News and Tips for Higher Ed Pros

Happy Independence Day to my readers in the US!

If you’re looking for independence, a new job (or a new skilled team member) might be the way to go (I know that’s kind of a lame transition).

It’s been a few months since I decided to work on a better solution than the Higher Ed Experts forum to help the community on the job front.

Well, today I’ve just had the time necessary to complete this project (weird what I would do when I procrastinate on my presentation and webinar scheduling duties ;-) and I need your help to get things started by posting your job ads or by pointing hiring managers in your institution to this new free resource available at www.higheredexperts.com/work.

Post a new job / higheredexperts.com/work

I hope you find this new FREE service helpful.

I’ll be sending an email to the +1,400 members of Higher Ed Experts next week to announce it, so your job postings will be seen by many qualified professionals working in higher education.

What I really love about this application is that you can actually subscribe to the new job postings via RSS.

• Interested about the Facebook Phenomenon? Join the group on Facebook!
• Live from HighEdWebDev 2007: Making the case for resources for web services
• Higher Ed Experts Update: Register for the free inaugural webinar about YouTube videos before 1PM ET today
• Higher Ed Experts Update: Already more than 100 registered members in 24 hours
• Higher Ed Experts Update: Stats and facts on how admissions offices use social media

Up until today, the best way to get a branded university YouTube channel was still a mystery for many (including yours truly).

Since a few months several institutions (Duke University, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, among others) have rolled out branded YouTube channel without the ads displayed on the regular YouTube accounts.

However, there were no clear guidelines made publicly available to the higher ed community (at least none that I had heard of despite my strong interest in the topic)

So, when the questions was asked… and answered by James VanDyke from SMU Integrated Marketing earlier this week on the uweb-d listserv, I was really excited (yes, I know it doesn’t take much lately ;-):

Applying and being accepted to YouTube’s non-profit program gives you the additional branding options.

Here is the address to apply:
http://youtube.com/nonprofits

Here is SMU’s YouTube Channel:
http://youtube.com/SMUVideo

After reading his reply to the list, I sent a note to James to ask a few more questions about the whole process.

1) How long did it take to get a a reply from YouTube?
It took 3-5 days for a reply. I’m guessing that a real person reviews each application. People who are interested should create a normal account first and then apply for the non-profit.

2) What did it take to get your channel running?

Getting the channel running was much like getting a normal YouTube Channel running with a few more options. We created a banner image and customized the layout of the page somewhat. You can upload image map code for you banner like USC has done for their page.

3) Did you sign a contract? Did you have to go through a special process?

We didn’t sign any special contracts. You just have to agree to the basic Terms and Conditions.

So, what are the requirements to apply to the YouTube Non-Profit program?

Organizations applying for the Nonprofit program must meet the following criteria.

* Must be a U.S.-based nonprofit with IRS 501(c)(3) tax status
* May not be religious or political in nature
* May not be focused primarily on lobbying for political or policy change
* Commercial organizations, credit-counseling services, donation middleman services, fee-based organizations, and nonprofit portals are not eligible for the program

If your institution fits this profile, you should definitely submit an application to get rid off the ads. It might not be the higher ed program per se, but it’s the next best thing.

And, if any of you is aware of the process to join the “real” higher ed program of YouTube, please share the secret with us by posting a comment.

• How to monitor YouTube videos about your institution with your favorite RSS reader
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• Higher Ed TV: “The Making of Piece of Mind” from Vancouver Film School, a piece of viral-marketing art
• Don’t upload your higher ed video to YouTube (or other video-sharing websites) before doing these 5 simple things
• Live from HigherEdBlogCon: How to create a Google map in 5 easy steps

Are you responsible for your institution’s social networking website?
Do you manage your university’s Facebook Page or Group?
Are you in charge of the online community targeted to your alums or students?

Keep reading.

I’m currently working on the closing keynote I’ll give on July 23 at the eduWeb conference (as well as an upcoming University Business column on the topic):

It’s the community, stupid … 7-step plan to raise and nurture any community online
Blogs, wikis, podcasts, videocasts, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and more have made their ways in higher education. Whether you work in admissions, communications, marketing, PR, student services, advancement, alumni associations, web services or information technology, it’s impossible to ignore this fireworks of new technologies. It’s easy to get blindsided. It’s difficult to see 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 jump start and nurture a thriving online community? A bit of luck, a lot of work and my 7-step plan.

I’m looking for examples of successful - in terms of participation - online communities.

If you are the lucky community manager of such a web space, send me a quick note including some facts and stats at karine@collegewebeditor.com.

I’m also interested in your personal take about what it takes to create and develop a thriving online community.

So, tell us what the secret ingredient of any good online community is, be it a community of alums, prospective students, bloggers, readers, etc. by posting a comment.

