Creating a readMedia and readabout.me Strategy

Copyright ©2011 readMedia, Inc.


• Your school uses readabout.me software to publicize student achievements and activities on campus – like studying abroad, making the dean’s list, or participating in a club – by creating personalized stories about these achievements and publishing them online at readabout.me

• You even have the choice of sending the achievement to hometown newspapers, too!


• Achievements on readabout.me are automatically awarded a unique “badge of approval” by readMedia to show that they’re verified by your school

• You can think of the badges like SCVNGR or Foursquare – but these badges actually mean something!

• Badges were created by Phil Pascuzzo, designer of the original Twitter bird logo and a very well known book designer



• Students receive a personalized email that directs them to their achievement on readabout.me

• You can even send the email to parents if you have their information

• The email comes from your account, not readMedia


• Students can claim their achievement by connecting to Facebook, which allows them to add a photo and share their achievements with their social networks

• Don’t worry, we never pull information from Facebook. This is a way to make sure the correct student is claiming a profile

• Your logo (bottom right) links back to your school’s website


The badge links back to the student’s achievement on readabout.me


• The student’s achievements are rolled up into a professional, powerful online profile that shows the great things they’re involved in on campus

• Students can even enhance their profiles by adding other activities and affiliations!

• Activities added by the student are separate from the achievements “verified” by the school

• Profiles are indexed on Google


• All you need is an example of a student achievement you’d like to send and a spreadsheet of the students involved.

• These two documents will be

merged together to create personalized achievements for all of the students in your spreadsheet.

Acknowledging an achievement is simple

All of this happens automatically when you click “send”:

• Your achievement is awarded a badge by a readMedia editor

• The achievement is published online at readabout.me

• Your students are notified via email that you’re acknowledging their achievement

• The achievement is sent to the students’ hometown newspapers


• Web Stats summarize the achievements you’ve published

• The report shows you where traffic to your online stories is coming from, the number of page views and how often they were shared on social media sites like Facebook. You can even view the geographic areas you’re reaching with traditional outreach

• Most schools incorporate this data into their monthly reports. Some even go as far as sharing the data with their board of trustees!

Tracking Your Success


Why is readabout.me important for students?

•readabout.me helps people who make decisions about internships, grad school, and jobs find the “good stuff” about your students, and recognizes their accomplishments with badges that show that they’re for real. It’s like your providing them with an online version of their diploma! •readabout.me profiles create a positive online identity for post-graduation success. 75% of companies research applicants online, and 70% have rejected applicants based on what they found.


Why is readabout.me is important for your school?

•Visual representation of all the great things you have happening on campus

•Reputation marketing

•Powerful way for students to identify with your school and be affiliated with you online, for life.

•It carries your brand into students’ social networks, especially Facebook, where their friends and family celebrate their achievements

•You’re preparing your students for post graduation success by creating a positive online identity for them

•You’re using your “best and brightest” to promote activities and achievements


What achievements do you want your students to be known for?

It’s impossible to think that you can acknowledge every activity and achievement on campus – and you don’t need to!

•Create a calendar of achievements that you want to verify every year.

•Do you have a strong academic program that you want to promote? Is study abroad something that’s important at your institution? Or maybe you want to highlight certain activities like marching band or theater.


Audrey Bradshaw Inducted into Creighton University’s Alpha Sigma Nu

Heather Rubens Awarded Scholarship to Attend Rosemont College

Achievements that schools focus on:


Destanni Goodsby Elected to McMurry University Student Government Position

Tyler Fisher chosen as UW-Platteville Resident Assistant

Laura Acchiardo of Newburgh Joins Alpha Omicron Pi at the University of

Evansville

Joe Wright Named Student Ambassador at Marist College

Other schools focus on awarding badges to students in leadership positions:


James Desmond Interns Through Urbana University

Clemson University Student Molly Townsend of San Diego Interns at NASA

Verifying internships and co-ops are also a great way to showcase your students’ talents


Every fall you’ll want to send out your enrollment achievement

This serves multiple purposes:

• It creates a profile for all of your incoming students. A profile can only be created when you send out an achievement about that student.

• Students love seeing this early connection to the school. It makes them feel important!

• Students will share their enrollment badge on Facebook with their peers who are in high school and just starting the admissions process.


You’re preparing your students for post graduation success – this is something you want to promote!

•Campus presentations •Web pages devoted to readabout.me Fort Lewis College Hudson Valley Community College• VideoUW – River Falls•Display posters on campus•Articles in campus newsletters and

newspapers Eastern Connecticut State UniversityUniversity of Evansville •Promote via social media and blogs Clarkson UniversityLebanon Valley CollegeClemson University University of Delaware•Include readabout.me information in

freshman’ orientation packets•Promote readabout.me at orientation to

parents and students

readabout.me is also a great tool for your career center:

• Promote profiles as they educate students on the importance of their online identity

• Encourage students to upload their picture and enhance their profile before they graduate

Here are a few examples of how schools are promoting readabout.me on campus:

http://www.fortlewis.edu/marketing/readaboutme.aspx

https://itops.hvcc.edu/comm/hometown-news.html



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTlNjDILxfw

http://www.easternct.edu/mt-static/press_releases/2012/01/student-achievements-receive-special-attention.html

http://acenotes.evansville.edu/view.cfm?issueId=326

http://acenotes.evansville.edu/view.cfm?issueId=326

https://twitter.com/%23!/ClarksonUniv/status/162618184430649344

http://blogs.lvc.edu/facultynews/page/First-Impressions-Count-Help-Our-Students-Make-a-Positive-Impression-for-Prospective-Employers.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/clemsonstudentaffairs/posts/177824715638645

https://twitter.com/%23!/smashleywhit/status/133943032180510722

https://twitter.com/%23!/smashleywhit/status/133943032180510722


• Branding

Enhance your school’s online presence at readabout.me!

Learn more

http://htn.readmedia.com/Best-Practices/branding


Questions?

Contact our Community Manager

Danielle [email protected](518) 429-2800@daniellevalenti

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Creating a readMedia and readabout.me Strategy

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