[GIVEAWAY] Get Your Copy of the 1 Page Marketing Plan!

I’m excited to announce a giveaway contest for one of two copies of this awesome book!

I got the two copies of this book a little while ago and listened through the audiobook version recently to get a feel for what this is all about. I very much enjoyed its clear, distilled advice around marketing and building a business. I know this book can be relevant to anyone in higher education as well as those of us trying to grow up our side hustles.

If you’d like to enter in to win one of the two copies, then simply comment on this blog post and/or engage with any of my social media posts about the giveaway. Each share, like, or comment will count as an entry. Tell me what you hope to get out of the book, your favorite movie, or anything else. It all counts! I will announce a winner on this upcoming Friday (11/13).

Thanks for the support as always and best of luck to you all!

Book Review: Privacy & How to Get it Back

A recent book I read, Privacy: And How to Get it Back, from a recent podcast guest, BJ Mendelson, really got me thinking about a big topic right now in society; digital privacy.

The big takeaway for me from Privacy was that it isn't so much that the tools themselves are inherently bad, it's how the companies who made them use them and sell our data as well as what individuals put on these platforms without knowing what is done with this information.

I think BJ's book serves as a great counterpoint to my other book review, Winning with Data. There are ways to responsibly use data to make life better for people, but profiting off of social media posts and this community that exists on your platforms isn't really doing many people much good. And there are other models that could be made to allow these companies to make money without selling your data, or at least compensate you for your valuable data (which BJ recommends).

We create many of our own problems in the world, but we can also create solutions as well. These amazing tools we've made need to used responsibly by all involved. Many of these digital companies (whether they be Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc.) have a duty to do right by us, their users. But often they're working within the lax regulations put upon them. If we put proper rules in place, then they will work within them, as we're seeing with the GDPR rollout. I think digital privacy is a right, and these companies shouldn't be obfuscating the way to control how our data is shared.

I'm hopeful that as these digital tools as becoming more ubiquitous, we will update our laws and make sure to keep these companies that make them in check. It is also on the individual to feel empowered and informed to manage their data in whatever ways they feel most comfortable with. Maybe that means being more conservative, or it means sharing it widely, or only with certain platforms. Also, in my world, as higher ed becomes more digitized as well, we need to more conscious of how we're securing this information, which at times can be very sensitive.

I hope this gets you thinking like it did for me. It's something we can take for granted but the right to privacy is fundamental. We just need to learn how to navigate this issue in the digital space, but I'm confident we all can.

Book Review: Likeable Social Media

I finishing reading this book over weekend after it was sitting in my Amazon Wish List for the longest time. Likeable Social Media (I read the new, revised edition) is a book by Dave Kerpen, who works with Likeable Media and Likeable Local to help companies of all kinds maximize word-of-mouth marketing as well as inbound marketing via social media (as the title would imply). Kerpen covers an array of tips and stories on this broad topic, and the end result is a pretty easy read with some great actionable ideas.

I read another one of Kerpen's books, Likeable Leadership, which was a collection of his personal and professional blog posts. I liked that book, which turned me onto this other work of his. Some of the stories are the same but their helpful impact was only furthered through their inclusion here where they are put into a more thoughtful context. The body of the book focuses on 18 tips to help utilize social media in a "likeable" fashion. Kerpen includes advice on how to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more. The advice can be summed up as being authentic, friendly, responsive, and relevant to your audience. Provide content they enjoy, can get value from, and want to share. This will help them have a positive impression of your business and want to be a paying customer. A lot of this stuff was familiar to me from the education I've gotten recently about inbound marketing from places like Hubspot.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to brush up on some baseline tips for social media use. Whether you're a nonprofit, small business, or higher ed institution; you can find something useful here. While to me, it started to get redundant at the end, it served to further emphasize the solid points made earlier.

Thanks for stopping by!

How to Embrace Social Media as a Tool to Connect with your Students

* This post was originally featured on The Student Affairs Hub.

Social media has become pretty ubiquitous in our lives now. News is made from it and spread through it. We reference it offhand in our conversations with each other,  and we've developed new terms to describe it.

While it may be still a bit foreign to some professionals at higher education institutions, it is commonplace for our students. When given the proper attention, social media can be an effective asset in our outreach to students. It also helps to build a feeling of community on campus.

Whether you're an entry level academic advisor, hall director, or the president of an institution, you can be a powerful presence for students on social media. Your social media presence will help them feel heard, valued, and cared for.

