Small University Presidents: Build Your Social Media Presence

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.190 You were listening to the Higher Ed Marketer, a podcast geared towards marketing professionals 2 00:00:07.230 --> 00:00:11.910 in higher education. This show will tackle all sorts of questions related to student 3 00:00:11.949 --> 00:00:16.230 recruitment, don'tor relations, marketing trends, new technologies and so much more. 4 00:00:16.989 --> 00:00:20.789 If you are looking for conversations centered around where the industry is going, this 5 00:00:20.989 --> 00:00:29.859 podcast is for you. Let's get into the show. Welcome to the High 6 00:00:29.859 --> 00:00:33.899 Ed Marketer podcast. My name is troy singer and I'm here with my cohost, 7 00:00:34.020 --> 00:00:37.490 Bart Taylor, and each week we do are best to interview higher Ed 8 00:00:37.649 --> 00:00:42.609 marketers that you would admire and also benefit hearing from for the betterment of the 9 00:00:42.729 --> 00:00:47.409 entire high it community. Today it's a treat to bring to you Dr Walter 10 00:00:47.490 --> 00:00:52.679 Kimbro who is the president of Dillard University in New Orleans, and some of 11 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:57.759 you may know him as the hip hop press but most importantly, he is 12 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:03.510 known as being one of the most effective higher ed presidents in utilizing social media. 13 00:01:04.150 --> 00:01:07.989 Bart, yeah, I did a search a few weeks ago when we're 14 00:01:07.150 --> 00:01:11.069 researching and finding guests to be on the podcast, and I knew that social 15 00:01:11.109 --> 00:01:14.950 media was something that I wanted to talk about and have a guest who could 16 00:01:14.989 --> 00:01:18.069 really talk through social media well. And so I just did a quick Google 17 00:01:18.109 --> 00:01:21.859 search on schools and presidents. They're using social media the best, and Dr 18 00:01:21.900 --> 00:01:25.700 Kimbrooke kept coming to the top of the Google search and I recalled meeting him 19 00:01:25.900 --> 00:01:30.340 several years ago at a at an eyecase conference here in Indiana at Ball State 20 00:01:30.379 --> 00:01:33.090 University. I think I did a workshop and he was one of the keynote 21 00:01:33.090 --> 00:01:38.090 speakers and he had talked at that time about utilizing social media in the presidency 22 00:01:38.170 --> 00:01:42.170 and in higher at marketing and I was really impressed with that presentation and so 23 00:01:42.450 --> 00:01:45.010 when I reached out to him to see if he might be interested in coming, 24 00:01:45.370 --> 00:01:48.599 he responded like in fifteen minutes and it was pretty incredible that he came 25 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:52.519 and and participated with us today, and so it's a real treat to talk 26 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:56.840 with him. He's very passionate about what he's doing in social media and how 27 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.120 he uses it and keep in mind, as he's talking about this and all 28 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:02.590 the amazing things that he's been doing at Dillard that with his team, Dillard 29 00:02:02.670 --> 00:02:07.030 a small school. It's a it's a school one hundred Undergrad students, and 30 00:02:07.109 --> 00:02:09.710 so it's it's not a powerhouse, it's not a state school, but the 31 00:02:09.750 --> 00:02:14.270 way that they are leveraging social media to get their name out and to get 32 00:02:14.389 --> 00:02:17.780 everything going, they've done a pretty amazing job. Let me also add he's 33 00:02:17.819 --> 00:02:23.379 not only a wonderful advocate for his institution and his own brand, but also 34 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:28.780 for hbcus. So I was super excited. Wouldn't bart had the idea for 35 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:34.090 us to interview him, and I am so honored that he accepted our invitation. 36 00:02:34.569 --> 00:02:40.449 So, without further ADO, here is Dr Walter Kimbro it is my 37 00:02:40.610 --> 00:02:46.319 pleasure and honor to welcome Dr Walter Kimbro he is a president of Dillard University 38 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:51.560 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Higher Ed Marketer podcast. Hello, 39 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:55.120 Dr Kimbro, Hey, are you doing today? I'm feeling good, I'm 40 00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:00.750 feeling blessed and again I am so excited for a conversation today. A lot 41 00:03:00.789 --> 00:03:04.990 of people know but for those who don't, he is a big presence on 42 00:03:05.189 --> 00:03:10.509 social media. He's a huge advocate for historically