SocialSasha.com

Current Mood: Cool

Dear Super Bowl,

I refuse to be sucked in this year. I know you think everyone is watching you to see big men in tights beat up on each other for an oval ball, but we’re not. I hate to break it to you, but the only reason MILLIONS of Americans tune in is because of the commercials. (or the excuse to eat obscene amounts of food). Unfortunately for you, your commercials have SUCKED the last 10 years and I don’t think anything will change this year! The only commercial that sticks out to me is the cat herding one and I can’t even remember what it was advertising! I don’t get why should I watch several hours of grunting, sweaty men pummel each other just to see one (maybe) funny commercial. Well, I won’t do it this year. I’m going to be like Pepsi this year and not participate. Why? Because of my new friend, Social Media.

This year I’m choosing to do what I want on Super Bowl Sunday. And here’s the kicker (get it? Kicker?). I’ll STILL see the commercial everyone is talking about. How? Twitter and Facebook. That’s right Super Bowl, your irrelevant in my world! I’ll look at Twitter, see what is trending in those handy trending topics and be able to find that one hilarious gem of a commercial. Same goes for Facebook! While I’m relaxing and doing what I want, my friends will update me on the funniest commercials via Facebook. Social media will separate the wheat from the chaff for me! How awesome is that!

Clearly, social media has more to offer me than you. Not only will it save me from wanting to gouge my eyes out watching your incessant game, but it will also save me time… time not wasted on you. So take that Super Bowl! Go have your fun. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Pepsi and good book waiting for me.

Sincerely,

Sasha

Sasha Social Media pepsi, Social Media, social media preference, Super Bowl

Current Mood: Happy

For the month of February, I’m involved with a project called Clicks for Quakes. It’s a photography charity event to raise funds for survivors in Haiti. The project started in North and South Carolina and they currently have over a dozen photographers on board. I would like to have that kind of participation here in Michigan!

If you’re a photographer with a big heart, and a little bit of spare time, this will be the perfect thing for you to take on this February. Basically for $30 someone will get a 20 minute photo shoot with you and 100% of the proceeds will go towards Haiti. That’s it… just 20 min! As a thank you, the person will recieve one high res digital file to use personally (not commercially). Need a new Facebook picture? New Twitter avatar? You get the picture!

If this is something you want to join in on, please please drop me an email. It doesn’t take much. There are posters and logos available for you to use today! Hope to hear from you!

Sasha Personal, Photography

Last week I had a revelation after two women from another university called me to inquire about Davenport University’s Facebook page. They explained that their school is currently starting its first Facebook page and had questions about how I accomplished a few things on ours. After talking with them on the phone, they asked “How did you learn all of this? Was there a website that helped you? A book?” I was stumped and then it came to me. Most of my knowlege comes from Twitter.

That’s right, Twitter is my resource guide. Whenever I have a question about higher sducation or social media, I turn to my many contacts on Twitter for help. Sure, I could Google a lot of this stuff, but why weed through thousands of pages that won’t help me, when I can just ask someone I trust if they have a solution.  Almost immediately after asking the question, I recieve filtered answers that are way more valuable then what Google could ever offer.

I was discussing this with my hubby yesterday and he said Twitter has been a major help to him in his career as well. He is studying IT right now and follows many IT pros out there. As a result he said he feels on par with many of his professors in terms of helpful resources.  In fact, the information he recieves from Twitter is sometimes more helpful than what he gets in the classroom. He suspects that’s because he’s connecting with real life professionals who are living, eating and breating IT. As an aside, it’s amazing seeing him talk so positively about Twitter, when just several months ago he said it was time-waster.

Not only can Twitter help out in professional situations, but it can help out in personal ones as well. Meet Edgar.  He was one of four baby bunnies living in my backyard last summer. During their uninvited stay in the middle of the yard, one of my dogs chased little Edgar out of his nest. In order to protect him from the perilous jaws of my hounds, I was forced to pick him up and return him to the nest. This resulted in extreme anxiety for me because I had heard that if you picked up a baby bunny, the mom would reject him. Instantly, I hopped on Twitter and asked around for help and clarification. And wouldn’t you know it? I got replies from several people who had encountered the same problem. Where else can you get help like that? Again, I could have Googled an answer, but it probably would have taken me hours to find something useful!

Sasha Social Media facebook, help, higher education, resource guide, Social Media, twitter

Current Mood: Happy

Ever since I was a little girl, I was always overflowing with ideas. I was always creating crazy things like tree swings affectionately called the “Drop of Doom” or pulley systems across the pool in the backyard. The advantage I had back then though was time. Nowadays, I don’t have time to immediately implement my ideas. I’m so consumed in work or family life that I barely have time to even remember half the things that pop into my brain. However, there’s a solution for creative souls such as myself.

Notebook:
I’m obsessed with my little black notebook. I have two in fact. One is in my purse and one is my work purse. Whenever an idea strikes me, I write it down immediately. The notebook doesn’t just contain notes though, it contains storyboards, pictures and diagrams. Basically anything that comes to mind goes in that notebook. Sure, a lot of the things I write down never actually come to fruition, but it’s nice to look back at something from a while ago and say “Hey, I didn’t have time for that then, but I have time for it now!

Voice Recorder:
Sometimes jotting down an idea just isn’t possible because we’ve dislocated that pencil or we’re driving 75 mph on Interstate 5. No fears, that’s what voice recorders are for. Lucky for me, my voice recorder is right in my phone. I flip it on with just a touch and then I let the thoughts flow from my head. Don’t have a voice recorder on your phone? Check out Best Buy. They’ve got a nice selection!

MindMapping:
Now that you have your ideas, how do you flush them out? MindMapping. If you haven’t heard of MindMapping before, you’re in for a treat. MindMapping is a way to structure your thoughts using diagrams. Essentially you start with one idea in the middle and then branch out with sub ideas and more ideas off of that. Pretty soon you’ll see a theme and structure coming out of your MindMap. The non-linear approach to this type of brainstorming really helps maximize your brainstorming session’s potential. Sound difficult? It’s not. Actually, there are numerous MindMapping programs out there. Check them out at one of my fave sites, Lifehacker.

Sasha Social Media

Tips on how to best utilize your organization’s Twitter and/or Facebook account

Update often

Social media is about building and maintaining relationships. If you have a long-distance friendship with someone, the best way to build that relationship is through frequent communication. Social media is the same way. You can’t expect to have a meaningful connection with your followers if you offer them nothing in return.  Facebook administrators should plan on updating Facebook at least four times a week. Twitter users should update at least once a day, Monday through Friday. The more frequent your updates, the more successful your social media efforts will be.

Ask questions to spark conversation and activity with your status updates. [i.]

People want to be talked “with” not “at.” Ask a thought provoking question and see what happens. The conversation that may result could be an asset for someone else.

Respond to comments in a timely manner.

If someone walked up to you at your place of business and asked you a question, would you a) answer them right away? Or b) wait 12 hours. The answer *hopefully* is a). Monitor your page to see if people have questions, and try to answer them right away. If you don’t know the answer, respond anyway. Be honest by saying you don’t know the answer but you’ll find it and get back to them ASAP. Just by posting an acknowledgment, you’ve shown that fan/follower (and countless others) that you have an interest in them.

Respond to negative comments in a positive way.

If there is a negative comment, do not ignore it. Try to diffuse the situation by turning the comment around and asking, “How can I help you?” Think of a way to change the commenter’s perspective in a constructive way.

Example: From Davenport University Alumni Facebook page: “My BBA has me unemployed! I paid 30 grand for a piece of paper! Time to shop another school for my masters!”

Davenport University’s reply: “Have you tried reaching out to Career Services?? Even though you’re not a student anymore, you can still go to them for help.” (Link to Career Services)

Updates should be meaningful.

Don’t just update for the sake of updating. The things you say to your fans/followers should be useful to them (and timely). If you have a big event coming up, post about it. Something new coming down the pipeline? Generate interest by giving updates on the project. See something in the news that pertains to your department/organization and you want to share it? Post it as a link along with a simple message.

Photos, Notes, Links, Wall posts, Events are all considered updates – Use them wisely.

Updates don’t just need to come in the form of status updates. They can be photos, events, notes and links. Every time you add something new to one of those categories in Facebook, it shows up in your fans’ newsfeeds, keeping you at the top of their mind. Make albums showing your staff, or write a note about something new you’re offering.

Reward your followers. [ii.]

Thank your fans. Can you offer a reduced rate to an event? Do you have the option of giving away a free ticket? Hold a contest to give away a simple prize to one random follower. Even small gestures show your appreciation and can increase interest in your organization.

