Use Video to Extend the Reach of Your Events
Project: Mid-Michigan Spartans' 2012 Tailgate Video On September 28, 2012 the Mid-Michigan Spartans (MSU Alumni Club of Mid-Michigan) hosted their annual tailgate party at the Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe in East Lansing. The MSU Cheerleaders and the Spartan Marching...
The Social Alumnus: Implications of Social Identity Theory in the Digital Era
As many of you know, I am currently pursuing my masters in public relations. For a class this spring I was charged with writing a literature review based on any theory in public relations academia. The catch: it had to relate to our current or proposed future career...
Comparing Social Media and Football
In honor of the BCS National Championship game last night, I'd like to recommend Jay Baer and Amber Naslund's post comparing social media team members to football teams. Although written for the corporate world, there is some good stuff in here that can apply to...
Launch Your Organization Into The New Year
As we proceed in to 2011, many alumni clubs and organizations are in the process of changing leadership. Whether this change is a new president or a new committee chairperson, boards and individuals should see this transition time as an opportunity. In addition to...
Making Sharing Your Brand/Message Easy
I just came from a meeting where I was asked to give a presentation. I was setting up my laptop prior to the meeting, when one of the attendees commented on my unique computer design. I happen to have a laptop skin that is customized with the logo of my alma mater...
What Is Great Customer Service?
At the beginning of the summer I participated in a workshop, "The Art of Giving Great Service," as part of a staff meeting at work. The workshop was presented by Ann Lofgren, of ZingTrain/Zingerman's Training Incorporated (related to the famous Zingerman's Deli of Ann...
Two Good Resources
Check out this link to an article titled "What Nonprofits Need to Know About Social Media" that I found on the Smart Blog on Social Media. It features an interview with Beth Kanter, who writes about non-profits using social media at "Beth's Blog." These two blogs...
Proactive Use of Talking Points
Many large organizations (and some small ones too) create sets of talking points for their board and members to refer to when discussing the club. This is a great idea! It helps ensure that everyone is "on message" and the views of the organization are displayed in...
Getting Started: Creating a Master Account Address
Quite frequently organizations decide to participate in social media because "everybody's doing it." The "jump-in-and-figure-it-out" mentality often leads to problems down the road. Here is a hypothetical situation as an example. Bob is president of a local club. ...
What is Twitter? How Can I Get a Following?
As a quick introduction to readers who may not be familiar with Twitter, let me offer a brief explanation. Twitter is a micro-blog. People who use Twitter post "tweets" that are 140 characters or less in length. This limit is set to accommodate the 160 character...
Online Professionalism in Writing
One thing to keep in mind, no matter what social media platform you are using, is to keep your writing professional. I mean this specifically when you are using social media on behalf of a club, business, or organization, but this applies to an individual as well. ...
Using LinkedIn for Demographic Research
Friday I had the wonderful opportunity to watch a presentation on LinkedIn given by John Hill, Director of Alumni Career Services at Michigan State University. He was showing Honors College seniors what a valuable tool the social networking site can be for those...