Office of Student Engagement

Promotion: Integrated Marketing Using the WIU Web

This guide can help your student organization use the resources available on the WIU web to market your organization and events.

Writing for the Web - The Basics

Basic info submitted should include times, dates, locations, and contact info. Think who, what, when, where, why, and links for more info.

Whenever possible, items should be visually scannable, avoiding long paragraphs of text.

Additionally, info should include:

  • names of students, guests, alumni, faculty and staff involved as appropriate
  • supporting departments, offices, agencies, organizations
  • sponsoring info requirements
  • cost(s)
  • whether or not event is open to the public
  • quotes from planners and participants

Web-Based Marketing Resources Available to Student Organizations

Public Events Calendar (Webcal)
https://www.wiu.edu/wiucalendar/add.sphp

Please Note: Most users will look at an item they are interested in ONCE. Descriptions left blank, 'tba,' or with only partial information may not be revisited. 
It's better to submit only when all information is available. If you don't have all the relevant information, do NOT put it on the public events calendar.

  • Process: Anyone may submit an event for possible inclusion onto the public events calendar by using the public events submission screen. 
    All departments and organizations may request their own calendar by sending a request to webstaff@wiu.edu.
  • Followed by greatest possible audience
  • Capability of being ‘shared’ via social media (viral marketing)
  • Social media & mobile aggregating grabs (at least) name of event, date, description.
  • Helps seed web search engines to rank names, departments, events higher in search engines
  • Items entered into the calendar are used in 'feeds' and displayed to targeted audiences throughout the web
  • Basic info submitted for events should be written using names of faculty, staff, students, & their specialties; as well as programs.
  • Relevant keywords should be in copy as much as possible to help push info up in search engine returns

Questions? Contact Web Services, (309) 298-1287 or send a request to webstaff@wiu.edu.

New Releases - Unews (University Relations News)

http://wiu.edu/vpaps/university_relations/news_submission/

  • Content disseminated to applicable news and media outlets
  • RSS (Real Simple Syndication) compatible
  • Greatly increases chances of news coverage
  • Helps create ‘archival history’ of events
  • Promotes faculty, staff, student, department names, specialties as ‘keywords’ that seed, promote, and display these in search engines
  • Content backed up regularly and recoverable if necessary

Social Media Tips

Facebook
https://www.wiu.edu/social_networking/facebook.php

  • Every department, major, and academic support area can have a 'page'
  • Ideally, pages should be updated once every two weeks
  • Creates a potentially viral "breadcrumb trail" that can drive traffic to WIU websites
  • Creates networking opportunities for current students
  • Helps seed 'search engine recognition' for vanity searches for alumni seeking jobs
  • Show the love to your volunteers by NAMING THEM on your Facebook pages - that helps increase the reach of the message and increases the potential group of members for next semester.

Twitter 
https://www.wiu.edu/social_networking/twitter.php

  • Provides "breadcrumb trails" to link back for more info
  • RAPID communication
  • Helps seed search engines, social media with relevant WIU keywords
  • Assume public can view all messages so write with that in mind
  • Encourages collaboration

Once The Event Details Are Set