I personally have taken a few different stances that I hope help me connect better with my students. I make my Twitter publicly available, (it's even on my business cards). I accept requests from students on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram. I don't seek them out, but if they connect with me first, I make sure to accept their invitation.

Connecting with my students in this way helps me to celebrate their successes, build their network, and be more accessible to them should they need me. I've never had any issues with making myself more available rather than guarding myself behind virtual walls. No student has ever abused this. However, even if there was an instance where someone used my good will inappropriately, I'd still make myself available to all my other students who need me. I wouldn't want to let them down based on a single student who needs some educational conversations about their behavior.

Another stance I take that many professionals hopefully take as well, is that I don't have a "personal" account and a "professional" account. I just have my one Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. I really don't believe anyone should have separate accounts for stuff like that unless someone has a brand they're trying to build that they want to be separate from themselves.

I don't have strict standards about what people should or shouldn't do on their social media channels. Students just need to be comfortable with employers, friends, and family seeing whatever they post.

While someone can try to ignore social media, it is an omnipresent, constant, global influence in our lives. It is something that I view as an asset and resource. I embrace and love social media for the connections and learning that can happen through it.

By maximizing the potential of social media for sharing your story, (or your institution's), you will see success in your personal and professional efforts.

Podcasts and New Media Advertising

*This post is edited from the original, which was featured on Socialnomics.

I can personally say the way I consume media has drastically changed. I watch TV on Netflix or Hulu and don’t have cable. I enjoy original shows, clips, and programs on YouTube, listen to music on Spotify or Songza as well as one of the most unique new forms of entertainment; podcasts.

The podcasts I enjoy are simply digital copies of audio/radio broadcasts and interviews. My constant favorite for the past few years is the Nerdist Podcast which is great for entertainment purposes as well as stuff like the Smart People Podcast, Reply All, or Nerdette, which all have some great thought provoking content. What I think is the distinguishing feature of podcasts is how I am able to consume them. I can download them onto my smartphone, listen to them in the car or on the go with headphones while I work out for example. It’s awesome, original content coming out all year that is experiencing a boom recently, which in turn is a great opportunity for advertisers to create a unique relationship with their audience.

According to recent findings, at least 29% of Americans listen to audio podcasts (clumping in video bumps this number up), which is a sizable chunk consuming podcasts of all varieties on an array of topics. This means that consumers are getting on demand entertainment, news, and discussion on what they want most, creating a unique experience for them every time they listen. I know with the Nerdist Podcast, I feel like I’m catching up with friends when I listen to the podcast so whenever they talk about something, I follow up and heed their opinions. Check out these recent metrics that back up that sentiment:

• 67% of podcast listeners don’t mind sponsorship messages and occasionally find them useful, compared to only 6% positive sentiment expressed for the advertising approaches of television or commercial radio.
• Nearly 80% of podcast consumers (responding to the survey), agreed that “when price and quality is equal,” they “prefer to buy products from companies that advertise on or sponsor” the podcasts they regularly enjoy.
• Ninety percent of these respondents indicated that they had taken some kind of action as a result of podcast advertising or sponsorship, and over 40% reported purchasing behaviors, which indicates that they are receptive to the right message, in the right context. (For the rest of the findings, click here)

Although I’m mostly highlighting podcasts here, it is clear that with this being a huge "new media" format, other mediums like music streaming sites and video streaming sites cater to the same sensibilities. We don’t want to be fed phony ads any longer. If I’m looking to buy a camera, I’m going to ask my friend who knows about cameras or reference customer reviews at the very least. Consuming is social and the advent of on-demand entertainment is linked with that. Advertisers should take notice and start to take advantage of this new possibility to create a more authentic, genuine connection with their customers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Organic VS Promoted Content: Which Reigns Supreme?

* This post is edited from the original, which was featured on Socialnomics.

So I am personally all about all-natural, organic, and sustainable stuff. Whether it is the toothpaste I use, the food I eat, or how I buy pretty much anything in my life, having something feel real and not artificial is important to me. This combines with my respect for authenticity and transparency in relationships. My overall preference for the "real deal" even comes into social media with the curious question I’ve stumbled upon when it comes to social media marketing; should one pay to promote or not?