See who is talking about you and respond

Whether you like it or not, people are talking about you/your brand on Twitter and Facebook. If you know how to “listen” to what those people are saying, you can set straight any misinformation that may be out there OR reaffirm any positive messages.  Another good reason to “listen” is to learn more about your audience. You can gain important insight if you listen to what they have to say.

Want to keep an eye on what people are saying about you on Twitter? Set up an RSS feed by using Google Reader. You can use Google Reader to aggregate a number of feeds to one place. To learn more, check out the article “Grow Bigger Ears in 10 Minutes” by Chris Brogan.

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[i.] Source: http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/08/04/8-best-practices-for-retailers-on-facebook-pages/

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[ii.] Source: http://www.diosacommunications.com/facebookbestpractices.htm

Sasha Social Media

Current Mood: Happy

I’m in love with a new gadget. Yes, I realize I love many electronic gadgets, but the MyTouch (MT3G) takes the cake. I recently received mine in the mail (Thanks pre-order) and I haven’t put it down since!

The device is slim, responsive and downright beautiful. Here are some specs on the new beauty.

• Battery: Li – Ion, 1340 mAh
• Camera: 3.2 megapixels Resolution
• Internet: Full HTML Browser
• Network: GSM Quad-band phone capable of global roaming (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) UMTS dual-band global 3G (1700/2100 MHz)
• OS: Android
• Resolution: 320 x 480 pixels
• Size: 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.58 inches (113 x 56 x 15 mm)
• Standby: 600 hours (25 days) of Stand-by time
• Talk: 6 hours (360 mins) of Talk time
• Touch Screen: 3.2-inches
• Voice: Dialing, Commands, Recording, Speaker Phone

For comparison purposes, the MT3G is slightly smaller and skinnier than the iphone. That means the screen is .3 inches smaller, but you really don’t notice it. The Android OS really does get the most out of its small screen real estate. In my opinion the MT3G accomplishes that feat by offering completely customizable screens. With a MT3G you can place Widgets and Apps wherever you like, making it easy to reach the things you use most. For example, I have Facebook, Twitter and RSS news feeder on one screen and a dialer, camera, camcorder, and gallery on another. For a control freak like me, it’s AWESOME being able to group widgets and apps on different screens. You also have the option of keeping widgets in a drawer that conveniently flips up as well.

Aside from the Android OS, I’m also a fan of the keyboard. I’ve had a physical keyboard forever, so I thought it would take me a while to get used to an on-screen keyboard. Not the case. Android has a smart word choice bank built in and it’s super intuitive. I got the hang of it in less than a day. Just like the iphone, the android can rotate its keyboard for a landscape mode (much preferred by the way!)

For those of you wondering about Apps, never fear! The Android Marketplace is near! Practically any quality app you can find for the iphone exists in the Android Marketplace. The nice thing is that the majority of android apps are free. I’ve already installed a plethora of interesting apps that boost my productivity. Speaking of productivity, I’m in LOVE with the synchronization of my Google apps. Everything is seamlessly integrated!

In terms of hardware, I would say the MyTouch far exceeds the iPhone. Not only does it have expandable memory slots (yes I realize they don’t go that large), but it also boasts a removable battery. This way, when your phone craps out on you, you don’t have to consider the whole thing dead (like you do the iphone). Just get a new battery and you’re good to go! Another bonus? You can run more than one app at a time. I can successfully have three things open at a time before the phone starts to revolt.

Another wonderful feature is the GPS capabilities. The MyTouch can turn the GPS function on and off depending on the application it is running at the time. (not sure if the iphone can do this?) Talk about saving battery! The GPS is pretty darn accurate to. I run it quite frequently when I’m driving so I can test it out.

So in conclusion, I’m a true Android lover. I NEVER thought I’d say that because I’ve literally been pining after the iphone for years. Now I can have an iphone-like phone without having crappy service

Sasha Personal android, mytouch, phone

I learned a lot at EduWeb 2009 in Chicago. For work I made a list of ideas/takeaways, but I thought I’d add it here real quick!!! I’m sure I’m forgetting something on this list!!! Eduweb was pretty much information OVERLOAD.

Photographer for the picture above is the lovely Anne! Find her here!!!

