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mStoner Releases First Social Media Guide for University Presidents

Intelligence

mStoner Releases First Social Media Guide for University Presidents

Jan 20, 2015By Michael Stoner

Follow The Leader

Call them “cutting edge” or simply “contemporary,” more college and university presidents are turning to social media to communicate with and engage constituents.

Until this week, presidents who wanted to use social media could look to peers and follow their example, perhaps gritting their teeth and hoping they wouldn’t make an egregious public mistake on Twitter or Facebook. Now, however, they can be much better prepared when they decide to engage on social channels. Why? Because #FollowTheLeader: Lessons in Social Media Success from #HigherEd CEOs by Dan Zaiontz, which we released this week, offers many tips, examples, and worksheets to make a president’s social media presence much more powerful, effective, and strategic.

In writing #FollowTheLeader, Zaiontz researched how leaders used social media, paying close attention to what university presidents were doing. Then he interviewed 22 American and Canadian college and university presidents about their use of social media in their roles as institutional leaders.

Does a college president have to be on social media in 2015?” Zaiontz asks rhetorically. “I’d say no. There’s still a choice to be made.”

[Tweet “Do you think a college president has to be on social media in 2015? #mStoner”]

But while there are reasons to opt out, more and more higher ed leaders are considering using social media to communicate with and engage constituents, following leaders such as Walter Kimbrough (@hiphopprez), Anne Kress (@MCCpresident), R. Bowen Loftin (@bowtieger), Paul LeBlanc (@snhuprez), Elizabeth Stroble (@websterpres), and many others.

Indeed, Zaiontz says that there are many reasons why presidents choose to engage — and benefits for those who do. For example, one Canadian president made a connection with an official in Alberta’s government through Twitter, a relationship that led to increased funding for the institution. And many presidents report connecting with news media as a result of their tweets.

On social media, one size doesn’t fit all — leaders can choose channels that fit their needs and personality, depending on what they hope to gain. A president who wants a high level of interaction with constituents can choose to be a “customer servant,” who uses social media to respond to queries and problems from stakeholders. Another may decide that she sees the value of making a commitment and weaving social media into her life so that she becomes a “socially active strategist,” offering a range of insights, outreach, and closely aligning her blogging, tweeting, and sharing closely with with institutional goals and messages.

In addition to worksheets, dozens of practical tips and examples from presidents, #FollowTheLeader contains in-depth profiles of eight presidents who exemplify best practices in social media use.

And, Zaiontz provides great insights and tips for people who work with presidents — PR people, marketers, assistants and others — to help them be more effective strategic advisers to their institution’s leader.

Learn more and order your own copy.

 

Note: Here are some resources about presidents and social media from our blog:


  • Michael Stoner Co-Founder and Co-Owner Was I born a skeptic or did I become one as I watched the hypestorm gather during the dotcom years, recede, and congeal once more as we come to terms with our online, social, mobile world? Whatever. I'm not much interested in cutting edge but what actually works for real people in the real world. Does that make me a bad person?