Links to all of the talks mentioned can be accessed by navigating through the presentation itself. Also mentioned in the presentation: Dennis Crowley's foursquare check-ins visualization video:

Foursquare check-ins show the pulse of New York City and Tokyo from Foursquare on Vimeo.

Looking for more SXSW Interactive 2013 content? Check out their Soundcloud set of various sessions you can listen to at your computer or on your mobile device.

We also briefly discussed the Battle for BU (thanks to Ryan Bersani for explaining it to us), and Spredfast, which is currently being used by PR, the Dean of Students office, Admissions and Alumni Relations.

Finally, we reviewed a web timeline of communications sent out from the University during the week of the Boston Marathon. SMC members should receive an e-mail shortly with a link to that timeline. Thank you again to all of our Communicators who helped spread important announcements on their platforms and answered questions.

We will plan to meet again in late August. Please feel free to email us with suggested topics.

The Social Media Communicators welcomed two representatives from Google Plus to campus for a presentation of the network on Tuesday, June 12. The team provided a walk-through of the basics of Google Plus, and provided some food for thought on how higher education communicators might be able to use it for their benefit. Five key takeaways from the afternoon:

- Google is aiming to integrate many of its existing tools directly into Plus. Plus will eventually become what Google calls "The Social Spine" of its products. The ability to share with others and interact socially will be available through Plus for documents, photos and photo editing, games, events and more.

- Circles can be an effective marketing tool. Not only can you curate circles of alumni, students, media and other focused groups to target with messaging, circles can also be shared with others to boost followership. For example, a school's page could share a circle of key publications it recommends its students keep updated with. A professor could also create a circle of students in his or her class, and then share the circle so that everyone could connect with each other.

- Hangouts are a key advantage for Plus, and can be used for one-on-one and one-to-many. From a professor using a Hangout for virtual office hours, to a Hangout on Air, broadcast live on YouTube to showcase a campus event, Hangouts can be used for many different applications.

- Plus activity affects search. Google's "Search Plus Your World" makes Google Plus an integral part of more personalized search. Participation in Google Plus provides an advantage when someone searches for your department or institution, and can connect with you directly.

- Providing social context with Plus can also affect your AdWords campaigns. Google Plus page endorsements and campaign extensions, according to the representatives who spoke with us, can have a positive impact on click-through rates of AdWords campaigns. If you use AdWords, this is something to consider.

A few more resources and examples to peruse:

• Google in Education
• Boston University on Google Plus

For questions on starting your own presence on Google Plus, reach out to us or directly to Zack Yeremian of the Google Boston Local Marketing Team at zyeremian@google.com

Pinterest

As Pinterest membership continues to grow, some SMC members have asked if it will work for their marketing efforts. Among the BU communicators adopting Pinterest:

• Dean of Students: Kat Hasenauer pointed us to Kenn Elmore's page, which will be used during orientation to curate the presentation topics on the fly. Each presenter will be "pinned" with their name, office, and one key takeaway: "My advice to you as a freshman."
• Student Activities Office: Melissa Grove helps to curate SAO's Pinterest account as a resource for students. Boards help students with event planning and ideas, as well as fun boards like "We Love Scarlet." They are also following other schools to see how they're using the tool. They plan to increase their efforts on the platform over the summer with the help of student workers.
• College of Communication: Though COM's Pinterest may soon be targeted to only the Photojournalism program, Paul Kresge admitted that they wanted to experiment with the platform because "it was there and it was something new" (a sentiment that felt common across the room). Paul also pointed to their Springpad account, recently set up by the company's ambassadors, which pulls in richer data, including Google Maps and Yelp reviews, which may make guides for students more useful.

Overall, the feeling about Pinterest seemed to be 1) it's caught our attention because of the user base growth & news, 2) it may not be a tool for every department, but it's worth experimenting with for now, and 3) the best use case so far seems to be to provide useful information & guides for students. One person pointed to Drake University's Pinterest as a great example of a higher ed institution using the tool well.

