Educational institutions understand the value of social media in a globally connected world, but not all have implemented strategy across the necessary channels. The quantity of new platforms, communities, and opportunities to connect can overwhelm and deter entry and experimentation. Social media should no longer be viewed as an addition to the long list of responsibilities but a way to accomplish goals and drive active participation from faculty, students, administrators, alumni, and recruiters.  Social media is more than a medium for pushing news about campus events; but a method to create communities around your institution. Storytelling and sharing visual content through social media can be used to enhance an institution’s website, engage constituents, drive website traffic, strengthen donor relations,  strengthen constituent loyalty, and recruit faculty and students. 

This forum will provide examples of how an educational institution can be transformed into a brand and how to engage with its various constituents. We will cover the following questions:

• How can you transform your institution from a school into a brand?
• What social metrics are most important and how can they be leveraged?
• How do you implement a social media strategy with limited resources?
• How should social media be used for reputation and relationship management?
• What are examples of successful engagement strategies?
• How can Web, e-mail, and social media strategies be optimized for mobile?
• How do you integrate social media into internal communications strategies?