Tim Nekritz from SUNY Oswego and Chris D'Orso from Stony Brook discuss how awesome student storytelling can be part of your communication strategy.

1. 6 Suggestions for
Successful Student
Storytelling
Tim Nekritz, SUNY Oswego
Christopher D’Orso, Stony Brook University

2. Who answers 3 key questions?
Among the most pressing questions an
incoming student will have about their
college experience:
• What do I want to do?
• What do I want to be?
• Will I fit in?

3. Who is their role model?
What do incoming students really aspire to be?
CURRENT STUDENTS!
… who can answer the questions:
• What do they do?
• What are they becoming?
• How do they fit in?

4. Warning!
•You’ll have to take risks
and trust people!
(This is what somebody had to do
to create your college)

5. 6 suggestions
• Find your storytellers
• Have students blog (and blog strategically)
• Takeovers (mainly Instagram)
• Prospective students have questions; your
students have answers
• Take requests
• Team up!

6. Know your goals
“I WANT A FACEBOOK!”
is not a goal

7. “I WANT MORE FOLLOWERS
THAN OUR RIVAL SCHOOL!”
is not a goal

8. “I WANT TO MAKE A
VIRAL VIDEO!”
is not a goal

9. 1. Find your storytellers
• Think POV
• Network across campus
• Look on social media

10. Track your community

11. Wonder from Down Under

12. 2. Students blog strategically
• What goals/audiences?
• What voices to include?
• What do you want incoming students to
know?

13. Student blog golden rule
We don’t approve blog posts.
We approve bloggers!

14. 3. Let them take over

15. @herewegosaints, St. Lawrence

16. 4. They have Qs …

17. 5. Take requests
• Ask prospective students what they want
to see or know
• Our bloggers or interns will expand
• Another example: Show me ______ at
Emerson

18. Why live in _____________?

19. 6. Team up
• It’s not the size of your office, it’s the size
of your network. – Tom Peters
• Collaborate with other
department/interns … build the big picture
• Share and promote other awesome
content

20. Less silos, more barnraisings

21. Amplify the awesome

22. Questions?

23. We’re on the Twitters
• Questions?
• Feedback?
• Corny jokes? How many literalists does it take to change a
lightbulb?
@TimNekritz
@cdorso