Within the past year, both Facebook and Twitter launched the capacity for users to pay to promote their posts and tweets respectively. Facebook already had their “Ads” that would show up on the side of users’ timelines, but these two new functions put your promoted content right in the personal feeds of your customers. It comes, understandably, from the need to monetize these popular sites, but the real question comes in as to what is the best use of an organization’s money when it comes to engaging your audience; are you really getting what you pay for? Obviously, ideally your content will make it’s way out into the world on it’s own but usually, customers aren’t just following you, they’re following all sorts of different pages, even your competitors for business.

So it seems logical, you want the edge so you pay for promotion and you squash out the competition. Right? Well, the jury is still out on that. Not to say that promoted posts are not useful, but they also aren’t shown to be the way to go for every business and for every post. Social media is about engagement, and using paid promotion for posts can come across as spammy and inauthentic. Facebook paid promotions can be useful to get the word out about a new offer you have for your business or for an upcoming event since they only go out to those who “like” your page, as opposed to Facebook ads that go out to anyone and everyone. The same goes for Twitter. Think about what you’re posting and what is worth it to pay to get out to everyone and sort of muscle your way into their feed.

Another consideration to make is where you are putting this content. Are your customers even on Facebook or are they on Pinterest? Does your content make sense for the social media site you are promoting on? Facebook is different from Twitter which is different from LinkedIn which is different from Instagram (which also now supports ads). It is important to be intentional about the core what, where, when and why of posts in order to get the greatest results. From my perspective, the general logic here should focus on a few points: moderation (as with all things), organic engagement & paid promotion, and lastly, cater to the medium. For this last bit, whether that means you cover your basis on every social networking site or hone in on one, you can save a lot of money and time by knowing where your audience is and creating content for that particular venue. Doing all this will create an authentic aura that avoids the negative connotations of spam ads and allows for you to get the word out on all the great things your organization is up to.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 07/31/15

Greetings!

Here's what was going on in my world this week:

• Ex Machina

I rented this movie from Redbox the other day and it was certainly worth it. I had heard a lot of good buzz from its initial release but just never got around to watching. Once I saw it available to rent, I put it on my list. It is a haunting, intriguing, original, disturbing, and entertaining sci-fi thriller that confronts the realities of artificial intelligence and human hubris. I really enjoyed the movie and it is definitely worth checking out for any sci-fi fans out there. It is easily the Snowpiercer of this year for me.

• Twitter

There has been some interesting news lately about Twitter, it's revenues, possible changes, and overall the future of the site in the social media landscape. They have already made changes that make it feel more like Facebook, and it only seems to be wanting to go more in that direction if all goes according to the recent rumors. I love Twitter, and I don't think it needs to alter the core of the site too much. It has been my more preferred social media site for the past couple of years, and I hope it continues to be that way.

• Live Maine

I happened upon this cool lifestyle company recently and ordered a few goodies from it. They have shirts, stickers, hats, and pint glasses with cool Maine logos on them. As someone who was born here, it always will have a soft spot in my heart, and getting stuff from local companies like this to represent my home state makes me happy. Buy local, people!

Thanks for stopping by!

Three Campus Community Connections to Enhance the Student Experience

* This post was edited from one originally posted on The Student Affairs Hub.

As the semester rolls on, I was thinking about how colleges and universities are a unique environment where there are a multitude of offices, departments, groups, and relationships that are hard to find elsewhere. These connections can last a lifetime and make a huge difference in a student's life. While some pathways like Greek organizations may be more common, there are plenty of other avenues to make connections on campus for your students that can be just as impactful, if not more so depending on what the student is interested in. I'd like to outline some of the ones I feel would be useful to professionals out there to recommend to their students or for students to take the initiative to do themselves.

Online Groups

Meeting new people can be tough, but sites like meetup.com, Eventbrite, and/or the myriad of Facebook groups all help to organize hangouts all across the country based on common interests like hiking, gaming, reading, or any other plethora of hobbies. I've found them to be a great way to meet new people in my community that are into what I enjoy. For students, this could be helpful to find other like-minded individuals in their local area that lead to possible job or volunteer opportunities. At the very least, it is a social involvement that is bound to have local staff and faculty members (as well as alumni) present, which leads into my next points.

Alumni

The graduates of any institution end up all over the country and in all sorts of different industries. They owe a lot of their success to their time at their alma mater, and are proud of where they got their degree. I can speak for myself and say that this is all very true. I can't make myself physically available and present at my alma mater so I make sure to support them financially. The Alumni Relations offices at any institution are going to have hundreds if not thousands of local connections with passionate individuals looking to connect with current or prospective students. This is a ripe pathway to great mentoring relationships which can lead to any number of other opportunities.

