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Web Industry Paradigm Shift at the University of Michigan

October 13th, 2011

This is the first in a series of posts in which I will comment upon hiring trends and possibilities in higher education and digital marketing. Having worked extensively with public affairs and digital marketing in higher education, I believe that institutional priorities are revealed by the creation of new positions and the evolution of previous ones. I hope that my experience can shed some light on the strengths and challenges inherent in a job as it is described publicly.

Recently, I followed a tweet posted by Liz Gross (Twitter @lizgross144) that linked to this article: “University of Michigan to hire social media director.” It jumped out at me as signaling a major shift for digital communications marketing in higher education.

Because Michigan is one of the more aggressive and successful universities to use social media, it is heartening to see it provide real structure and thought leadership for social media content strategies.

Here are what I see as signs of progress for higher education in general, and as signs of strength for the person who takes the job itself.

The Social Media Director reports to VP

The reporting structure of this position seems to embrace the need for agility and sharing among all levels of the organization. Far too often web and digital staff are several layers removed from senior leadership such as VPs, presidents, chancellors, etc. This means that opportunities to improve or take action are challenged by logistics and hierarchy. Obviously, social media moves fast — lightning fast — and responding quickly is critical, especially when it comes to emergency communications.

It is likely that this director of social media will have weekly (or more) meetings with the VP of global communications and will be able to provide ongoing insight and accountability for Michigan’s social media marketing. Now, senior leadership will have the possibility of interacting with and influencing the curator of social media, rather than standing on the sidelines “lurking.”

The Social Media Director will hold a newly-created position

This position will likely be considered by others to be new and experimental — perhaps even risky or irresponsible. Such perceptions can trigger interesting and sometimes odd behavior by peers and colleagues. Some will be fascinated and intrigued, and they will likely reach out to the new person to learn, support, and share.

Others may be threatened and/or uncertain about why a position dedicated to social media is necessary and why the university is allocating resources and attention to it. After all, writers, journalists, and marketers have existed at universities for decades. Why, they may wonder, is social media any different? They may disagree with the concept and, as a result, obstruct the social media director’s efforts to obtain valuable resources or infrastructure.

Therefore, it is most critical that the successful candidate be confident, outgoing, and competent. She or he may have to make professional confrontations and ask painful questions. Not everyone will agree with the need for a director of social media, and being a new position, there is no history or established record of what defines success. As a result, many will have opinions and expectations that may or may not be fair or realistic. The new social media director must define success for the university and report frequently on measureable results.

Everyone will be watching.

Content (strategy) is king

I have been saying for about five years that technology and design are no longer barriers for universities to communicate and market themselves well online. Even though many organizations still struggle, having a beautiful design and well-structured code is now considered a responsibility that digital teams work hard to fulfill.

Key audiences expect that that institutions of higher education will create eye-catching designs and flexible code (whether or not they recognize it as such). Now, the most important and decisive component of digital marketing is content. The fact that the University of Michigan seeks to appoint a director of social media is a positive sign that the industry is maturing. It recognizes that audience members want to consume content and interact with a powerful brand. Content, and its marketing through social media, is the major growth area for digital. This new position is a harbinger.

Too often content creators (writers, videographers, photographers, etc..) have been positioned as second or subordinate in the order of importance on projects and initiatives. Thus, they obtain lower base salaries and management responsibilities. Decisions about strategy have been based placed narrowly on technology, what looks good in a browser, and the latest innovative method of constructing a web page.

Now, as Facebook and Twitter prove, social media websites are content management systems for the masses. Content can be posted and managed in new ways. Yes, social media initiatives must be integrated with an institution’s websites and marketing efforts, but content now often can stand alone when it comes down to audience interaction. Most Facebook pages and Twitter accounts look the same, but what differentiates them is content. This new position is an indicator that content creators are on the verge of increasing their value to the University and growing their management responsibilities.

The job description is well-defined

The Social Media Director position description is very well-written and should attract a high caliber of candidate. The canny candidate will see that while the position is highly influential in web and digital, its primary objective is to cultivate audiences. The ability to create and manage relationships is the core of social media — not technology. Technology only enables such cultivation to occur with less restrictions posed by time and space. So, I am encouraged to see that technical abilities are not the focus of the position description.

The power to create and share content, to manage audience expectations and meet them, and to increase awareness of the university’s brand and mission is stated goal of the social media director. I would make one change, however. I would move the “enthusiastic” qualification to the top. Maintaining enthusiasm and optimism may prove to be the most challenging part of the job.

Hope of others to follow

Kudos to the University of Michigan for committing to social media initiatives. I hope that the new director is successful so that other universities follow Michigan’s example. And, to those of you who may be interested in this position, let me be clear in stating that the position appears to be one full of amazing challenge and opportunity.

How often in higher education marketing do you get a chance to define greatness? Here is your chance.

Note: I am in no way affiliated with the University of Michigan. These are my independent thoughts and observations.

Posted in Analysis, Predictions, Strategy | Permalink

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Realignment Too

March 15th, 2011

The new iPad reminds me that even though technical improvements may increase user satisfaction, signs of life that the organization cares about, listens to, and wants to build better trust with its users makes a much larger impact.

I consider the iPad 2 upgrade to be similar to the recent upgrades we started to make this month to wustl.edu. They are realignments.

