How Should College Unions Adapt To the Age of Social Media? Omar Wasow

Introduction Thanks –Michelle Smith, Dir. of Educ. Programs & Services –Kim Harrington, Conf. Program Team Volunteer –Jeremy Schenk, Conf. Program Team Volunteer –ACUI –Kenny Rahtz, Greater Talent Network

Introduction Question: –Why is social media relevant to college unions? 65 users, #acui2010, 641 tweets Answer: –Social networks and college unions are both platforms for building community. –Future success will require winning on both fronts. –Strategies for both overlap: nurture community support network effects

Quiz

Question 1 What percent of Gen Y (18-32) use social networking sites? –0-20% –21-40% –41-60% –61-80% –81-100%

Question 2 What percent of “Young Boomers” (45-54) use social networking sites? –0-20% –21-40% –41-60% –61-80% –81-100%

Generational Differences in Online Activities Online Teens (12- 17) Gen Y (18-32) Gen X (33-44) Younger Boomers (45-54) Older Boomers (55-63) Silent Generation (64-72) Get info about a job 30%64%55%43%36%11% Send instant messages Use social networking Read blogs Source: Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, “Generations Online in 2009,” January 28, 2009, Data from December 2008 survey. N=2,253 total adults, and margin of error is ±2%. N=1,650 total internet users, and margin of error is ±3%. Online at

Question 3 What percent of teens have ever placed their cell phone on or right next to their bed while sleeping? –0-20% –21-40% –41-60% –61-80% –81-100%

Do You Sleep with Your Cell Phone? Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, “Millennials - A Portrait of Generation Next,” p. 6, February 2010, online at

My Story

Who Am I? Grad student –African American Studies and Political Science Co-founder, BlackPlanet.com –Four million active users each month Internet Analyst –MSNBC, WNBC, Today Show, Tavis Smiley, Oprah Board Member –Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School

Who Am I? Nerd

Your Story

Who Are You? I have turned on a computer? I have sent an ? I was dumped by an ex-lover by ? I am registered with facebook? I have posted a “status update”? I have “tweeted”? I have my own blog? I have more than 100 followers on twitter? I have more than 500 followers on twitter? My name is HAL?

College Unions and Network Effects Does it get better as more people use it? If you’re running a college union you’re in the network effects business –Seed a marketplace Collect information about people, events, etc. –Streamline the marketplace Connect people to each other, orgs, events –Facilitate deeper relationships More & better information and introductions

College Craigslist?

Event Matchmaker?

Volunteer Matchmaker?

Campus Wiki?

Online & Offline Games?

Real Time Tweets of Campus Life?

Online Tools for Organizing?

Campus Meetups?

Conclusion

Ten Homework Assignments 1.Set-up a personal Twitter account, set up a bit.ly account use a hashtag, get to 100 followers 2.Read a free chapter from Clara Shih’s The Facebook Era or 10 articles on Mashable.com 3.Post status updates to your personal facebook account every day for two weeks 4.Create a twitter feed and a fan page for your college union and get to 500 fans or followers 5.Curate a set of Twitter Groups (like Ed)

Ten Suggestions 6.Create a program to train students in effective event planning and marketing through social media 7.Build a campus wiki 8.Publish useful campus data (i.e. calendar) and organize a contest for students to harness the data 9.Partner to develop a campus mobile app and/or a facebook app. 10.Form coalitions to build college union versions of major social media applications (i.e. craigslist, going, meetup, volunteermatch)

Conclusion Social media is a massive ecosystem of innovations that allows people to tap the deeply human desires to connect, communicate, create and exchange College Unions are ideally suited to bridge offline and online worlds To succeed in social media, however, you’ve got to join the conversation

Gracias! Greater Talent Network - Booth 316 omarwasow.com