Faculty

While a lot of powerful, high-impact learning happens outside the classroom, I'd be foolish if I didn't mention the importance strong relationships with faculty can play as well. Students (or at least most of them) go to college to get their degree. They do this by attending classes taught by faculty. Unfortunately, it seems nowadays the relationship in the classroom is purely transactional. Faculty are a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be transformative to a student. Their position grants them a lot of influence and power as well as access to a lot of resources and opportunities. Faculty can give students engaging experiential learning opportunities through research or a being a teaching assistant. At the very worst, faculty can serve as their own sort of mentors for the students who find themselves drawn to academia.

I encourage you to think outside the box when looking to make connections with your community. There are some tried and true options out there but there are also so many more to choose from that may better fit your students' needs. In the end, it's these important connections we make for our students that help them stay and also help them succeed at college as well as beyond.

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 04/24/15

Hey there! Good to see you!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• #SAChat

I moderated this past week's daytime chat about designing your environment to support productivity and student success. I hadn't moderated a daytime chat in some time, and it is always a lot of fun seeing all the professionals engage on a topic and facilitating the conversation. I moderate the chats every once in a while but it is usually an odd evening chat, which isn't as lively (yet). While there was an interesting (and fair) discussion surrounding a post about the value of the chats and their lack of "discussion", I still think it is one of the best ways for student affairs folks to interact and learn from each other.

• Adulting Update

So I went to try to register my new car the other day and it was a frustrating bureaucratic nightmare. I ended up not being able to that day and needing to get more paperwork. It was not this hard to do the same thing in my home state of Delaware (obviously different beasts) but my main point is that this is one of the few things (so far) that I haven't enjoyed about my early adventures in adulthood. I wish things like this could be easier (and not as expensive) but alas, such is existing as a adult and doing the things you need to do.

• Travel

I booked my next travel trip recently; I'm going to fly out to Illinois to visit a good friend of mine from graduate school that I haven't seen since about the same time last year. I'll be going in late June for the weekend to see him, his campus, and Chicago (which I've never been to before). I'm excited that each month this year has had a different trip and stay, even if it is just for a weekend. I've been able to explore new areas, see old friends, and spend quality time with my partner. It's great and big change from my earlier years where I did no travel whatsoever. I'm grateful for the opportunity now to travel and I hope it continues to be the trend.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Smarter Than You Think

"We have to interrogate our most destabilizing new technologies and be aware of their dangers (economic, political, and social), to flat-out avoid the tools we find harmful—yet not be blinded to the ones that truly augment our thought and bring intellectual joy."

After having it on my list of things to read for a while, I recently finished this book by Clive Thompson that explores the positive influence technology is having on our lives. I found this book to be a refreshing, engaging, and relevant look at modern technology and this book is chock full of awesome numbers, figures, and stories that drive home the main points.

While any book about technology that comes out these days is instantly out of date once it is published, Thompson does well here to focus on the broad strokes of what current technology offers us and how it is helping us. He also focuses on communication technology which is of interest to me personally rather than anything too scientific. The fact that he fills the book with just the influence of communication tools further supports how it is changing the world in a massive way. The way we share information, how we learn, and how we are governed has changed dramatically in the past few years.

Some of Thompson's examples of are the revolutions happening in the Middle East, the numerous times a problem has been solved quickly by an online community, and just the sheer amount of information being shared on social media every day. We're communicating with each other more now than ever before, and that impacts our friendships, our families, and our work. Some jobs are being created, others are being made obsolete. We can know what is happening all over the world in an instant and also find communities of people who love what we're passionate about, no matter how niche it might be.

I am optimistic in general and also just love social media so I'm very happy to have been able to read this book and share it. It gives a lot of objective facts about how all these new tools are making our lives better in meaningful ways. I don't see any of it going anywhere soon so we are going to keep reaping the benefits of being more connected for years to come.

I wanted to share some of my favorite excerpts, so here they are:

"I calculate that we’re composing at least 3.6 trillion words daily, or the equivalent of 36 million books every day. The entire U.S. Library of Congress, by comparison, holds around about 35 million books."

"When you gaze with wild surmise upon the Pacific of strangeness online, you confront the astonishing diversity of human passion."

"The things we think about are deeply influenced by the state of the art around us: the conversations taking place among educated folk, the shared information, tools, and technologies at hand."

You can find Smarter Than You Think at your favorite book retailer!

Thanks for stopping by!