From the category archives:

Social Media

Social Media is not the Driver

February 1, 2011

Let’s face it, your reputation, the work you do, the products you produce, your relationships, the PR your company gets, the awards you win – these things matter much more than the number of Facebook fans you have, or Twitter followers, or even commenters on a blog. The truth is that people don’t discover you [...]

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Ignore Your Alumni and They Will Go Away

June 22, 2010

I was pretty darn excited when I got a scholarship offer to attend the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), and even more excited when I made the life changing decision to actually go there versus the safer route of a liberal arts college with a strong studio arts program (my anticipated course of action). Once [...]

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Are Online Social Networks Good or Evil?

June 18, 2010

I was invited to be a guest on National Public Radio recently to discuss the topic of Clay Shirky’s newest book, Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age, with Clay and host Dan Rodricks on WYPR.
We discuss why people are giving up television for online digital activities that pool their intellect, energy and [...]

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Custom Branded Email Signatures Made Simple (sort of)

May 27, 2010

Fastspot is a huge proponent of having a consistent brand and presence in all arenas.  As such, we have implemented custom branded email signatures.  Our preferred email client is Mac Mail app and we’ve found that, while these signatures are professional and polished-looking, the process of installing/implementing them is nothing sort of a multi-step nightmare. [...]

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Don’t Let Fear Prevent Progress

May 19, 2010

Do you hide at home because you are afraid if you step outside someone will mug you? Do you avoid public places in fear of falling victim to a random crime? Do you lower your eyes and walk quickly past strangers in hopes they will not see you, and not verbally attack you? If you [...]

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Being Vague on Facebook – An Admission Department’s Biggest Mistake

December 1, 2009

I am going to make a simple recommendation which I suspect will have a radically positive transformation on any higher ed’s Facebook fan page that is Admissions-oriented. If your Facebook page is specifically for Admissions—SAY SO!
To really set the mood, ask a few friends or students to post some questions, typical “prospective student” questions. After [...]

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Uncensored Marketing Via Social Media

November 7, 2009

UMBC took a huge risk with the social media aggregator Website be.umbc.edu, which is part of the College.Be campaign created by Neustadt Creative Marketing.
Not only is it completely uncensored, it is an immediate and direct view into what the community of UMBC is like for any prospect who cares to visit the site. And for [...]

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Social Media Marketing for Higher Education

June 26, 2009

Fastspot works with a number of higher education clients and the topic of social media and marketing is a hot one. On one hand, many higher educational institutions are scared pantless of the notion that content might be getting created that they can’t control. They are very used to being tight-handed when it comes to [...]

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Twitter for Non-Profits

January 8, 2009

The first step is to set up a Twitter account and username. (You hopefully already know you do this at Twitter.com) Your username should reflect your organization and you should include all of the requested information within the “Settings” fields. Make sure you include an email address that is monitored; you will receive email notifications [...]

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