This was one of the most common questions/discussion topics I overheard (or received directly as a panelist on the Marketing 2.0 Trends Panel) at the recent UCEA Marketing Seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona.
I must confess that when I first heard how much buzz Twitter was getting at the Seminar, I rolled my eyes and said something to the effect of, "Here we go again chasing more shiny objects!" And, I'm not convinced that, for many higher ed marketers, Twitter doesn't represent just that- a new, "magic bullet" perceived to solve all that ails their marketing efforts.
So, how do we determine if Twitter (or any other emerging channels) are right for marketing higher education? I'd suggest you start with the basic approach you should take with every marketing project you develop (or at least I hope you take!).
Start by defining your basic objective. What is it that you hope to accomplish? Second, develop your supporting strategy for how you'll do this. Then (and only then) you select corresponding technologies.
In my recently released paper, How to Move Interactive Marketing Forward: A Primer for Continuing Education, I state that most CE units take the exact opposite approach. Many start with the channel itself (i.e. Twitter) and then desperately grasp to find a way to make the admittedly intriguing idea fit into their strategy and stated objectives.
Is Twitter right for CE? You tell me. If you've got your objectives clear in your mind, you know how you are going to accomplish them (strategy), and you have good reason to believe that Twitter will get you there, then perhaps it is a channel to use.
On that note, readers, tell me how you'd use Twitter...or if you would use Twitter...to market your CE programs. Comment away.
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