it communications and rockstars
DESCRIPTION
This presentation addresses the similarities between rockstars and IT communications as higher ed IT departments strive to tell our stories, strategies, plans, and outages in terms of: - changing landscapes - managing your rockstar/IT brand and reputation - practicing with the band (planning with stakeholders) - understanding our fans (audiences) - going on tour (channels) - playing the music (content) - taking time to reminisce (evaluating success)TRANSCRIPT
IT Communications and Rockstars
Mary Kathryn RobertsManager, Strategic Communications
Carleton University
IT PROJECTS
Strategy and Organizational
ChangesWebsite
OutagesTraining and Workshops
Service Promotion
Events Other
Changing landscapesBrand and reputation
Plan | PracticeAudiences | FansContent | MusicChannels | Tour
Evaluate | Reminisce
4
Changing Landscapes
1. Social Media2. Information Overload3. Heightened Expectations
You don’t have to be everywhere. Know where your audience is.Quality over quantity.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation we are challenged to change ourselves.”
- Viktor E. Franki
1. Set the Expectation2. Framework for Communications3. Importance of Standards and Resources
Brand and Reputation
Tell stories that align with your IT department’s vision and mission.
“A brand is a story that is always being told.”
- Scott Bedbury
10
Practice = Plan1. Start Planning Early
2. Create Clear Goals and Objectives 3. Gather Resources
The Strategic Part of Strategic Planning
BACKGROUND
STRATEGY
COMMUNICATION GOALS
KEY MESSAGES KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
Tactic Vehicle Date Responsibility Notes/Evaluation
Executive level brief
Information Systems Steering Committee
April 6 – Quarterly
CIO presentMK provide key messages
ReactionsQuestions
Review and prepare website including an FAQ section
carleton.ca/ccs/site
April 9 MK Set up dashboard alerts in Google AnalyticsUpdate FAQ as required
The Tactical Part of Strategic Planning
If possible, determines: Point of contact, Services impacted, Time to resolve
Performs initial scope assessment, Posts to generic channels
Prepares message for broadcast, Tweets outage
Contacts include: Department of Communications, Student Services, Registrar’s Office
Issue Discovered
Outage Reported for 1st Phase
Communications
Big Issues Escalated for
Broadcast Communications
Issue is Broadcast to Community as
Necessary
Create an Outage Communications Plan
“The secret is to gang up on the problem, rather than each other.”
- Thomas Stallkamp
Fans = Audience1. Note Characteristics
2. Work with Timing/Schedules3. Address Potential Questions and Issues
Students are….busy
stressedon social media
get a lot of emailtech savvy
Does it matter if they are
on campus vs off campus?
Undergrad vs grad?
“How does this impact me?”
- Your audience.
Tour = Channels
1. Contact Person for Each Available Channel2. Use your Website to its Full Potential3. Leverage Existing Social Media Channels
Twitter Rules• Be polite• Be useful.• Be interesting.• Be social.• Be consistent.• Be a person.
Twitter Plan:• What to tweet. Content strategy.• How often to tweet. Buffer.• Hashtag or no hashtag #nohashtag• How to measure.
Bufferapp.com
“Every time you add something you take something away.”
- 37signals.com
22
Music = Content1. Keep it Simple
2. Use Pyramid Writing3. Meet People Where They Are
When, What, WhoFrom Friday June 7 to Monday June 10, Microsoft will be upgrading all Carleton student email accounts.
Why, How (does this affect you)This upgrade will result in a significant storage increase, from 25 GB to 50 GB.
During the upgrade, students will experience a few minutes of service interruption. Access via the Portal and via smartphones will be unavailable during this time.
DetailsTo access your account during the upgrade, (details)
Background InfoLearn more about the upgrade at this website.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
-Hans Hofman
Reminisce = Evaluate1. Know what you’re evaluating2. Do A | B testing
3. Share your lessons learned / success
27
“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”
- Randy Pausch
1. Changing Landscapes. Times they are a changin’.
2. Brand and Reputation. It’s not about what you do, it’s about what people think about what you do.
3. Plan. Have one. Involve people early.
4. Audience – Address potential prejudices. Potential issues. IT knowledge. Be aware of schedule conflicts.
5. Channels - Know what channels work best for each audience and tailor content accordingly. Get social – but keep in mind your resources.
6. Content - Content needs to be tailored to both the audience and to the channel. Use pyramid writing. Simple, clear, concise.
7. Evaluation – Include in the plan. Get feedback. Report. Be even better next time.
Questi ons?Mary Kathryn Roberts
Manager, Strategic CommunicationsOffice of the Vice-President (Finance and Administration)
Carleton University
@HEITcomms