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The relative quiet of the summer break is nearly over and students are either back in the fold or stocking up on books and booze in readiness for the new term. So are you ready for the onslaught of online conversations about to be unleashed?

We recently completed a large project for Glyndwr University – auditing the sector then developing their social media strategy, guidelines and a series of How-To wikis for staff. Social networks were established and integrated and web, marketing and alumni services trained on their effective management (training presentation below).

The US is still leading the way in the use of social media – no doubt due to a more hard-nosed business model.  The UK is slowly following suit, however, and adopting similar methods and tools. Selling the use of social media internally is difficult for a sector with a typically closed culture.  Here are some suggestions on how best you can do this.  We’ve also added a few tips to help you manage social media within your broader marketing strategy.

Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg and no doubt you’re already doing many of them. If not, now could be a good time to get prepped for the student year ahead.

1. Start Listening: People are talking about you online – it’s a given. Only by establishing a listening strategy will you be able to identify and deal with issues that may arise. As well as responding via twitter and Facebook, monitoring online mentions can highlight student questions about your University in places like Student Room. You can then either help and learn from these, or send in student ambassadors where appropriate.
2. Generate Support: Chances are that many at your University or College still think social media is ‘flash in the pan’. So how do you get it onto the agenda and encourage effective use across the organisation? Often listening to what’s been said can help you do this. Why not benchmark online mentions against competitors to see how you compare?  There are likely to be a number of social media literate staff already blogging or tweeting. Celebrate these and ask them to become social media ambassadors. It’s amazing what a bit of internal competition can do
3. Rein ‘em In: Chances are there are numerous Facebook Groups and social networks already in your University’s name. Some may have been created by students – others by progressive staff looking to manage subjects or classes. Don’t fret! As long as your brand isn’t affected by offensive content, it’s good to encourage this behaviour subject to establishing best practice guidelines.
   • For students, review their IT policy and make sure they’re aware that using the University logo is a no-go. Most are now a lot more savvy about privacy online, however, let them also know you are listening and that offensive or defamatory comments will not be tolerated on as well as off-line.
   • For staff, provide guidelines and a dynamic social networking wiki with a series of How To’s on best practice. And celebrate/promote their use of social media internally.
4. Create A Facebook Fan Page: If you don’t already have one, where have you been hiding?! Many US Universities no longer give students email – preferring to engage them using social networks. Get admissions, student information and alumni relations involved as well as marketing. Use it to engage, help and communicate with students – not just as a broadcasting platform.
5. Engage Alumni Using LinkedIn: LinkedIn enables Universities to offer alumni networking and work opportunities as well as sharing experiences and contacts online. There’s even a LinkedIn AlumniNets support group if you’re managing an Alumni network here.  Consider creating sub-groups within your alumni group to enhance networking. And use newsletters and feeds to keep them engaged with rich and interesting content.
6. Review Where Content Is Hosted: Everything your University creates – images, report, film clips etc – is an asset. Consider whether this is being maximised, or whether it’s languishing on a hard drive or private network. There may be targeted social networks for these, which centralise content and drive traffic to your University website. For example, Flickr (photography), YouTube (film clips), Scribd (pdfs) & Slideshare (presentations). NB, once hosted publicly online, these need to be managed. So it’s worth reviewing whether you have sufficient resources to do this.

Online is evolving rapidly, with Facebook’s introduction of Places, the cool new kids on the block, Foursquare and Gowalla, are being given a run for their money (more about them later). And social networks are two-a-penny as everyone tries to get in on the action.  By all means keep up with online developments but remember that they won’t all be relevant to you. Before you implement any campaign using social media, make sure you’ve defined your objectives. Only then can you evaluate and continue learning how best to reach and engage online audiences.

Do you work at a University?  What are the main issues you have to deal with?