I find out more about what's going on around the U through Facebook than anywhere else except The Brief. I regularly see news from four or five colleges, Coffman, and many other units when I check into FB every morning, as well as from U Relations' University posts. And those are just the ones I've friended or fanned.
It's an excellent place to post press releases, video, podcasts, and ephemera that feels like it needs more exposure but would never meet Adam's strict standards for The Brief. :-)
Best of all, it gives you a reliable way to track interest on various topics, to get feedback through "Likes" and comments.
What interests me is that I am a relatively unimportant audience for most of these posts (not a student, not an alum, not a U-student parent--any more, not a donor). Are these more important audiences on Facebook? i.e. Is Facebook a useful tool for all of you out there taking the time to use it so well?
What is your strategic purpose in using FB? Communicating with students? Alums? Do any of you have metrics that show the value of using FB for particular audiences? Do you see it as a potential conversation starter or just a way to push people to your website?
Thanks for the shout out!
ReplyDeleteI'd actually like to offer that the value of the internal audience is constantly overlooked and underestimated. We are by no means unimportant, as you suggest. Whatever news and info you're trying to get out doesn't have a foundation without faculty/staff (and student) awareness. The more enthusiam from within, the more radiated without--which really is what social media is about. I know it's a platitude, but to me, the best organizations really do radiate from within. If the culture we want to represent doesn't start here, it doesn't end up anywhere. Good stories, in turn, feed that radiance and grow that culture.