An interesting question arose in a recent email exchange among several professional colleagues (including Alumni Futures Advisory Group members Andrew Gossen of Cornell University and Liz Allen, consultant and author of the Adaptivate blog):
"What is a model staffing strategy for online communications in advancement?"
Here are four relevant, forward-looking ideas from the discussion:
1. The Need for Research
There is an increasing need for staff who can handle qualitative and quantitative research, as well as metrics (to track return on investment). Cornell's Gossen commented: "This is increasingly important, because social media monitoring tools are becoming more sophisticated, and many programs are integrating social channels more tightly into their web presence."
[There is a need for staff who can handle
qualitative and quantitative research.]
2. The Need to Work with Data
Gossen says that "alumni programs will increasingly need someone to work with data." In addition to building online interaction around data to make it more relevant to individual users, "this staff member would be thinking about great infographics to replace most of the text-intensive stewardship content we currently use to keep donors engaged."
[Note fun but informative map infographic above, showing US states as comparably-sized national economies. Click it to view full size.]
3. In-house Realtime Content
Advancement offices will soon need access to professionals who can generate multimedia content in-house and on the fly. Webinars, livestreaming video, and graphics and data mashups will become must-have features of the social web, and alumni will expect them to be available in realtime.
[Communications staff engage more people than traditional staff
who interact only at events.]
4. Integrating Communications with Alumni Relations
Finally, Liz Allen points out that alumni communications professionals should be integrated into the practice of alumni relations. "Anyone handling communications in an alumni office must be an alumni relations professional, not just a communications person who happens to work in an alumni association." Allen points out that communications staff engage with many more people than do traditional staff members who interact only at events. "That person needs to have personality, to understand alumni relations and its role at the institution, and to have genuine alumni interaction online and in person."
These ideas aren't yet critical breaking points for alumni communications. But it's important to think about what changes will make future engagement strategies more effective for the institution and for alumni and donors.
