Race comparison
White Hispanic
Black
Black
Black
Black
White
White
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104
0
25
50
75
100
Facebook Instragram Twitter Pintrest LinkedIn
Social Media Platform Adoption (2014)
Sex comparison
Men Women
Women
Women
Men
Women
Men
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104
Content Examples.
Outcomes
1. Develop relationships with your students
2. Develop community
3. Model appropriate online behavior
4. Customer service
5. Marketing and information sharing
6. Reading student culture/discourse
Boston College
Outcomes1. Point out hurtful comments and
problematic behavior.
2. Describe the negative effects of hurtful
comments on target groups.
3. Modify their own behavior.
4. Create a more welcoming campus
climate.
5. Encourage student action.
Divisional Example.
Communication
Infrastructure
http://bit.ly/bsusmguide15
http://bit.ly/bsurccsmjd
integrated marketing
team managers
Kath Bukis
Print Shop Manager
Chloe Corsi
Manager
Catherine O’Malley
BSUlife.com Editor in Chief
Jessica Laudati
Design Team Manager
Emily Cohn
Video Team Manager
Laura Lawton
Social Media Manager
5 5 7
5 6 2
http://bit.ly/bsusmmarketingworksheet
Outcomes
1. Provide proper infrastructure for
sustainability.
2. Determine social media’s role in overall
division/department communication
strategies.
3. Educate departments using one
divisional approach as a guide.
4. Utilize student staff to actualize strategy.
(Staff)
Best practices.
istock / getty images
Centralized Decentralized
or Hybrid Model
istock / getty images
Administrative Support?
Campus Partners?
Who’s your audience?
All students?
A sub-population?
Parents?
Alumni?
Stakeholders?
Who’s your audience?
What’s your G.I.F.T.?
Modified from Gross, L. (2014). How to manage social media in higher education. http://lizgross.net/ebook/
GoalModified from Gross, 2014
Be helpful?

Be a champion?

Provide information?
Modified from Gross, 2014
Identity
?
Modified from Gross, 2014
?
The royal “we?”

Do we know who you are?

Or is it a persona?
Modified from Gross, 2014
Formality
Modified from Gross, 2014
LOL ! "

Thank you for your inquiry.

¯_( )_/¯
Modified from Gross, 2014
Tone
Modified from Gross, 2014
Playful?

Sarcastic?

Authoritative?
Modified from Gross, 2014
What’s your G.I.F.T.?
Modified from Gross, L. (2014). How to manage social media in higher education. http://lizgross.net/ebook/
Goal
Identity
Formality
Tone
CONTENT IS KING
Who’s
content?
developing your
Matrix
Topic Examples %
ModifiedfromGross,2014
Topic Examples %
Leadership
Articles
Found on the Web; Added to our blog from
student class assignments
40%
Highlights
Profiles of staff, student leaders, and highlights
of student organizations
30%
Pride Photos Photos of our mascot, photos from events 10%
Deadlines
Informational: org fair sign-ups, last day of
classes, last day to drop classes
20%
Modified from Gross, 2014
Small Group Strategizing
some things to
thinkabout
it takes
TIME
Be consistent
Be dedicated
social media
is NOT
required
EVERY
time
@paulgordonbrown
Resources.
.com
@paulgordonbrown
www.paulgordonbrown.com
paulgordonbrown@gmail.com

Beyond Likes, Towards Engagement: Connecting with Students via Social Technology