To be considered for inclusion on the link page, your social networking site:
A set of layered Photoshop files are now available from the Images Library (login required). These files can be customized for use as your profile image on many social networking sites.
Please send your link submissions to University Relations and consider adding a link to the Social Networking page on your Web sites.
]]>I recently read an article in Advertising Age called "Coca-Cola's Biggest Social-Media Push Yet." Coke is sending three brand ambassadors around the world on a 275,000-mile trek. Their journey will be tracked on a Web site and various major social networks.
Why? To drive good public relations for the company into the global economy. True, Coke is about a strong a brand as there is. Right? So, it made me think... If Coke is investing thousands of dollars to mimic the "Amazing Race," shouldn't this be a trigger to those of us who don't have a brand worth $58 billion?
The good news is I believe the University of Minnesota is taking steps in the right direction. How so?
Driven to Discover
The incredible successfulness of this initiative demonstrates the importance of sharing the greatness of the University's research, education, and outreach efforts with local, state, and global communities.
Integrated marketing
Like Coca-Cola, the University has forged many successful partnerships over the years to ensure resources are used wisely, cost efficiencies are gained, and most importantly, the brightest and most brilliant ideas bubble to the top.
Social networking guidelines
The University recently released its social networking guidelines as a starting point for how to best leverage the emerging media.
If you haven't had a chance to read the new social networking guidelines, I strongly urge you to. For the past few months, significant effort was focused on how to best help colleges/departments/units use social networking tools as well deliver curriculum while ensuring students intellectual property is protected.
Developing the guidelines is only the beginning for those of us at the University. Now, we should be asking ourselves the same questions Coke asked:
How does social networking fit into our communication strategies?
Coke assembled a multi-disciplinary team between communications, public relations, and marketing to develop its strategy.
Which of the social networking sites or tools best meet our business needs?
Coke has identified several sites including Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, and more. Since it's a global company I would venture it will also be using some of the other global main social channels such as China's QZone.
What measurement tools will be used to identify success?
Coke has indicated it will track media impressions, followers as well as page views.
The University of Minnesota guidelines simply highlight important subjects to consider such as legal ramifications, copyright infringement, terms of service, and more. Think of the guidelines as the base map for developing successful communications strategy. It's up to you to decide how far and high around the world you want to go.
]]>Change in Editing Events
When you are signed into the system and are viewing an event, an "Edit" link will appear above the event title, which will bring up the editing window. This replaces the need to press Ctrl-Shift-F5 and should make editing events easier.
Updated Documentation
We are continuously updating the documentation provided as we add new features, make modifications, and receive feedback. Please visit the e-Communications blog at http://blog.lib.umn.edu/webdepot/ecomm/events_calendar/ for updates to the Events Calendar documentation. Updated documentation was posted last Friday.
Displaying Events on events.umn.edu
An option has been added to the "Submit an event" page that allows contributors to decided if they want an event to display on events.umn.edu. If you select "Yes", then the event will appear on the events.umn.edu site. If you select "No", then the events will only appear in RSS feeds. This will allow groups to add events that they wish to appear in RSS feeds, while restricting the event from showing on the events.umn.edu site. This is helpful if a group has an event that they use the calendar to populate events on their website, but not on the events.umn.edu site. Events that have the option set to "No" will still appear on events.umn.edu to contributors logged into the system. This will allow groups to find these events if they need to edit them.
Feedback
As we move forward with the Events Calendar, we would love to hear feedback from contributors on their experience with the system. We would like to hear what works and what could be improved. If you have any feedback that you would like to share, please send an e-mail to events@umn.edu
The recent template changes include additional padding on list tags, fixing the locked HTML and CSS files, absolute link to the U's favicon, and fixing the "Related Links" navigation heading so it's no longer a link. Details can be found on the Template Change Log page.
]]>For instance, this excerpt could be applied to donors, patients, parents, researchers, and more... "The trick is to communicate this sort of branded motivational information pervasively on your site in short, intriguing bits and pieces so that prospects are interested enough to get to the information they feel they need. "
I highly recommend you check out these two articles:
What Students Really Want
What Students Are Telling You About Your Website Design
See the webinar registration page for more information.
]]>Adding Users to the Events Calendar
Editing Unit Categories within the Events Calendar
Adding Events
Revising Events
A template should be ready for pilot groups sometime next week (the second week of November). Watch this blog for updates!
]]>Much of the summit appears to have been focused on social media. You can find presentations on MIMA's For [Summit] Attendees page.
