Silo Busters: BC Social Media Council*

*actual presentation may not be as fiery as depicted

Melissa BeecherSocial Media Manager |Boston College

@melissabeecherbeecherm@bc.edu

Photo Credit: demworks.org

• 2009: • First two channels: Facebook and Twitter• No budget, no additional staff• Approach – organic: “try it, test it, evaluate it”

• 2014: Official “Boston College” Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, 2 LinkedIn pages. Also: 2 blogs, iPhone app, mobile campus tour

Decentralized

Communication Challenges

Piecemeal social, lacking strategy

Varying levels of skill, knowledge and success

Oversight of social delegated to interns, interested employee

Different people making the same mistakes

So we took a survey…

Silos are a liability.

*Yes, there really are 336…I counted

2012: #BCSocial is Created• Encourage partnerships between senior administrators and junior communications professionals

• Think big, start small: 10 administrative departments

• No frills: one hour every six weeks: discussion, education collaboration, best practices, cautionary tales

• No budget

Source: Altimeter Group, State of Social Business 2013

Resources• BC Social Media Guidelines• Social Mashup Page: bc.edu/social • BC Social Media blog: bostoncollegesocialmedia.com • Breakout training sessions – platform specific, each semester• Exposure to legal counsel, social media experts

Indicators of Success2013

• BC Instagram #1 among nation’s colleges and universities

• Enterasys Networks’ social media survey of U.S. News top colleges:BC’s official channels placed at:#17 nationally#5 among mid-size U.S. schools (7500-20,000 undergraduates)#4 in New England

• #31 on Student Advisor list of Top 100 Social Media Colleges

• Advancement/Alumni• AHANA Student Programs• Arts and Sciences/GA&S• Athletics• Admission • BC Police• Bookstore• Campus School• Career Center • Carroll School of Management/Graduate• Center for Corporate Citizenship• Connell School of Nursing• C21 Center• Emergency Management and Preparedness• Graduate School of Social Work• Graduate Student Life• Health Promotion

• Human Resources• Information Technology• Instructional Design and ETeaching• International Programs• Law School• Libraries• Lynch School of Education• Marketing Communication• Media Technology• News & Public Affairs• Residential Life• STM C21 Online• Student Affairs • Student Programs• Student Services• Volunteer and Service Learning Center

3.1 million impressions,

7,100 positive interactions

by 4,800 users

SMC is not….

Photo Source: wesdavenport.com

*Seagulls, friends and beautiful blue skies sold separately

Thank you

Office of News & Public Affairs617-552-3350

Melissa Beecher617-552-8047

@melissabeecher | beecherm@bc.edu