This document provides tips for colleges and universities to communicate digitally in a digital-first manner. It recommends focusing communication efforts on digital platforms like websites, blogs, social media, apps, text and email. It also provides specific tips for using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Storify, and video to engage audiences and join online conversations in a conversational rather than promotional style. The document stresses the importance of listening and experimenting with new tools and techniques to better communicate digitally.

1. Digital-First
Working & Thinking
Steve Buttry
National Council for Marketing & Public Relations
March 10, 2013
#ncmpr

2. Read more about it
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com
• @stevebuttry

3. How do you spend resources?
1. Communicate through news media
2. Communicate directly in print
3. Communicate directly by broadcast
4. Communicate directly in person
5. Communicate directly digitally
(website, blogs, social, apps, text,
email …)

4. Class of ‘72 is on Facebook

5. Thinking #digitalfirst
1. Story (or press release) is a process and
a conversation, not a product
2. How many ways can we share this?
3. RTs, likes, shares, pins & links as
important (or more so) than front-page
play or evening newscast
4. New gadget or social platform = tool
for better communication

6. Working #digitalfirst
• Work & think first for digital platforms
• Communicate on all digital platforms
(web, email, SMS, social, mobile)
• Experiment & take risks
• Try new tools & techniques
• Listen & join community conversation

7. Facebook tips for college PR
• Consider engaging as person and as
college
• Do all departments/schools/programs
need/want Facebook pages?
• Conversation is more engaging than one-
way promotion
• Tag people & orgs mentioned in posts

8. engagement
Photos engage better than updates

12. engagement
Be conversational (not just promos)

18. Twitter tips for colleges
• Follow everyone on campus who’s on
Twitter
• Set up & monitor lists of college users
• Know & use faculty & student usernames
• Use & promote regular hashtag(s)
• Engage as person & as brand
• Conversational, not just promotional

20. Save Twitter searches
• College name (abbreviation, mascot, etc.)
• College hashtags
• Mentions of president, prominent faculty
• Tweets around campus (use Geofeedia?)
• Set up alerts

21. Wide range of video
• Heavily produced quality video
• Livestream (Ustream, Qik)
• Live webcam
• Vine, Tout
• Hangout (live on YouTube)
• Web newscast or sportscast
• Google Voice + still photos
• YouTube, Vimeo (post & search)

24. Storify tips
• It’s easy to learn; jump in and try
• Can use as main story (lots of writing,
some social & web content)
• Can be social sidebar (lots of social w/
some transitions, grouping)
• List format works well
• Great slideshow format

25. Storify tips
• Notify people whose tweets you used
• You can use links in text, don’t need to
embed them all
• Embed in blog or story on website
• See how it embeds (might need to push
down below intruding elements)

26. Pinterest, Instagram
• Do you have your own accounts?
• Curate content about your college
• Share on other social accounts (Twitter,
Facebook)
• Seasonal contests: campus scenes

27. Faculty, staff, student blogs
• Build reputation in niche audiences
• Help set them up
• Coach in blogging techniques, SEO
• Link from college website
• Promote in social media

28. Don’t forget SlideShare

29. Under the microscope
Let’s examine your:
• Facebook posts
• Tweets
• Pinterest
• Blogs
• Something else?

30. Think defensively
• Save search for #yourcollegesucks
• Buy & park domain for yourcollegesucks.com
• Don’t waste time w/ trolls who aren’t getting
attention
• Respond (on social media, blog comments,
etc.) to valid or sincere criticism

31. Plan a digital project
• Campus event
• Sports event
• New major or program
• New college president
• Celebrity visit to campus
• College mobile app

32. Follow-up
• stevebuttry.wordpress.com
• slideshare.net/stevebuttry
• stephenbuttry@gmail.com
• @stevebuttry