Transparency: The Millennial Mindset Kerry Salerno Director, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transparency: The Millennial Mindset Kerry Salerno Director, Admissions Marketing and EMSA Communication Makeda Keegan Senior Assistant Director, e-Communications Northeastern University Boston, MA www.northeastern.edu

A Word on Northeastern University • Private, urban, research university, located in the heart of Boston‟s Back Bay • A leader in the integration of study and practice: the world’s most powerful way to learn • Signature cooperative education (co-op) program, celebrating 100 years • Approximately 19,000 full and part-time undergraduates, 4,500 graduate and professional students; on-campus population 7,400 • Northeastern‟s neighbors include the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Huntington Theatre Company, the New England Conservatory, and Fenway Park 3

Presentation Objectives – The Millennial Mindset – Social Media • Components to Consider • Importance of Integration – The Added Value

Who are the Millennials? Born in Born in 1982 200? Graduate College High School Elementary and Middle School Will finish Finished college college in late in 2004 2010s/early 2020s 5

Millennials are…. • Already over 90 million strong • Most ethnically and racially diverse generation in US history • Fewer immigrants than previous generations • The “busiest generation” • Decreasing employment in high school • Concerned about student debt and its perception 6

Millennial’s Activity • Teen Web users are most active users of online media: – 90% used e-mail – 83% watched online video – 72% are social networkers • Close to 50% of online teens read blogs, listen to podcasts, watch peer-generated video • About half of U.S. teens use Facebook; 67% update their page at least once a week – 57% use social media to solicit advice • 2,899 average text messages per month (sent or received by the typical U.S. mobile teen) as compared to 191 calls Combination of sstamats (Amherst study & Forrester), Pew, Facebook and itstats

Summary • Understand your audience • Know what they do online • Expectations are constantly shifting • Strategic positioning vs. generational mindset 8

Social Media: Integration and Factors to Consider

Integrating Web 2.0 • Goal of any communication plan is to inform and connect • Your Web 2.0 plan needs to supports that goal • Everyone is talking about it but the question should be: “ How do we integrate it?” • Other resources are needed to assist in integration – Recruitment Plan – Media Plan – Marketing Plan/Priorities 10

Social Media & Traditional Communication

Factors to consider: Usage • Facebook usage is up 24% among users under 17 years old between January and July of this year. • Twitter growth 1227% in 12 months http://social-media-optimization.com/2009/02/top-twenty-five-social-networking-sites-feb-2009/ 12

Factors To Consider: Strategy • It‟s not about „ getting on Facebook ‟ • It‟s about choosing the right tools for your organization • Plot your list of potential sites to understand the impact of perception and to allocate resources 13

Importance of Understanding Perception Colle llege ge Prince inceton confidential fidential Faceb ebook ook High Penetration review Twitt itter er Coll lleg egeB eBoa oard rd Die iehardd arddogs.co ogs.com Liv ivejour ejournal nal Yelp lp Low Penetration Campusdi pusdirt Myspace pace Frie iendst dster Low Activities High Activities

Factors to Consider: Beyond Facebook • Social networking goes beyond conversations • Sharing visual elements through video and photo content • Visual introduction to campus • Mobile applications extend boundaries, multiplatform development extends reach • What‟s next? 15

Mobile Applications • 71% of teens (ages 12 to 17) in 2008 are more likely to own a cellphone (up from 63% in 2006) • 85,000 iPhone applications available (up from 5000 this time last year) Northeastern‟s Admissions iPhone Application  Interactive campus map  Building search with events  Social media sites  Photo Gallery 16

Factors to consider: Resources • Social media strategy should reflect a selective and efficient use of resources • Set expectations for yourself – and your institution • Use the tools you have to maximize results – Set yourself up to win by identifing use of existing resources • Be creative 17

Summary • Factors to consider: – Usage – Building a strategy and integrating with enrollment/recruitment efforts – Resources • Not just about „getting on Facebook ‟ • Plot your „targets‟ • Recognize the challenges 18

Value Add: More than Chatting 19

Push, Push vs. Listen, Listen

Social Media’s Value • Test of messaging against „reality‟ • Students seeking “real” interaction • Parents engaged in their own review • Extend campus community • Reinforce institutional values

Challenges of Social Media • Perception becomes reality at warp speed • Conversations are multidirectional; organic; can turn around quickly • Culture shifts • Control is not an issue; never had really it • Its potential impact on our market is huge • Long term planning equates to 3-6 months of forward planning

Transparency is not an option, it IS a reality of the new world.

What becomes transparent? • The strength of our brand • Our brand advocates • Where/what de-brands our universities • Quality of experience