University Communications

SECTION 1 | Best practices for mobile marketing
To achieve the best results, these best practices should be implemented by anyone within the university community when leveraging the mobile channel.

Develop a plan.
Before launching into mobile marketing, a plan should be developed to establish the objective for entering the space, and to set the incremental goals that will measure success. The mobile plan should also outline how the engagement will function.

Find a partner.
Because of the intricate technical requirements, and the severity of legal consequences if industry best practices are not adhered to, it is recommended that the university/school/college/unit/department work with a reputable digital agency to ensure conformity to all applicable laws, as well as proper development/delivery of creative across all devices and carriers.

Test, test, test.
Mobile is not a ‘what you see is what you get’ medium, so it is critical to test your program before going live to your audience. Ensure good engagement flow across as many carriers as possible, and make sure any linked sites/pages are optimized for viewing on a mobile device (or, at least compatible on the devices).

Educate your audience.
Though 81% of college students own a smartphone, only 21% were able to successfully use a QR code in a recent study. When employing scan tagging technology, ensure it is accompanied by a strong call to action, letting them know what to do with the tag and what they will get in return (e.g. Snap and send to ###### for your chance to win a T-Shirt).

SECTION 2 | Guidelines for university mobile marketing
These guidelines should be adhered to by anyone within the university community when leveraging the mobile channel.

Always get permission.
Law states that all mobile messaging shall be permission-based (opted-in), and that consumers’ permission is nontransferable to a new campaign. If the engagement program is a recurring-message campaign (e.g. ongoing updates), each message shall include an opt-out option that is simple to understand (e.g. To stop, text STOP to ######). The stop request shall be processed immediately.

Give notice.
University representatives shall provide notice to messaging consumers. This notice is a clear identification of the sender and/or of the product or service offering. An individual/school/college/department/unit shall not identify itself as representing the university as a whole. Along with this notice, a set of key terms and conditions around your mobile program shall be made available at no cost to the consumer [e.g. link to a website, provide an 800#, etc].

Do not imply university endorsement.
In addition to not identifying your mobile program as representative of the university as a whole, schools/colleges/departments/units should be wary of implying endorsement of a product or service vis a vis ad content served to a consumer before, or alongside your messaging content. Before implementing a scan tag, ensure no ads will be served to the consumer.

Support the brand.
All university/school/college/department/unit mobile marketing programs should adhere to established logo, naming and branding standards. Not only will this prevent dilution of the university brand, it will facilitate your audience’s immediate connection of you to the university.

Protect confidential and proprietary information.
Do not publish confidential information about the university, students, faculty, staff, patients or alumni; nor should you publish information that is proprietary to an entity other than yourself. Employees must follow all applicable Federal privacy requirements for written and visual content, such as FERPA and HIPAA. Similarly, the names and mobile numbers of subscribers should be stored in a secure location, to prevent unauthorized use and/or abuse of the data. Failure to do so comes at the risk of disciplinary action and/or termination.