photo credit: dbarefoot Social Media is  Consumer generated media It is media that is designed to be shared, sharing means that it is easy to comment on, that it is easy to send, there are no costs associated with viewing the media and last but not least it is always available.  Social media enables people to share information with friends and colleges using the Internet RSS Readers Really Simple Syndication http://crankyprofessor.com Social Networking  Social Networking is the use of communities to engage with others: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter. Social Networking sites often include social media tools to facilitate the interaction and conversation Social Networking Friendship • Keeping in Touch • Developing new relationships Sharing • Photos • Links • Interests Community • Causes • Beliefs • Advocacy Why is Social Media important?  If your kids are awake they are probably online  The average young American now spends every waking minute – except the time in school – using a smart phone, computer, TV or other electronic device according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Those ages 8 – 18 spend more than 7 hours a day with such devices. And that does not count the hour and a half that youths spend texting or talking on their phones 16 to 24 year olds  They have higher demands!!  Growing up online has shaped how teens and young adults receive, process and act on information. They expect information to be brief, instant and always on (there are no office hours) Peer Endorsement  The vast majority of people report the opinion they trust most is from ‘someone like me’. For the first time in our history, peers have bested the wisdom of experts  Peer endorsement is the single greatest decisionmaking accelerant. Through Social Media, peer influence cycles are happening at a velocity never before seen. Decision making is clearly becoming more social The Asian Market How popular are Social Networks?  According to the analysts at Hitwise, social networks in general are more popular than search engines in some parts of the world  Facebook’s overall web traffic pulled ahead of Google’s for the first time in the U.S. in March of this year.  Facebook dominates the current crop of social networks, accounting for the majority (55%) of all social site visits. When compared to the wider web, Google gets around 9.3% of all web traffic, while Facebook captures just over 7% Why do colleges invest in Social Media?  For many of the same reasons they invest in more traditional marketing and advertising  Create awareness  Encourage connection  Inspire loyalty  Create ambassadors  Recruit best fit students  Build powerful relations with alumni  Create stronger reputations Irish HEIs usage of Social Networks  Private Colleges have been much faster to adopt social communications than public colleges  Public sector -greater usage in the last 9 months  How do we rate compared to our main competitors? What is Social Media and how can you use it to enhance student support?  Social Media provides context, pictures, words, shared meaning  Facebook, YouTube ( some examples –education programme information, housing, orientation, announcements) Video Share/Stream Youtube.edu Ustream The toughest way to use social media is also one of the best: Give students something they need! Online Student Support