I’ll try to share as many of THIS community’s ideas (with proper credit to its members) as possible in my talk.

• A call for higher ed success stories in implementing new media or social initiatives
• How to share your press clips with your stakeholders and campus community
• VCCS Conference: How to make your marketing messages and ad campaigns stick
• Are you hiring? Post your higher ed job ad for free at www.higheredexperts.com/work
• Calling all good souls going to HighEdWebDev2006: Guest blog the conference for collegewebeditor.com!

Last night, I received a couple of emails asking if it was still possible to register for (there’s definitely a pattern going on, here) next week’s webinar series: Stop the Presses (the initial registration deadline was yesterday 9PM).

As a result, I decided to postpone the registration deadline until this Friday (June 20) at 9PM ET. If you want to learn more on why and how to go digital with your magazine or newsletter, these 3 webinars will help.

Institutions registered for this series include:

• Alfred University
• Appalachian State University
• Berkeley College
• Clarkson University
• Columbia College
• Concordia University
• Cornell University
• DePaul University
• Doane College
• Fairmont State University
• Idaho State University
• Keene State College
• Kettering University
• MIT Sloan School of Management
• NYU Steinhardt School
• Pepperdine University
• Phillips Exeter Academy
• Quinnipiac University
• Saint Michael’s College
• Taylor University
• The Ohio State University
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• University of British Columbia
• University of California Irvine
• University of Colorado Denver
• University of Illinois
• University of Missouri: Columbia - College of Ed
• Valdosta State University
• Widener University

For more information and to register online, just go to www.higheredexperts.com/stopthepresses

And, if you have any problems or issues, just send me an email at karine@collegewebeditor.com

• Registration deadline postponed to Friday Nov. 2 for “Podcasting and iTunes U Made Easy,” the next 3-webinar series by Higher Ed Experts
• Higher Ed Experts Update: The registration deadline for the Website Redesign Boot Camp webinar series has been postponed to Thursday February 14, 2008 at 8PM ET.
• Higher Ed Experts Update: The registration deadline for the “911 Website” webinar has been postponed to Friday May 2, 2008 at 9PM ET.
• Higher Ed Experts Update (1): The registration deadline for the online video webinar series has been postponed to Thursday January 24, 2007 at 8PM ET.
• Higher Ed Experts Update: The registration deadline for the online video webinar series has been postponed to Thursday September 6, 2007 at 8PM ET.

My third UB column for 2008 is now available in the June issue as well as online: “Magazines: Gone Digital, Going Paperless?”

You’ll find in this column 4 tips from several of your peers (including Karl Bates from Duke University and Bonny Griffith from Ithaca College) to get you started.

With the help of this blog’s readers and the members of Higher Ed Experts, I’ve also compiled a list of some good examples of digital magazines/newsletters published by higher ed institutions.

You can find this list - that I’ll keep updating (send your links to karine@collegewebeditor.com) - at www.collegewebeditor.com/digitalmags.

If you want to learn more about the topic, you should also consider attending “Stop the Presses: Why and How to Go Digital with your Magazine,” a 3-webinar series scheduled on June 24, 25 & 26, 2008. For more information and to register, just visit www.higheredexperts.com/stopthepresses.

By the way, if you are a University Business reader who has just discovered collegewebeditor.com, welcome! Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog via RSS or email.

• Planning to go digital with your magazine/newsletter (or wish you would)? Sign up for “Stop the Presses”, a 3-webinar series on June 24-26
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• Higher Ed Digital Magazines & Newsletters
• About
• Are Australian freshmen really digital natives?

A quick look at the calendar of Higher Ed Conferences and Events I maintain, and you know it’s conference time.

Most of you will get a chance in the next few weeks to attend a conference, and listen to dozens of presentations and panel discussions.

As you might know if you’re a regular reader, I’ll be presenting the closing keynote at eduWeb in Atlantic City in July (just 7 weeks to go).

This will be my first keynote - and hopefully not the last one, so I’m just a tiny bit more nervous than I usually am before a presentation, but shhhht! - don’t tell anybody ;-)

Anyway, that’s what prompted me to buy and read “Presentation Zen,” the companion book of THE website about presenting today: www.presentationzen.com.

Here’s my 1-1-1 Express Book Review (See what’s a 1-1-1 Express Book Review) for “Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter) by Garr Reynolds:

1 thing I liked:
I don’t know if this can be explained by the “zen thing,” but my stress level went down quite a bit after reading it. In this book beautiful illustrated with pictures from istockphoto.com/presentationzen, Reynolds reminds us of something speakers tend to forget: presentations are about sharing something you know and trying to make a difference with that knowledge for the attendees.

