FIR on Higher Education #31 – How to Mobilize Alumni through Communications

Students will soon be graduating. As they receive their diplomas, these new graduates will bid farewell to their schools. Countless time, energy and not to mention money has been invested in the experience. Alumni have the potential to be one of the best ambassadors for a school by discussing their intimate and unique experiences with others.

Stakeholders across the institution need to ensure that these new graduates aren’t saying goodbye forever, but rather continuing a dialogue through their alumni communications program. On episode 31 of FIR on Higher Education, alumni relations expert Daniel Cohen will share best practice tips on how to do this. Daniel is the CEO of the alumni networking platform company Graduway and a regular conference speaker on this topic.

Among the topics we discuss on this episode is:

• The importance of engaging alumni
• The type of content that most resonates with alumni
• Specific examples of schools taking innovative approaches to mobilizing alumni
• Keys to mobilizing alumni to become potential donors

Following the interview, I share thoughts on the importance of academics embedding stories in their interviews, while technology correspondent Harry Hawk discusses how he is using Blackboard.

About Daniel Cohen
Daniel Cohen is the CEO and Co-Founder of Graduway. Prior to Graduway, Daniel worked for seven years with Merck & Co. serving most recently as their Regional Commercial and Finance Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Prior to Merck, Daniel worked for seven years with Procter & Gamble in the United Kingdom in a variety of finance roles including heading up its finance graduate recruitment function. Daniel holds a BA (Econ.) from the University of Manchester and is a qualified accountant.

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This episode is sponsored in part by Experiential Communications’ Media Training for Academics program.

If you enjoy the For Immediate Release on Higher Education podcast, please considering leaving a review, rating and subscribe at the following link (once at this page, click view in iTunes).

About Your Host
Kevin AnselmoKevin Anselmo is the Founder and Principal of Experiential Communications, a consultancy focused on education. He helps brands within academia - whether individual or corporate - communicate with stakeholders. He also is the creator and instructor of the Media Training for Academics program.

Previously, Kevin was Director of Public Relations for Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and prior to that managed the media relations for IMD Business School in Switzerland. In addition, he was an adjunct communications professor at Nyack College in New York.

Currently based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Kevin lived and worked in Switzerland for eight years and in Germany for two years. He has led public relations initiatives in various countries around the world.

Find Kevin on Twitter: @kevinanselmo.

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FIR on Higher Education is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by Kevin Anselmo on 03/27 at 05:36 AM

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