I recently read an article on the Loomis Chaffee site via Twitter featuring accomplished Yoga teacher and writer Rebecca Pacheco, Founder of OmGal.com. I met Rebecca earlier this spring through her brother Reece, a fellow alumnus of Brown and TechStars and CEO of NYC-based Shelby.tv.
I loved Rebecca’s story because it was a reminder of how many alumni are able to retrace the steps of their careers back to a single point of inspiration on campus.
When I finished the article, the cover of the Spring 2012 issue of the Loomis Chaffee Alumni Magazine caught my eye. An iPhone viewing the historic campus via augmented reality, surrounded by social network logos, emoticons, and even a couple of “LOL’s” ?!? It was almost too good to be true! Historic institutions like Loomis are at the intersection of a rapidly changing social and mobile landscape and Dan Baxter’s illustration captured that.
On pages 24-33, Mercedes Maskalik, Web Content Editor and Social Media Manager, published an excellent social media primer titled “The Importance of Being Social”. Mercedes offered concise but informative overviews of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and blogging.
More important, she was able to describe each topic in the context of Loomis Chaffee’s own social media efforts. For example:
– Over 1,700 alumni have joined the Loomis Chaffee Alumni Group
– Head of School Sheila Culbert is active on twitter at @sculbertlc
– Biology Teacher Scott MacClintic uses Google Hangouts for after hours help sessions
– Pelican Ponderings blog features regular content, including “Let’s Go Mobile”
– An active presence on Pinterest, including a board titled “Notable Alumni”
Finally, the article referenced an excellent YouTube video that resonates with a wide range of audiences, ranging from parents and prospective students to alumni.
We’d like to commend Mercedes for this excellent article and for executing an impressive social media strategy!
Ever True!
Brent