1 thing I didn’t like that much:
I understand this is a very important point (upcoming pun intended), but I wish Reynolds spent a little bit less time on explaining why Powerpoint (as well as Keynote) and bullet points are evil. When it comes to presentations, I usually don’t totally kill the audience with bullet points, but I still use them. I’m not saying they’re good and I understand why they are bad. But, at the beginning of the book, I was getting tired of the “preaching.”

1 big take-away from the book:
You can find the big take-away of this book on page 61 with a series of 12 questions you should be asking yourself as a presenter when you’re planning your session.

The 12th is the most important one:

“What is my absolutely central point?”

“If the audience could remember only one thing (and you’ll be lucky if they do), what do you want it to be?

Simple, yet so easy to forget…

I know that many of you give presentations on a regular basis.
Tell us your top 3 tips for a successful one by posting a comment!

Never been a presenter, but suffered a lot as an attendee?
Tell us what should absolutely be avoided.

• Book Review - “Perfecting the Pitch” by Benjamin Lewis: Toss your press releases and start to pitch story ideas to (new) media representatives
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• Got something interesting to share about RSS, blogs, wikis and other Web 2.0 applications? Submit a presentation proposal to HigherEd BlogCon by January 31, 2006
• VCCS Conference: How to make your marketing messages and ad campaigns stick
• HighEdWebDev 2007: Got an idea for a presentation? There’s still time to submit a proposal before the new deadline of June 12

Yesterday morning, I spent a couple of hours reviewing the 3 nominated websites for the eduStyle Awards in the “Best Use of Video” category: Boston University, NJIT and University of Notre Dame.

I watched all the videos accessible from the 3 websites and even checked out the YouTube channels of these 3 institutions.

After spending some time watching the videos available on these YouTube channels (and a few others), I was surprised to see that many videos still don’t follow these 5 basic rules - and thus might not realize their full potential:

• Make your video visual, short and fast-paced
  You really got to have a compelling reason to go beyond 2 minutes (UCLA Newsroom pulled it off with its video about decoding caps and gowns, but it’s really the exception to the rule). Stay on the safe side. Even 120 seconds can look like an eternity - especially if your video is composed of a monologue. Go for fast-paced editing, include different settings, interview several people and if you can make it shorter, please do.
• Include a call to action (or at least a web address) at the end of your video
  Don’t forget that your video will be seen on YouTube - not on your website. Some will find it on your (somehow branded) YouTube channel, but others will just select it in a list of search results. While your YouTube username might be enough to identify your institution (that is if you’ve chosen it carefully) within YouTube, it won’t be of any help if your video is embedded on blogs or shared on facebook. Do yourself a favor and include at least a web address that will allow viewers to look for more information if they wish.
  Looking for a good example? Check out this video from Duke University.
• Provide contact information for the media
  I’m sure you’ve noticed that traditional media (and especially cable TV) has fallen in love with YouTube videos. Make it easy for them to contact you in case they want to show/use your video or are interested in the topic featured in your production. Just include a contact email address or phone number in the description field of your videos that could be of interest to the media.
  Looking for a good example? Check out this video from UC Berkeley.
• Play the video-sharing game by the rules, make your videos embeddable
  What makes YouTube such a powerful channel is the fact that you can embed a video anywhere by just copying and pasting a few lines of code. You can always choose to turn off this setting and prevent people from sharing your videos on blogs/websites, but why would you do that? (I know why, but do you think that the illusion of controlling the message — or at least the context in which it is delivered — justify the missed opportunities in terms of exposure?)
• If you’re looking to generate some big numbers in terms of page views, make your video very short and difficult (impossible) to understand at first sight (OK, this one isn’t really a rule, but something I found funny)
  Yesterday while wandering in YouTube land, I found out that MST Communication Director, Andrew Careaga had posted a video to YouTube that generated more than 80,000 page views over the past year. I was stunned. So, it took me half a second to click on the play button… once, twice and many more times to understand what this 8-second video titled “What happens when aerogel material is hit” was actually about - which might also explain the high number of views as it literally takes at least 4 times to actually see anything.

UPDATE: Don’t think the videos produced by your institution should be on YouTube? Have a look at this video from the Chronicle featuring what pops up at the top of search results for some universities (I didn’t know it was possible to embed the Chronicle’s videos - great!):

• Trying to make your case to start an online video initiative at your institution? 70% of young adults have visited video-sharing websites like YouTube
• How to prepare for YouTube video crises: the case of the lecturer video at the University of Florida
• Should you upload your institution videos to YouTube?
• How to monitor YouTube videos about your institution with your favorite RSS reader
• Why you should watch closely YouTube

Commencement season is upon (or behind) us, and this Youtube video produced by UCLA Newsroom is very timely.