• Go to where there are existing (and already engaged) DU Communities
  • Find them!!!
• Make sure social media presence can be clearly seen on our homepage.
  • http://www.oc.edu is great inspiration
  • Don’t have our social media accounts be islands.
• Take pictures of Davenport Golf Classic. Take engaging photos
  • Make sure there is some kind of photographer at every event. Visuals are important!
• Engage my Facebook audience using the “Discussions” tab. Make them feel like it is their place not yours!
• Create possible sub-groups for LinkedIn
• Continue cross-promotion between Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace etc.
• Include a narrative report of my social media efforts in my weekly update.
  • Keep track of the “emotional successes” that take place during the week.
• Check Google Alerts, and Addictomatic EVERY DAY!
• Make sure social media links get exposure in print materials
  • Ex – http://twitpic.com/b7yjv
• Explore Google analytics more. Specifically the “Site Overlay” function in the web content area.
  • Find out where people are clicking most.
• Be better at tagging Flickr photos. Those tags are extremely important!
  • Be sure to engage more students in our Flickr group. It really allows for all those small moments “in between” to be captured
• Use a lifestream to keep track of my social media message
  • http://storytlr.com
• Talk to Alumni relations about Facebook causes (and how it doesn’t really work)
  • 25 million people use the Causes application on Facebook. Only 185k actually donated.
• Keep working on “incentives” for participating in our social media efforts
• Keep on top of following those who follow @Davenportu on Twitter.
• Use Google Analytics funnels to better keep track of our brand
• Track urls I post on Twitter
• Revitalize Myspace!

Sasha Social Media, Work

Current Mood: Happy

Presentation by Keidra Chaney and Anne Divita Kopacz, DePaul Univ.

9:47 – DePaul started their social media strategy about a year and a half ago. They use it to build relationships. (which is a common theme around here) For 20 years they didn’t really communicate with their alumni, so they’re trying to turn that around with Social Media.

9:50 – Start building relationships online by going where your alumni already are. Go to existing engaged communities. As alumni relations, use social media to be a friend, not a pitchman.

9:52 – Challenges in starting social media: Integrating with an exisiting communications plan. Dealing with bureaucracy. Establishing measurable goals. Allaying skittishness about privacy/content. Assigning staff to create content. (Social media is about relationships, not numbers)

9:56 – Establish online community guidelines while also remember it’s changing constantly.

9:57 – Common theme? Make sure you put your social media presence on your homepage! Don’t silo it, share it!

10:00 – DePaul launched their Facebook page in January of 08. Content on their page includes: News and event listings, blog post and web links, photos and video. (Note: take pictures of the Davenport Golf Classic for the Facebook page)

10:03 – Engage your alumni using Facebook Discussions.

10:04 – DePaul has 5,700 members for their LinkedIn Alumni group. They saw a HUGE influx in members last year soon after the economy tanked. Make sure you alums feel comfortable networking in LinkedIn.

10:08 – DePaul took a kind of hands off approach for LinkedIn and soon after that it kinda grew. They let them feel like the community is your own. The hands-off approach combined with the general growth helped it evolve into something bigger than they anticipated. People volunteer as mods once they feel that they have ownership and stake in community,

10:10 – Next for DePaul and LinkedIn? Create subgroups for regional chapters. This could work well for Davenport considering we have about 14 different locations!

10:12 – Demon Tracks = DePaul’s staff written blog. Started off as an experiment about a year ago. Since then it’s grown into their main social media hub.

10:18 – DePaul has more than 300 followers on Twitter (this after being on there for abotu 2 months) They use Twitter to link to external stories about DePaul. They can also communicate directly with alumni in “real time.”

10:22 – Use Facebook and Twitter to drive people to your Flickr page. DePaul has 28 group members and about 300 photos. Both alumni and staff post photos to their photostream and group pool. It essentially replaces on-site photo gallery.

10:24 – Current red-headed step child for DePaul? YouTube Channel (used to be Flickr). Their next step is to integrate with other media.

10:26 – Chart O’ Fun. Make sure you cross promote everything! Facebook should feed into flickr and flickr into twitter etc.

10:28 – How to measure??? Facebook Insights, YouTube insights, Flickr Stats, Google Analytics. Each week they give a narrative report of their social media efforts. (Talk about issues of engagement. What are people talking about? What are people responding to) Give numbers of page views etc, but don’t forget the relationships part!!!