black colleges and universities and he 43 00:03:10.669 --> 00:03:15.699 is probably best known as being the HIPHOP press. How did you come to 44 00:03:15.780 --> 00:03:21.060 be known as the HIPHOP press? So when I was selected as president of 45 00:03:21.139 --> 00:03:24.060 Philander Smith College in Little Rock. I was thirty seven and normally when they 46 00:03:24.099 --> 00:03:29.210 do those introductions you give some short speech about who you are. So here 47 00:03:29.250 --> 00:03:32.490 I am, this thirty seven year old that looks like he's twelve and I'm 48 00:03:32.530 --> 00:03:38.569 saying, you know, I am not from baby boomer generation or the greatest 49 00:03:38.569 --> 00:03:42.680 generation. I'm from generation x and you know, people had, you know, 50 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:46.960 misconceptions about generation x, and I'm also from the hiphop generation. So 51 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.360 it's just saying this is how I have to operate because this is who I 52 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:53.520 am. And so there's a local paper call the the Arkansas Times, which 53 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:57.750 is a weekly paper. In the very next week the title of the article 54 00:03:57.949 --> 00:04:02.990 was Philander welcomes hip pop. President and the Media Marketing Team at Fhlanda Smith 55 00:04:03.030 --> 00:04:05.349 College thought it was hard, but they were like, Oh my God, 56 00:04:05.509 --> 00:04:10.020 hip hop is awful. Just here was an older school, you know, 57 00:04:10.139 --> 00:04:14.699 view of music and they're just like this is terrible, and I said no, 58 00:04:15.300 --> 00:04:19.220 they might be on the something and I'd lean into it, because it 59 00:04:19.379 --> 00:04:23.259 then, you know, gave me this sort of unique brand to step out, 60 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:26.689 particularly when you're at a little bitty school in a state that nobody can 61 00:04:26.730 --> 00:04:30.449 find on the map. So it made a lot of sense to say leaning 62 00:04:30.529 --> 00:04:32.689 into this, this is something that is different and you can put a spin 63 00:04:32.850 --> 00:04:36.129 on it. Doesn't have because for me, you know, as a college 64 00:04:36.170 --> 00:04:41.319 student, hippop for me were people like public endemy and it was very conscious 65 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.279 and thoughtful. So to me that's not necessarily a negative thing. Is You 66 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:47.240 can't wrap it all up into gangster rapping all those other things as well. 67 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:51.680 So it made sense to me and it was a good decision. Well, 68 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:56.670 that's a great transition, because not only do you lean into, or did 69 00:04:56.709 --> 00:05:01.189 you lean into that title, but you really lean intoo marketing and utilizing social 70 00:05:01.310 --> 00:05:08.139 media effectively to to give your message and to communicate to the different constituencies and 71 00:05:08.259 --> 00:05:13.459 audiences that you communicate with. And love to know how you developed your approach 72 00:05:13.579 --> 00:05:18.500 to that and how you deliberately approach the communication that you do through social media. 73 00:05:18.540 --> 00:05:24.329 Right. So part of it was when I became president of Land Smith 74 00:05:24.370 --> 00:05:28.209 in two thousand and four that's a year facebook lines, and so your, 75 00:05:28.370 --> 00:05:32.810 it's my presidency evolved as you started adding social media platforms, you know, 76 00:05:32.889 --> 00:05:36.839 along the way. So facebook, instagram, toward all those starts to develop 77 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:41.639 around that time. But once again I'm at this school that most people don't 78 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:45.360 know anything about in Arkansas state, that people don't know a lot about either. 79 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:48.759 So for the Clintons that's it. And I would work out at a 80 00:05:49.189 --> 00:05:53.389 gym in North Little Rock, which is really right across the river, and 81 00:05:53.589 --> 00:05:57.629 every time I was going there there were these ads from the universes central Arkansas 82 00:05:57.670 --> 00:06:00.149 and they would talk about, you know, you see, a the the 83 00:06:00.230 --> 00:06:02.829 center of learning in Arkansas, and it didn't matter. Whenever I went to 84 00:06:02.949 --> 00:06:06.139 that gym I saw one of those ads and I read in the paper that 85 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:11.180 they were spending a million dollars a year in