]]>Here's an excerpt from the article:
"Last month at NACAC, I got my hands on a copy of the Hobsons Domestic Research Report 2009-2010. It's a fantastic report that every admissions professional should get their hands on, but one set of numbers specifically stood out to me. Hobsons asked sophomores, juniors and seniors about their perceptions of the credibility of college search tools. All you social media cool kids may find the results surprising."
Read more on social network statistics.
Enjoy!
P.S. Check out Gerry McGovern's Links are New Yorkers
Business writing, like life, is better kept simple. From web content to sales presentations, the fewer the words, the stronger your message. Today, when people are more likely to scan than read, your words have to pop with purpose. Each well-chosen word has to compel your impatient reader to click or call ... to buy or believe. In short, when you want to amplify, simplify.
Good writing serves your readers well and gets to the point quickly and clearly. But how do you write simply and powerfully? Here are four tips.
1. Jump right in. Take a page from fiction writers - start right where the action is. No need for long explanations and backstory. Instead of, "There is another topic to cover here..." simply go with "Our next topic is year-end revenue projections."
2. Choose your words wisely. Make sure the language fits your audience. If you are writing for doctors or researchers, highly technical words can be the right choice. If you are writing for a general audience, you don't have to dumb it down, but pick shorter or familiar words that get right to the point.
3. Remove the passive voice. Look for sentence construction using "is" and "was." For example, "The employee was acknowledged by her boss for excellent work." Tighten it up by focusing on the people instead of the action. "The boss acknowledged the employee's excellent work."
4. Cut unnecessary words. By removing excessive modifiers like "very," "a lot," "somewhat" or "too," you can streamline your writing. Cut vague words like "area," "thing" or "aspect." And of course, avoid redundancy. "At this point in time" is "now."
And a bonus tip...if you have the time, put your writing aside, then come back to review it later. You'll find it easier to edit with fresh eyes. If you don't have time, ask someone to do a quick review for you.
- Academic Health Center
* Brent Engebretson (engeb013@umn.edu)
* Jacob Portnoy (port0179@umn.edu)
- CFANS
* Honey VanderVenter (hvander@umn.edu)
* Holly Klinger (kling175@umn.edu)
- College of Biological Sciences
* Sue Martinez (suem@umn.edu)
* Katie Hoffman (hoff0530@umn.edu)
- College of Design
* Laura Weber (l-webe@umn.edu)
* Lori Mollberg (lmollber@umn.edu)
- College of Education and Human Development
* Jeff Abuzzahab (jeff@umn.edu)
* Nathan Kopka (kopka003@umn.edu)
- College of Liberal Arts -
* Karen Swoverland (karenb@umn.edu)
* Dan Kunitz (kunitz@umn.edu)
- College of Pharmacy
* Amy L. Olson (olson017@umn.edu)
* Amy Leslie (johns423@umn.edu)
- Human Resources
* Wendy Volkman (volkm007@umn.edu)
* Caryn Lantz (ward0115@umn.edu)
- Humphrey Institute
* Julie Lund (julie@umn.edu)
* Anne Mason (amason@umn.edu)
- Institute of Technology
* Peter Riemenschneider (priemen@umn.edu)
* Rhonda Zurn (rzurn@umn.edu)
- Office of Information Technology
* KT Cragg (crag0006@umn.edu)
* Ben Neeser (nees0019@umn.edu)
- Office of International Programs
* Jennifer Schulz (schul160@umn.edu)
* Antonia Lortis (lorti001@umn.edu)
- Office of the VP for Research
* John Merritt (merri205@umn.edu)
* Amy Danielson (dani0139@umn.edu)
- School of Public Health
* Mark Engebretson (enge@umn.edu)
* Barb Cook (barbcook@umn.edu)
- Student Unions
* Zach Johnson (john4338@umn.edu)
* Collette Litzinger (collette@umn.edu)
- The Graduate School
* Gayla Marty (marty001@umn.edu)
* Marci Freundschuh (m-freu@umn.edu)
- University Libraries
* Marlo Welshons (welsh066@umn.edu)
* Timothy Cronin (cron0083@umn.edu)
- Vice Provost for Faculty & Academic Affairs
* Jeremy Hernandez (herna220@umn.edu)
* Cynthia Murdoch (macal001@umn.edu)
If having old events viewable to the public is important, you may want to consider back-filling events in the new calendar.
Finally, if you are having difficulty setting up users, training staff, or entering in events for the next couple of weeks, please let us know by sending an e-mail to events@umn.edu. We understand launching a new system can be time-consuming and are here to help.