I got the tip in an email sent by Seth Odell from UCLA Newsroom starting with “Hello higher ed friends” (Geez, and I thought I was special — Next time, how about just “Hi” or “Hello,” so I can have the illusion that you’re just writing to me, Seth? ;-)

By YouTube standards, the video is very long: 5 minutes and 30 seconds. The editing isn’t particularly fast-paced and it doesn’t include any engaging tunes.

However, the tone is pretty lighthearted, and I actually learned something about the meaning of all these different pieces of fabric. I also liked the recap of the learning outcomes at the end of the video.

I still think that some tighter editing would make it even better, but it’s definitely worth your time - especially for a summer Thursday afternoon.

What do YOU think?

• Don’t upload your higher ed video to YouTube (or other video-sharing websites) before doing these 5 simple things
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• Special UB column about RSS: Interview with Dr. George Tsetsekos, Erik Poole and Matt McKeon from Drexel University LeBow College of Business

Some of you might remember that a few weeks ago I conducted an online survey to find out if and how paid advertising and sponsorship are used in magazines and newsletters published by universities and colleges.

A total of 110 professionals working in institutions representing more than 1.5 million students completed this online survey between April 22 and May 12, 2008.

The survey was completed by people working in marketing/communications (69%), web (7%), alum associations (3%) and other offices.

43% of the respondents indicated working in private non-profit 4-year colleges, 38% in 4-year public colleges and 6% in public 2-year colleges. The average student population across the data was 14,408 students.

Interesting survey findings include:

• 12% of the print publications published by survey respondents include paid advertising or sponsorship.
• Survey respondents reported that revenues generated by advertising and sponsorship cover an average of 20% of their print publication’s total budget.
• The biggest challenge to launch an advertising program cited most often by survey respondents publishing an ad-supported print publication is the necessary extra workload/resources required for selling, designing, producing and billing the ads.
• Financial issues put aside, 65% of all the survey respondents think higher education publications shouldn’t include paid advertising or sponsorship.

The complete 7-page executive summary is available for free to Higher Ed Experts’ members. Just log in at www.higheredexperts.com and click on the report link listed in the “HEE reports” section.

If you’re not a member and work for a university/college, just join HEE (membership is free) at www.higheredexperts.com/register.

• Interested in the state of paid advertising in print and electronic publications from higher ed institutions? Take the online survey now to receive the results with an executive summary highlighting best practices!
• Find out about the state of print and electronic publications in more than 200 institutions
• Interested in the state of print and electronic publications in higher education? Take the online survey now to receive the results with an executive summary highlighting best practices!
• Higher Ed Publications: Demand Print or Print On-Demand?
• Live from HighEdWebDev 2007: Unifying Print and Web Publications, An Example from Missouri State University

Chances are you’ve already read this article published today in the New York Times: College Alumni Magazines Struggle to Compete With Facebook.

The article written by Cate Doty doesn’t provide any breaking news as higher ed blogger D.W. noted in her post published earlier today: News of the Obvious: Younger Alumni Turn to Facebook Versus Class Notes.

But, the piece is definitely an interesting overview worth sharing with your VP or president - especially if you want to build your case to add a digital interactive version for your print magazine (and, if you plan to do so, you might want to check out the upcoming 3-webinar series I designed for Higher Ed Experts and scheduled on June 24, 25 and 26, 2008, “Stop the Presses: How and Why to go Digital with your Magazine or Newsletter.”

Here’s an excerpt of this NYT article I found interesting - although the author might have gone a bit overboard at the end:

The advent of social networking on the Internet has created a quandary for these magazines, which want to maintain a conversation with alumni but have been slow to embrace the Web. Most schools have set up password-protected sites where graduates can change their contact information, drop a class note or donate money.

But younger alumni, accustomed to second-by-second updates from friends and classmates, are exchanging information in real time on Facebook and MySpace. Why wait for your alma mater to churn out a quarterly journal when you can Twitter all day?

I’m not sure young alums (or students) are the big twitterers we would all like them to be, but they are definitely used to getting more timely updates than any print publications will ever offer them.

That’s why more and more institutions are currently rethinking the way they communicate with alums and other institutional younger audiences.

My upcoming UB column to be published in the June issue of University Business (not yet available online - hey, it’s just June 2nd ;-) is dealing with this issue with a focus on magazines gone digital and going paperless.

But, what do YOU think? Is there a future for print magazines in higher ed?

• Higher Ed Magazines: Gone Digital, Going Paperless?
• Higher Ed Digital Magazines & Newsletters
• Why should university alumni associations blog? Because… it works
• Interested in the state of paid advertising in print and electronic publications from higher ed institutions? Take the online survey now to receive the results with an executive summary highlighting best practices!
• (How) Should higher ed institutions use MySpace? Get answers from the higher ed MySpace advocate: Heather Mansfield, Web editor at Drury University