advertising. I we're never going 86 00:06:11.259 --> 00:06:13.620 to get our message out like that. Is You can't come heet with that. 87 00:06:13.699 --> 00:06:15.500 We don't have that kind of budget. I mean that would have been, 88 00:06:16.019 --> 00:06:18.569 you know, one hundred and twelve of my entire budget for a year 89 00:06:18.810 --> 00:06:24.410 to do those ads. So for me it was becomes logical. Social media 90 00:06:24.649 --> 00:06:28.490 was a free way to start getting out our message and amplify other things that 91 00:06:28.610 --> 00:06:30.370 we could do. So I mean I just started by doing my own blog 92 00:06:30.850 --> 00:06:34.160 just to say think of myself as a reporter here. The things that are 93 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:38.519 happening on our campus and then I, you know, would build that out 94 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:42.000 and then use facebook some and then finally got to twitter and those kind of 95 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:44.439 things, and so it made a lot of sense. And then over the 96 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:46.870 course of my career, you know, I'm still today, I can get 97 00:06:46.910 --> 00:06:49.910 a direct message from a reporter saying Hey, I'm doing a story on X, 98 00:06:49.990 --> 00:06:53.990 Y and Z, and I can respond that way and then the story 99 00:06:54.189 --> 00:06:56.790 is done. It was a good thing to do. But some of that 100 00:06:56.910 --> 00:06:59.670 was out of necessity. You know, you're in this major market. The 101 00:06:59.790 --> 00:07:02.500 University of Arkansas takes a lot of the Air Universe or Central Arkansas. So 102 00:07:02.660 --> 00:07:06.740 how do you get any kind of notoriety into space like that? I use 103 00:07:06.819 --> 00:07:11.420 what was free and I liver rest it. That's great and I think that 104 00:07:11.819 --> 00:07:15.209 if I recall in our initial conversations some of the social media that you did, 105 00:07:15.250 --> 00:07:17.649 I mean certainly you kind of jumped in on the blog and some other 106 00:07:17.689 --> 00:07:21.370 things, but and I did some research before we even invited you on the 107 00:07:21.370 --> 00:07:25.610 show, just kind of like who's doing social media the best in college presidents, 108 00:07:25.689 --> 00:07:29.129 and you consistently come up in some of those searches. But I think 109 00:07:29.170 --> 00:07:30.720 it even at the beginning though, there was some maybe some reluctancy on some 110 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:33.360 of the platforms. Maybe tell us a little bit about that. Yeah, 111 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:36.000 well, I mean, so I start off with a blog. I felt 112 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:41.839 like that was the best way that I could really add some kind of narrative 113 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:45.470 to what was happening, and then I moved to facebook really as a way 114 00:07:45.470 --> 00:07:47.990 to say we had a good, great photographer on campus. So there is 115 00:07:48.029 --> 00:07:51.430 a way for me to amplify events if I just had a photo album to 116 00:07:51.509 --> 00:07:55.750 say we did this on campus, we did this. That was really good 117 00:07:55.790 --> 00:07:59.300 and particularly but it was something that was popular, like for the lecture series 118 00:07:59.339 --> 00:08:01.300 which I called blessed, the mic I had, you know, hip hop 119 00:08:01.459 --> 00:08:05.699 icon common there, and so you have common on campus. A lot of 120 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:09.259 students work the event, they tag their friends. Their friends are saying who 121 00:08:09.339 --> 00:08:13.810 common was on your so you get a lot of buzz because people are excited 122 00:08:13.889 --> 00:08:16.889 that just happened. You know, common is in a Little Rock Arkansas. 123 00:08:16.209 --> 00:08:18.769 So those kinds of things, I think, were very helpful. So I 124 00:08:18.889 --> 00:08:24.810 thought because I had the blog and I had facebook, I was good and 125 00:08:24.410 --> 00:08:28.920 one of our team members who handled all of our marketing pr she is just 126 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:31.080 kept saying like you got to do twitter, I do to it. I 127 00:08:31.200 --> 00:08:33.960 was like, it's a microblog. I already have a blog. I don't 128 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:37.679 need that, you know, and so we fought the whole way and so 129 00:08:37.879 --> 00:08:41.039 she had somebody come in and really talk about it. So I said, 130 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:43.429 okay, all right, I'll get into to it. And I was two 131 00:08:43.470 --> 00:08:46.309 thousand and nine