Hi there.

Here are ten tweets that best represent what I (and others) learned at HighEdWeb in Little Rock.

Note: The headings in purple are the names of each referenced session.

Thanks for being here.

1 - The P.O.D.s of podcasting #

The most important takeaways for me from the P.O.D.s of Podcasting session:

- Pick the right format!

- Quality over Quantity, find a schedule that allows you to remain consistent without sacrificing quality

- Available data will vary wildly across analytics platforms#HEWeb22

— Carl Gratiot (@CarlGratiot) October 10, 2022

Podcasting on campus, on behalf of a brand, or for yourself requires a clear understanding of your target audience and a long-term commitment to improving quality over time.

2 - Coaching the C-Suite #

If you’re working with a campus executive on their brand presence, you should act as a coach. The most well-received accounts of executives include personalized information. You’ll need to have some different types of conversation with them.#heweb22 #MTL3

— Dr. Liz Gross (she/her) (@lizgross144) October 10, 2022

Students and community members can tell when campus leaders have someone else write their tweets. What resonates is when Presidents, Directors, and Chancellors act like humans and share behind-the-scenes aspects of their roles.

3 - Thank you 10: stage managing a community theater of content creators #

@andrewbcassel & @kuratowa describe your campus website much like community theatre. You have to use the resources (and cast) you have to make magic happen. 🎭 #HEWeb22

— Kelly Ratliff (@k_ratliff) October 10, 2022

Managing a team of content creators across a decentralized campus is a daunting task, but magic can happen with proper planning, relationship management, and maybe a few sequins.

# 4 - To differentiate your brand, act differently #

Trends prompt engagement, so we all hop on the same trends. But, acting the same, especially with memes, dilutes your brand AND harms perceptions of social media. We’re talking past our audiences. — @lizgross144 #HEWeb22

— Mark H. Anbinder (@mhaithaca) October 10, 2022

We’ve all been guilty of jumping on the meme bandwagon, and creating your own “Bernie in a chair on campus” image isn’t going to have any lasting impact beyond short-term engagement. Meme usage isn’t worth the brand dilution that comes with it.

5 - Personalization and Hospitable Design #

My 🌟 from @joelgoodman’s #UAD6 personalization & #HospitableDesign talk: Make your users’ overall web experience efficient, anticipate needs & provide a streamlined process for the things they’re already doing, rather than spending time on performative personalization. #HEWeb22

— Tiffany Broadbent Beker (@tb623) October 11, 2022

Think about the best hospitality experiences you’ve ever had and apply that framework to design and user experience. Users should feel delighted and taken care of as they navigate institutional websites.

6 - Get. (More.) Stuff. Done #

Write more effective internal emails. Use formatting to make it clear what parts of your email require a real response. Don’t email novels. #HEWeb22

— Aaron K (@farktal) October 11, 2022

Keep it brief whenever possible. Emails do NOT need to be written like short stories. Use bold text to emphasize the most critical information and bullet points to keep things organized.

7 - Consider Divesting from Facebook and Instagram #

“Facebook always always ALWAYS chooses growth over safety”

“Instagram usually works as it’s intended to…but many people are there when they’re having a hard time.”

“If I’m working with Meta, does that make me bad person? THE ANSWER IS YES.”

— Loren Branch (he/him) (@LBfrom93til) October 11, 2022

The data suggests that Meta doesn’t care about the well-being of its users. Consider devoting more time to alternative platforms like Pinterest, Discord, LinkedIn, TikTok, and BeReal.

8 - Higher Ed Marketing Can Be, Well, Outdated #

I’m just gonna leave this here.

By Camile at #HEWeb22 lighting talks. pic.twitter.com/B48ePTTHmd

— Day Kibilds (@kibilds) October 11, 2022

Many higher-ed marketers have become repetitive in their tactics. Without innovation, our audiences’ eyes will glaze over, and we’ll never realize our true potential.

9 - Is It Time for Campuses to BeReal? #

I hate to be the naysayer when it comes to brands and BeReal…but I SAY NAY!!! (At least for now.)
Hear my thoughts on it and on the latest episode of @ThoughtFeedPod recorded live at #HEWeb22! https://t.co/fqmddJ7M6p

— Jon-Stephen Stansel (@jsstansel) October 14, 2022

We recorded a live episode of Thought Feeder at HighEdWeb, where Joel and J.S. stopped being polite and started Being Real.

10 - This community is so wonderful #

Another #HigherEdPizza in the books with the delightful #HEWeb22 crew! pic.twitter.com/Ih0F0KpGE8

— Bravery (@braverymedia) October 12, 2022

Like most of us, I’ve spent the better part of the last two years working from home, so when I get a chance to spend some time with other marketers IRL, it’s a joyous occasion. HighEdWeb was one of those occasions. I look forward to the next one.

-Carl Gratiot