Twitter Chat Recap: Takeaways from the 2012 Social Media and Community Conference

The first-ever #casesmc chat, on strategies, concepts, mantras and next steps inspired by and gleaned from the 2012 Social Media and Community Conference. Bonus: There is a list of commencement hashtags to follow at the bottom of the post. Feel free to add others in the comments!

#CASESMC chat: Takeaways from the 2012 conference

The first-ever #casesmc chat, on strategies, concepts, mantras and next steps inspired by and gleaned from the 2012 Social Media and Community Conference. Bonus: Check out the bottom for commencement hashtags to follow.

Storified by CASE � Tue, May 08 2012 16:51:04

Question 1: Now that you're back in the saddle and inboxes returned to manageable levels, what were key points/concepts you came away with?

Strategy was definitely a theme here, whether for crisis communications or campus-wide content.

I'm still thinking about social media and crisis response -- the need to have a system in place and to practice. #casesmcAndrew Gossen

I agree that fully integrating #socialmedia into crisis communications is really important. #casesmcMichael Stoner

I would say the importance of strategy. If the strategy is well thought out, implementation will be easier #casesmcTamarah Cook

@CASEAdvance This might seem like a no-brainer, but: Don't just think strategically, act strategically. #casesmcGretchen Edwards

#casesmc Defining success is a relative thing and it changes constantly. Still means you should define it!Ma'ayan Plaut

@CASEAdvance Break down your silos and talk to other people about what you're doing with social media. #casesmcLindsey Nemcek

How would you start breaking down those silos? Here's one suggestion.

@ldrakert We started a casual, monthly meet up called #soccoffee for those who do #socmedia at #WFU. It's helping break down silos. #casesmcGretchen Edwards

I gotta fever, and the only prescription is more video.

A lot of reinforcement for what we already have in our plans, but encouragement to add more video and really focus on strategy #casesmcJason Gerdon

@JGfromOC Video is like cow bell, you always need more. Of course the strategy behind video does lead to the overall success. #casesmcTamarah Cook

From #higheredlive: The ultimate goal for video should not be to dump it onto YouTube and hope the Internet gives it a hug #casesmcPatrick Powers

@patrickjpowers love that line. I'm at a place now of figuring out what story I want to tell about us via video. #casesmcJason Gerdon

On to the next question. Question 2: What ideas/strategies/platforms learned at the conference do you plan to implement at your institution?

A2. Shifting location-based strategy after hearing @JeffreyKirchick #casesmcPatrick Powers

#casesmc A2 Sadly/fortunately @JeffreyKirchick's making me rethink the role of location in everything I do, personally and professionally.Ma'ayan Plaut

A2 Focusing on developing a cohesive strategy and some clear guidelines/best practices that can be shared across the university. #casesmcJason Gerdon

Q2. @plautmaayan did a great job leading discussion on Tumblr. I am looking forward to getting this going. #casesmcTamarah Cook

Question 3: Is there anything you were doing before that you plan to change (or discard) now?

#casesmc A3 Get everyone doing anything social around these parts in the same place, online or in person, to start working together.Ma'ayan Plaut

A3. Doing too much. Nice to refocus on those efforts actually moving the needle, not just those that shine at the moment. #casesmcPatrick Powers

One of my takeaways from #casesmc is how small efforts can make a difference, but need to be connected to larger initiatives & outcomes.Michael Stoner

Question 4: Other than silos, what current social-media-related challenges do you face at your institution that you hope to overcome?

A4 best practices. Lots of folks want to use social, but there isn't a lot of strategy behind it. Trying to educate, then execute. #casesmcJason Gerdon

A4: Educating those around you on the benefits of social can be a challenge at some institutions. #casesmcMallory Wood

#casesmc A4 Getting more voices in on the conversation other than my own. So, school-wide buy-in rather than just institutional.Ma'ayan Plaut

A4. Getting people to understand there is strategy behind social media, not just tools to blast your message. Engagement is a must. #casesmcTamarah Cook

@TamCook43 then you have to define engagement. :) #casesmcJason Gerdon

A4: lack of coherent sm presence across campus. hoping to add more voices with addition of student sm group. #casesmcMichael O'Neill

A4: also try to get people to understand it's about engaging a community and not just a tool to push info. #casesmcMichael O'Neill

Question 5: If you were next year's conference chair, what sessions would you create for the 2013 Social Media and Community conference in Cambridge, Mass.?

A5: I'd absolutely incorporate more sessions on web video. #casesmcMallory Wood

A5. I loved the roundtable discussions. More of those so we can choose multiple topics to discuss in small groups. #casesmcTamarah Cook

A5: I'd also have a session on how to utilize interns or student workers to help w/ day-to-day community management. #casesmcMallory Wood

A5. Maybe by then Google+ will be enough of something to talk about. Or not. #casesmcTamarah Cook

A5 Please offer the simulcast again this year. It was great and appreciated seeing what others were doing. #casesmcSarah Freeman

A5: Love to see more discussion around sm for use in cap campaign. @agossen discussed it and I'd love more discussion around it. #casesmcMichael O'Neill

#casesmc A5 More on team-work/team-building. We're all cogs in a wheel that work together, just how we begin it is a challenge. More ideas!Ma'ayan Plaut

I missed the group projects at #casesmc this year. I learned a huge amount about how a SM team can work from those sessions in '10 and '11.Andrew Gossen

#casesmc More cookies. Those were some really awesome cookies.Ma'ayan Plaut

There was a discussion on covering commencement through social media as well. Here are a few hashtags for inspiration, as well as one person's experience on the CASE blog:

Hashtags
#webstergrad
#wfugrad
#wmgrad
#KUgrads
#rpigrad
#tufts2012

Comments

[Vanessa Theoharis]

Our hashtag for both undergraduate and graduate Commencement ceremonies (and events leading up to Commencement) is #Babson2012.

Relevant to #casesmc, one of our Commencement speakers is Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn!