Dreamforce Insights 2011: Higher Education Trends

This article covers some of the highlights for Higher Education made by Dave Thomas, Radian6, Director of Community and Social Strategy.

1. 98% of students  in the USA use a digital device and spend 101.93 minutes a day on Facebook. 
2. Students are the brand ambassadors and therefore social media measurements are key. 
3. Four Square the gamification market leader is being used for student orientation with the campus facilities and services. 
4. Social Graphics is becoming more widely used to rate the value of contributions of an individual within a social network. 
5. Students need to be encouraged of how best to use social media as many are naive in terms of long term implications. 
6. Emerging practice to develop a social media play book, which provides guides for stakeholders including how to deal with bad situations. 
7. Learning, education and empowering is the cyclical process that can be driven by social media measurements. 
8. Use social media to not 'reinvent the wheel'.
9. Build student life cycle which includes life time events. 
10. The Mayo Clinic is a good example of using social media and getting the balance right with confidential dialogue. 

Much of the above applies to business!