Yield Effect - Random Ruminations on Recruitment and Retention

Let’s say you work 240 days in a year.

What if I told you that I was going to add 10 days to 2009. And you had an allowance on those days. You only get 1 hour a day, every day you work.

What would you do with it?  Would you work more? Would you do some awesome project that you always think about?  Would you start something for yourself?  Would you learn a new hobby? A computer program? Would you simply use it to catch up with old friends and family on the phone?

Well, Christmas is early this year. Here’s your gift.

Lunch time.  1 hour a day, 240 days.  10 days a year.

How do you utilize that time?  How could you utilize it differently? To make a difference? To be a better person? To be more successful?

Or…. will you waste it? And piddle around for an hour… do nothing, make nothing, become nothing.

It’s waiting for you. And it’s free.  Bag a lunch and make the most of it.

Just some random observations by looking at higher ed conferences in November.

AACRAO-SEM 18th Annual Conference [Link]: Mostly VP’s of Enrollment, Deans, etc.
Attendees:800
Active Twitterers: 2 (0.25%)

AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Ed [Link]: Mostly Directors of Marketing/PR, etc.
Attendees: 550
Active Twitterers: 7  (1.2%)

Stamats Integrated Marketing Conference: Mostly Admission professionals, PR/writers, etc.
Attendees: 150
Active Twitterers: 19 (12.6%)

I don’t want to draw many conclusions without being at the other 2 conferences, but take it for what it’s worth. As I continuously say, educate and inform, my social media mavens.

NO, not all upper level admins  need to be on Twitter or need to know everything going on with #motrinmoms (seriously, go ask 10 people about Motrin Moms tomorrow and see what response you get…)

YES, they do need to be aware of the conversational shift taking place and how it will affect enrollment management.  Not 5 years down the road, not next recruitment cycle, but right now. It’s imperative.

Thoughts?

The app deadline is tomorrow.  How many kids are scrambling to get their apps done? How many 11:59pm submissions will we have from the online app this year?  Always interesting to see.

I have so many thoughts from the Stamats08 conference, I just don’t know where to put them all… twitter? here? squaredpeg? bradjward.com?  AH.

Thoughts on social media. On recruiting students. On presenting. On networking. On ‘personal brand’. On everything.

I’m just plain jittery.  It was great to take 3 days off for vacation with my wife, but getting caught back up is way too hard.