Class of 2016

Gordon Ryan, Admissions' new Digital & Social Media Marketing Manager, spoke briefly about the Class of 2016's reaction to admissions decisions on March 24. Using @ApplytoBU, Gordon estimates he responded to over 500 students with tweets of congratulations (dashing the myth that high school students aren't on Twitter). He also mentioned that the Class of 2016 Facebook page jumped from about 500 members (from Early Decision) to over 3,000. The page now has nearly 3,800 fans (for a class of 3,900, a significant participation rate). Gordon estimates that about 10 percent of their website visits during that week came from social media referrals, and every post they put up receives between 500-2,000 engagements (clicks, etc).

Individual schools are experimenting with social engagement for their new fall class, too. The School of Public Health will be piloting a Yammer group for one class, and possibly a Facebook group for another at the same time. The College of Communication also has established a Facebook page and Twitter account for its freshman class.

Facebook

A few new features of Facebook were discussed in brief, namely the new "Groups at Universities" functionality that Boston University is a part of. Current BU Facebook administrators have no control over the activity here (no "superadmin" capabilities), and pages are not listed here, nor pre-existing groups. For now, it is likely a listening tool for connecting with students, but if SMCers find other uses for it down the road, please let us know.

The new "messages" capability for Pages was also mentioned as an aside. This can be turned on or off, but can serve as a way for fans to ask questions that they may not want to post on the Page's wall.

If you are interested in sharing with other SMCers more between meetings, don't forget to join the BU Social Facebook group.

CAS Presents

Jeremy Schwab presented the latest campaign from the College of Arts & Sciences, a series of faculty expert videos dubbed "CAS Presents." He showcased one, "Why is Modeling a Bad Job?" featuring sociology professor Ashley Mears:

Using the help of his department's interns, Jeremy will continue to produce video showcases of the CAS faculty. You can view all of their videos here.

We will aim to schedule two more meetings this summer, the first in June focusing on Google Plus, and the second in July or August. Please reach out to Mary or Jenny with any questions, or post it to the Facebook group.

These stories are Facebook's way of inferring what content users would most like to see when they first log in. Facebook explains the formula they use to decide which posts appear:

We determine whether something is a highlighted story based on lots of factors, including your relationship to the person who posted the story, how many comments and likes it got, what type of story it is, etc. For example, a friend’s status update that might not normally be a highlighted story may be highlighted after many other friends comment on it.

Facebook Help Center: What is a highlighted story?

For those of us managing Facebook pages, this may mean that some fans will not see our content unless their friends are also interacting with us. Our content may also disappear from their News Feeds if they haven't interacted with us recently by clicking on shared links, commenting on or liking our posts. In fact, comScore found that "[...] users are 40-150 times more likely to consume branded content in the Newsfeed than to visit the Fan Page itself." (The Power of Like, July 2011)

How can we ensure that fans stay active? A few suggestions:

• Encourage feedback: Rather than only posting links, ask for opinions from your fans. Take a poll using Facebook Questions. Run a photo caption contest.
• Choose relevant and compelling content: This may seem elementary, but remember the audience you're trying to reach. If it's current students, provide campus news and bring up common milestones (the Beanpot; the end of finals; a department-wide social event). Check your Facebook Insights regularly to see which pieces of content are getting the most feedback. Patterns here may inform your decisions as you go.
• Encourage visits to your Facebook page elsewhere: Do you have sharing functionality built into your website? Are you promoting your Facebook page through your more traditional marketing channels?

How have you been promoting activity on your Facebook page?

Related: 27% of Facebook Browsing on Newsfeed, Just 10% on Apps (Inside Facebook)

On December 6, the Social Media Communicators met to discuss the use of QR codes, the emergence of Google+, and techniques for managing social media channels. The Public Relations team unveiled their new website, which includes a social media directory for schools, departments, and student groups.

Social Media Directory

Tom Testa, AVP of Public Relations, presented the new PR website, designed to house comprehensive faculty profiles, news releases and a directory of Boston University social media channels, among other services. Communicators should contact Mary Tunney to list their accounts.

