Albers Graduate Student Association - AGSA

My individual topic is the Albers Graduate Student Association, hopefully I can generate some word of mouth awareness through this class blog! In fact our MKTG 591 class has three AGSA senate members that regularly promote AGSA involvement. I was a founding member of AGSA in December 2010 and VP Marketing and Communication. As the new Co-President 2011-2012 I'm hoping we can take the foundation started over the past six months and create real value, awareness and interest for Albers graduate students. My paper may be a little more challenging since AGSA is a service vs. a product based business with a brick-and-mortar store. However, word of mouth marketing is just as important for non-profit organizations, maybe even more so since most non-profits operate with limited budgets. WOMM is especially important to AGSA since we primarily rely on social media, email and WOM to advertise events and the association.

QR Codes Connect to Social Media
I recently created the flyer image above to promote mobile WOM interaction. It is intended to be used as a stand up display at the Fall and Spring Welcome Student Orientation. The hope is that as students move from table to table at the orientation, they can use their mobile devices to connect to AGSA before they begin classes. Twitter and Facebook are used to promote upcoming events and encourage current students and alumni networking. We hope to generate AGSA awareness and an opportunity for students to feel more connected to classmates from the first day they walk into Pigott versus just going to class and home. AGSA is also promoted during prospective student information sessions and QR codes will be used on postcards during these sessions and included on information sheets in the new student orientation packets. It will be important to give students something to walk away with at every orientation and information session so they can pass it along to friends and join immediately from their mobile devices. QR codes could also be included at the end of every email sent via the Albers Graduate Student ListServ in addition to the traditional "like us" on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc thumbnails.

Develop and Utilize Twitter
AGSA has had a Twitter account since December, but so far I am the only follower! We have not found a way to utilize the site yet nor someone to regularly maintain posts. It will be important to promote upcoming Seattle University events and make sure people are receiving Twitter texts; but of even greater importance is providing more relevant information than just a list of events. Posts that include useful links about the job market, interesting case studies, study tips, and MBA news stories from Knowledge@Wharton, for example, will generate greater value and keep students regularly engaged with the social media sites. Video and photos should also be shared and uploaded from mobile devices on Twitter and Facebook more often so images can be passed among students. Individuals tagged in photos and videos should feel more connected to AGSA and fellow students. The whole idea is to bring people together and create a more meaningful MBA experience at SU that extends beyond the few years spent earning a degree.

Mobile Check-in at AGSA Events to Win Prizes
AGSA has not considered using Foursquare or mobile check-ins via Facebook. If AGSA encouraged people to check-in at the "End of Quarter Celebration" at Varro for example their 300+ friends would see this on sites such as Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn and Twitter. This would hopefully prompt others to join the next AGSA event or at least inquire as to what in the world do the letters A.G.S.A. mean? As an incentive AGSA could offer a coupon/discount for the next AGSA event for each check-in. The most check-ins at the end of a quarter would receive a prize package including items like dinner for two, an SU sweatshirt, Xbox game of choice, tickets to a Mariners game, etc.