By Karine Joly
October 2008
BLOGS, WIKIS, PODCASTS, videocasts, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more have made their way into the world of higher education. Whether you work in admissions, communications, marketing, PR, student services, advancement, alumni relations, web services, or information technology, it’s impossible to ignore these dynamic new technologies.
“In today’s crowded social web, it’s all about engagement and speed.”
Yet it’s easy to get blindsided and miss that it’s really not about the technology but the community. While we can’t predict today what the next Facebook or YouTube will be, we can get ready for the online communities of tomorrow. It might take a village to raise a child, but what does it take to jumpstart and nurture a thriving online community? A bit of luck, a lot of work, and this seven-step plan developed for the closing keynote speech given in July at the eduWEB conference in Atlantic City, NJ.
1. Don’t think you know what your institution can do for your community members. Ask them what they want.
2. Ask yourself, what do we expect from this relationship?
3. Be unique (and irresistible) by providing exclusive content to your community.
4. Keep in mind that if you build it with them, they will come.
5. Identify and empower the most active and engaged members of your community.
6. Don’t wait for their visit—call them back.
7. Meet your new bosses: community members.