QR Codes

While a few groups have tried using QR codes, including the Dean of Students office and the School of Medicine Alumni Association, the conclusion seems to be that while the technology is interesting, there are pitfalls and barriers to use. Kat Hasenauer of DOS explained that many students did not seem to understand how they work, or that they needed additional software on their phones to read them. She also mentioned that several students still have old-fashioned flip phones, which cannot read QR codes at all. One communicator suggested that directions on how to use a QR code should be included on the marketing materials where the code is being used. Scott Dasse of Interactive Design suggests this article on QR code adoption and use.

Google+

Since we recently launched the Boston University Google+ page, we wanted to ask about other communicators' experience with the platform. Only a couple of departments mentioned their plans to use it, and opinions of it were mixed. Raul Fernandez of the Howard Thurman Center asserted that it's yet another platform to maintain, but if the audience is there, he would support its integration into their strategy. By many accounts, the most powerful thing about Google+ is the role it plays in search. Ryan Bersani of Online Giving praised it for its customizable privacy settings, while others expressed concern that their privacy would be compromised in ways they did not explicitly allow.

Andrea Little from the School of Management said that they had been considering using the Google+ Hangouts functionality with their Admissions team. (Since the meeting, the Dean of Students office has hosted a Hangout with Cecilia Lalama in the Educational Resource Center.) It seems that currently, Google+ adoption is a phase of experimentation. A few things to keep in mind:

• Reserving your Google+ page means it will go live immediately. Unlike Facebook, the page will go live immediately.
• Pages are currently limited to one administrator and ownership is not transferable. But according to recent news, this should change soon.
• Tools like HootSuite are beginning to enable cross-posting to Google+, as well as Facebook and Twitter, to aid with time management and consistency across platforms.

Since Tuesday's meeting, BU was featured with Emerson and Harvard in a BostInnovation piece on higher ed adoption of Google Plus.

Time Management

Finally, the group discussed time management. How are departments managing their platforms, and the messaging across them? Robert Flynn of Dining Services said that he is maintaining all of their platforms on his own, and that until it is no longer feasible, he would prefer it that way, citing concerns of maintaining a consistent voice. Other teams, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Public Health, and Admissions have taken a team approach, designating different employees and schedules for social media management. Kelsey Labrot of the Howard Thurman Center suggested a few tools to help with scheduling posts, including CoTweet and Tweue.

Suggestions for the next meeting? Comments on the topics discussed? Leave them below, or send a note to jemack@bu.edu.

1.)    Shine your light: Once you master a skill or a task, move on and share that aptitude with a different account team or your co-workers. Everyone wins when you learn from each other.

2.)    Connect with causes: This shows you care, and it’s not just about the money.

3.)    Reconsider metrics: Look at what type of analytics you’re using, if any, and see if they are the best way measure what you’re interested in.

4.)    Listen: Hear what consumers, employees and bloggers are saying about your company/product and incorporate that into your business plan. This also means responding to your online following (very important!) Public relations is still about customer service.

5.)    Media training for everyone: With social media, everyone is able to speak on behalf of the company, whether it is the C-suite or a junior-level employee, so make sure they’re ready.

6.)    Bring the legal department in early: Make sure that legal is involved with social media strategies from the beginning. That way, everyone is on the same page and can act proactively, instead of cleaning up after a crisis!

Chris emphasized that having a blog or a Twitter account is not just about exposure. It is about using these tools to leverage relationships with your audience and create influence.

Becky Loya is a senior at Boston University studying public relations. Follow her @BeckyLoya.

We asked attendees about progression of their blogging efforts, and the sentiment from many was that groups are moving away from blogging due to time constraints and management. BU Dining Services said they had recently taken to Tumblr, as it easily allows them to post pictures and other shorter pieces of content. Admissions brought up their new blog, which allows them a way to provide more information to prospective students. PR mentioned that one of their latest blogs, Professor Voices, had been migrated from blogs.bu.edu to a new BU WordPress site.