While a total redesign takes considerable time, teams can make and launch immediate improvements quickly that enhance the experience. To do this, an organization must constantly listen. It must also research the most important features that make the greatest impact on its users. These are the areas that need realigning, and they should remain a top priority. These key performance indicators are the best ways to communicate to your users that you care.

What is your “smart cover?”

In the case of the iPad 2, the areas of realignment were adding a camera, making it thinner and lighter and faster, and providing a much improved “smart” cover for protection. These are not major overhauls of the device, but highly-informed, expeditious, and well-timed upgrades.

I am testing the newer version of the iPad compared to the original, and beyond the obvious upgrades, Apple sent a clear message to its millions of users (including me) that the iPad is alive and doing well. They care about this population of users. The device is for real. And everyone, even those 70% of people who will not upgrade to version two, will benefit from this message because it brings hope that this commitment will continue into the future. Now, bring on the iPhone 5.

Posted in Strategy, Tactics | Permalink

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Accepted Position at Washington University in St. Louis

November 16th, 2008

Update 12/11/2008: Thank you for your support and well wishes. I appreciate the emails, Twitters, and feedback. I will update again soon regarding my progress. Until then, Washington U. is amazing, and I am excited about the future. More soon.

Beginning November 24, 2008, I will join Washington University in Saint Louis as its new Executive Director of Web Communications. I will manage the University’s top-level web presence and guide strategy for all web-based communication across the institution. This includes locating, collecting, and directing the resources necessary to produce communications that reflect the University’s mission.

I am extremely pleased to join such a well-respected organization and look forward to working closely with my new team.

To those interested in following my activity at Washington University in St. Louis, know that I have created a special Twitter account. (Follow mattklawitterWU.) I plan to communicate progress and to also network with others.

To my colleagues and friends at Notre Dame: it has been a true pleasure working with you and serving the University together. I believe in its mission, tradition, and values, and I also believe that your success will continue. I am honored to have created the Notre Dame Web Group and am even prouder that it will endure.

Posted in Strategy | Permalink

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Invest Your Dollars in Research

September 21st, 2007

This week, I met with members of a marketing team from another major employer in the area. They wanted to talk about our methods, how we approach our assignments, and more importantly how we created the new nd.edu.

Each and every marketing communication project has its own unique challenges, yet some are always similar. This is especially true when dealing with marketing on the Web. If you take away the strategies, goals, and tactics of the assignment, the remainder is something I see during every project on which I work. I realized this during my meeting.

The question was asked where to best invest (or spend) marketing budget dollars. That is, is it best to invest out-of-pocket dollars into creative (design, images, photog.) or perhaps in the technical (development, coding, servers) or maybe even elsewhere? This is especially tricky if you seek to balance in-house talent (usually over capacity) with best of industry vendors that can help give you a booster-shot. I feel the answer is simple. And, this answer is the common bond that all major Web marketing projects share.

Invest your dollars in research first, then deliverables.

It sounds like common sense, but I am amazed how rarely this occurs. Any major Web marketing project that skips right to tactics and deliverables is not a marketing project. That is simply work to improve appearances. It’s a fake-out. A healthy, impactful, and measurable Web marketing project begins with an investment in knowledge.

What kind of knowledge is needed?

At least 20-25% of your budget should first be spent towards learning as much as possible about your end-users. This does not mean just looking at webstats, hits, and other clichéd metrics. You need to know demographics, behaviors, traits, and real personas of the people you are seeking to reach or impact. Each and every decision you make about tactics, creative, and technology should be based on in-depth knowledge of your real users.

If you base decisions on your gut or anecdotal evidence, then you are doomed. If you work with someone that feels research, focus groups, and surveys are a waste of money, then simply ask that person to produce for you detailed quantitative and qualitative demographics about your users. No chance.

Here’s the difference:

  • A web project without research: “Let’s design a new website.”
  • A web project with research: “We will reach emerging, young customers with on-line services in order to seed a relationship early. We will balance basic web marketing with traditional print for the senior customers.”

If you don’t have the knowledge, you are just making a pretty site. If you do have the knowledge, you make an impact.

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HD Commercial Bull’s-eye

May 23rd, 2006

I time-shift television. This week I was fast-forwarding the commercials during one of my “season pass” shows. I have had Tivo for several years, so I am an ace at commercial skipping. But, this time while skipping I noticed the screen went 16:9 (High Definition). I immediately paused and went back to actually watch the commercial.

Commercials in HD are rare, but they too are stunning.

This particular commercial in HD was for Target. It featured amazing visuals, transitions, colors, and animations interlaced with live-action actors. After 30 seconds of total immersion, I realized I was actually entertained. I liked it. It was fun to watch. From a branding standpoint, my impression of Target was impacted positively. On the surface, they are clearly promoting themselves from a retail perspective, but the subtle hidden message is that they are cutting edge and strive to be creative and innovative. How many others in their industry are advertising in HD?

So, as most 18-34 year old males would do, I went to the Web to search for the ad. I wanted to see it again online—perhaps Target incorporated this video into their integrated marketing communications.

No mention of the commercial on the Target website. No opportunity to see it again.
In fact, no video at all on the site.

The thought occurred to me; why invest so heavily in one area (i.e., video) and not have it impact or enhance other marketing communications vehicles (e.g., Web)? It would be very easy to provide commercial videos online, wrap some very focused messaging around it, and even link to HD hardware available for purchase in the store. HD has almost as much marketing buzz as the Web. It could be a slam dunk to blend the two.

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