Ontario colleges are losing the ability to control the message about their institution and should embrace new social networking and web 2.0 technologies to recruit students and remain relevant to young people.

That is the message college officials heard at the recent Colleges Ontario annual conference hosted by Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.

Content uploaded outside a college is just as likely to shape potential students' views of the school as corporate material posted on college sites, say experts, who encourage schools to embrace such innovations as Second Life, YouTube and social networking sites.

"Technology has destroyed an organization's ability to control its message," noted U.S. communications consultant Dr. Robert Johnson. Students looking for information on a potential institution are just as likely to obtain it from other sources, such as Wikipedia or Facebook, he said.

A quick YouTube search recently turned up more than 160 video submissions dealing with Fanshawe College alone, he said, suggesting schools need to factor in the new realities of how information is available to students.

Colleges should spend as much time and effort contributing their own content to these sites. "Text-based messages are being quickly replaced by video content," he argues, noting that popular sites such as RateMyProfesor.com pose new challenges as well. The best colleges can hope for today is to be able to influence the message about their institution, he says.

Giving up control of an institution's online content is a dramatically different approach, but one that can reap rewards for the organization that makes the transition to more interactive content.

Emily Maroccia, Fanshawe's Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications, says her college is fully embracing social networking and Web 2.0 technologies. The college, which has an island on Second Life, will soon launch its new site, making use of web 2.0 technology and allowing students to post their own content. Hearing directly from other students is extremely effective, she said, adding that the new site will invite posting of video testimonials.

Fanshawe also encourages its recruitment officers to make use of such innovations as live web cams so they can respond in real time to potential new students who are seeking information.

TELUS Director of Marketing Sandra May Greefkes suggests schools prepare to accommodate the growing use of mobile devices. Predicting that the use of PDAs and smart phones with full keyboards will likely double in the very near future, she calls on IT and marketing departments to collaborate to develop effective marketing strategies to adapt to this emerging trend.

While there is still no consensus on the impact of new technologies on a school's marketing, teaching and learning outcomes, it is expected that the use of Second Life in higher education and other social networking services will continue to expand.

"Don't be overly concerned about the loss of control of the message," says Dr. Johnson, "It's like holding back the tide."


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