Kat Cornetta of the Dean of Students office advised that departmental blogs, rather than being made separate entities on blogs.bu.edu, can be integrated into BU WordPress websites by:

• Creating blog posts in “News”
• Assigning each post to a category, which is the blog’s name
• Adding the category to the site’s main navigation

By creating multiple categories, you can create multiple “blogs,” which are simply subsections of your website.

Next, we discussed location-based services like Foursquare, and though some groups expressed interest in using it, no one seemed to have solid strategies yet. An example was brought up about using the Foursquare “Lists” feature to compile recurring features, like BU Today’s “Nearby Neighborhoods” or “Lunch Anyone?” series, to repurpose content and drive Foursquare users back to BU sites.

Other technical discussions followed, including:

• Embedding playable Vimeo clips on Facebook pages
• Reserving Foursquare venues and adding venue managers
• The inability to create LinkedIn sub-pages (currently limited to one main company page for Boston University, per LinkedIn’s guidelines)

We also shared a link to a Google Doc for all Social Media Communicators to post events that need cross-promotion. If you still need this link, please send us an e-mail.

Did you have an interesting discussion that wasn’t mentioned here? Feel free to leave it in the comments.

To be honest, when Eric Stoller, higher ed technology expert, brought up the subject of accessibility, I wasn't really sure what that meant. "Ensuring our websites are usable by people of all abilities and disabilities is a legal and moral obligation many higher ed institutions have failed to live up to," Eric writes on his blog. When building a school building, you would always think to make it wheelchair accessible, but the same logic usually is not top of mind when thinking about the web. The Internet is a valuable resource, and students who might have auditory, visual or cognitive disabilities should be able to access it too. In addition, making the web more accessible naturally leads to better SEO. Sounds like a win-win to me. The easiest way to get accessibility on the agendas of IT departments, technology vendors, administrators etc. is to start talking about it. Social media provides excellent channels for creating hype, so let's get this initiative going!

Next up is student engagement. As a student, it was interesting to hear how higher ed professionals are trying to get my attention online: contests, iPads, blogs, etc. Social media is a very successful way to communicate with students, but only if you're doing it right. The first step is to have a plan. Creating the accounts is a start, but a long-term plan and a lot of manpower is required to make those accounts successful. Part of this means giving students opportunities and content they wouldn't receive elsewhere. You need to give a reason for your school's community to to follow or fan you. Keep content fresh, engaging and be helpful. If a student is tweeting about limited seating in the library, offer them a different place to study or offer to petition for more seating. Become a trusted source for students.

I learned a lot at #satechBOS and if you'd like to check out more of the discussion, visit the Google Doc for lots of great resources and coverage.

Rebecca is a senior at Boston University studying public relations. Follow her @BeckyLoya.

The School of Education teaches Orientation Session 5 how to do the Terrier Shuffle.

Below are some articles that caught our interest this past week:

The Broader Role of Moderators in Online Communities (The Online Community Guide): Removing bad content and resolving disputes is just a small part of being a moderator on the web (your blog; your Facebook page). A community manager should be interested in proactively starting discussions and guiding what the community will talk about. Setting up weekly features (thinking: BUAA's Terrier Tip Tuesday) can help to grow a web community.

App Connects Governments And Citizens on Facebook (AllFacebook): The CRT Facebook app allows citizens to report municipal issues to their local governments. How could students work together to solve problems or provide regular feedback in an app like this? What types of issues could it address?

Google Plus is Not Your Blog (Chris Brogan): Nor is Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn -- they serve as outposts for your content. They are enhancements to what you are already doing, whether it's publishing a quarterly newsletter for alumni or hosting events for incoming students. We've noticed a few campus organizations, including the Programming Council and the International Affairs Association, have jumped onto Google+ recently (we're currently holding off, as Google has options for businesses rolling out shortly.) Are you trying Google Plus? What are your thoughts so far?

The Student Affairs Technology Unconference Boston is being hosted by Dean of Students Kenn Elmore and Ed Cabellon on Friday, July 29th. There are a few tickets left, but if you'd rather save them for higher ed folks outside of BU, the hashtag to follow that day is #satechBOS.