10:30 – Where do you find content for your social media accounts? Media Relations, College publications, Print magazines and newsletters, other social media, external news outlets and blogs, google alerts. CREATE YOUR OWN CONTENT.

10:32 – Key Takeaways: 1. Create Strategy 2. Partner with other departments 3. Match media to audience 4. Build relationships and foster conversations 5. Go where alumni are 6. Update content regularly 7. Reuse, recycle, content 8. Measure, Measure, Measure 9. Experiment.

10:42 – Old print media is a great way to let “older folks” know about new media. http://twitpic.com/b7yjv

Sasha Social Media, Work

Presentation by Susan Evans, College of William and Mary

3:21 – What are you goals for the web redesign? Well sometimes you just need to regenerate the usability and information you have on your current site.

3:23 – Transparent communication is important. Stop doing so much work trying to contain information! Be open about the process.

3:24 – 7 Big Steps of redesign. First is Discovery. An assesment of your website. Evaluate the current publications. Clarify your goals and objectives. Review challenges, budgets, and staffing concerns. (Get the big picture) What is your school all about?

3:30 – Step 2: Strategy Developement. Prioritize audiences. Formulate information architecture. Outline creative recommendations, messaging ideas. Sort through policies and procedures. Plan to make it scale. Let your departments know what the purpose of the website is.

3:35 – Step 3: Content Creation. Figure out what exists and what needs to be recreated. Who produces it and who reviews it. Have depts create their own stuff. They’re the ones that know that content best. Just make sure you have someone else review it. Also make sure you settle on a key message.

3:39 – Great idea for content review!! If you have so much content to review, why not have many people review it for you? (anywhere from 30 to 40 people review it.) Have people review dept sites that are not their own.

3:45 – Step 4: Design and Testing. Create a spectrum of design concepts. Survey designs with target audience. Build an entire template suite. Test chosen concept with real users. When you do a focus group, why not have your subjects WRITE down their initial reaction and THEN ask questions. Group mentality will prevent people from saying what they want. When they’re asked to write something down though, they’re more likely to be truthful.

3:56 – Step 5: Tech Specifications. Create a short list of CMS options. Identify/select CMS. Develop functional specifications based on designs. Code. Make sure you can deliver what you say you can provide. If you tell departments they’re going to have a great content management tool, make sure you get them one!

4:00 – Step 6: Implementation + Launch. Test it with lots of people! Also make sure you test functionality in lots of different browers. (including mobile in my opinion) Configure users, roles, workflows. Tie-in additional systems.

4:02 – Have webteam edit top level content, but don’t be afraid to let departments edit their own stuff. Like it’s been said before… depts. know their own content BEST!

4:04 – During the implementation process of the website redesign you need to STOP your day job! This is the BUSY part of it all. Also, when you get to this part of it, just stop communicating. If you don’t, people will still think they have the ability to change things. Not true. You should be so far along at this point that you’re not really open to sweeping changes!

4:09 – Most important thing to remember during website redesign? You can’t please everyone.

Sasha Social Media, Work

Presentation by Melissa Cheater, University Western Ontario

2:03 – Information Architecture maps out your webpage effectively. Maintain a consistency while getting your message out!

2:06 – 85% of students rely on links/menus to find information on your site. Only 15% use search tool. 88% of students said they would drop a school if they couldn’t find what they were looking for on the website.

Information architecture is important for several reason: Cost of finding, cost of not finding, cost of construction, cost of maintenance, cost of training, value of education, value of brand.

2:08 – Use google analytics to find out where people are clicking. Use the “Site Overlay” in the web content area. It helps you see traffic trends. (I need to explore Google Analytics more!!!!)

2:12 – Think about what you want on your homepage? For Davenport we probably want to “advertise” Business, Health, and Technology. Push users where they need to go.

2:18 – Your school’s website NEEDS to incorporate all the pages that aren’t hosted at yourschool.edu . You must include your Twitter, Facebook, Flickr properties. You’re spending time on them, so include them!

2:21 – Link to your social media accounts off of your homepage. In addition, don’t have your social media accounts be islands. Make sure you’re always linking to your properties.

2:27 – Link to your social media accounts off of your homepage. > And vice versa—and AMONG the social-media pages. Then document!

2:37 – Feel like I’m ahead of the game with my fbml tabs! Josh and I worked hard to make an engaging tab for students to click on.

Sasha Journalism