when I got into twitter. Now that becomes one of my 132 00:08:46.389 --> 00:08:48.909 main platforms, but that was the one I did not want to do. 133 00:08:48.950 --> 00:08:52.870 I just like I got enough. I think that's fine. But you know, 134 00:08:52.990 --> 00:08:56.580 once I got into it and then figured out ways to use it, 135 00:08:56.700 --> 00:09:01.340 I think one of the things that helped is that as major mainstream media companies 136 00:09:01.340 --> 00:09:07.220 started to make it easy for you to amplify your stories via social media, 137 00:09:07.580 --> 00:09:11.490 it may sense to be able to have an access to, you know, 138 00:09:11.730 --> 00:09:15.769 facebook and a twitter and now to linkedin. So if there's a great story 139 00:09:15.809 --> 00:09:18.169 about the institution, all I have to do is go on and Click and 140 00:09:18.289 --> 00:09:22.370 then now I've amplified five this story for free. So that I think part 141 00:09:22.409 --> 00:09:26.639 of that for me was seeing how those new site started to change and they 142 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:30.399 had the little twitter icon on there and it was like all I have to 143 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:33.799 do is pointing click and now I'm telling other people about what's happening here. 144 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:37.159 So it a lot of this is just being practical. Yeah, yeah, 145 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:41.669 practical, and using using free tools, as you talked about earlier and right. 146 00:09:41.750 --> 00:09:43.470 And I think that it's probably evolved over time because now it gives you 147 00:09:43.509 --> 00:09:50.070 kind of access to being able to engage with students current or perspective and families 148 00:09:50.110 --> 00:09:52.620 and you know, how are you leveraging that even with other constituencies? I 149 00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:56.299 mean certainly I'm sure that there are community members and things like that. How's 150 00:09:56.299 --> 00:10:01.580 that working out? So I you know, I look at the platforms differently 151 00:10:01.620 --> 00:10:07.250 because I find it different constituencies will reach you. In certain places students are 152 00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:11.490 more instant and so they'll get a lot of information off of twitter. Even 153 00:10:11.649 --> 00:10:13.370 know particularly, and I think some people try to use that. Like some 154 00:10:13.409 --> 00:10:16.210 of the airlines are really good. If somebody has a problem with their luggage, 155 00:10:16.289 --> 00:10:20.450 they have their help person that's on twitter all the time and we don't 156 00:10:20.490 --> 00:10:22.960 have that kind of band with so for me it becomes a tool that particular 157 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:26.919 student reaches out via twitter, I want them to send me an email so 158 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:30.639 I can get more detail to really address the issue. So sometimes people say, 159 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:33.000 well, you know, just meetum where they are. It's like that's 160 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:35.429 a starting point for me, but it doesn't give me enough information in two 161 00:10:35.470 --> 00:10:39.350 hundred and eighty characters. Are Really solve that? That's part of it, 162 00:10:39.509 --> 00:10:43.750 right. But for the general population, twitter becomes a good to just to 163 00:10:43.909 --> 00:10:48.429 share what's happening on campus. That's very important. Parents and alums lean a 164 00:10:48.470 --> 00:10:52.460 little bit more toward facebook, so, you know, pictures of events and 165 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:56.340 those stories that go there. I can reach some of them linkedin. You'll 166 00:10:56.340 --> 00:11:00.340 get, I think, Linkedin, you start to get more of the unsolicited 167 00:11:00.860 --> 00:11:03.059 hey, I got this deal for dealer, so you just have to, 168 00:11:03.340 --> 00:11:05.730 you know, try to wead some of that out as a part of that. 169 00:11:05.210 --> 00:11:09.330 But yeah, those are different ways. And then just having the platforms, 170 00:11:09.370 --> 00:11:13.250 particularly like foundations. Foundations will do their research and look at what's on 171 00:11:13.370 --> 00:11:16.809 your platforms and see what's happening. So all of the platforms come in to 172 00:11:16.850 --> 00:11:20.360 play for them. And then, you know, instagram is another like facebook, 173 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:22.000 but it's shorter where you can have just some pictures and, you know, 174 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:26.159 almost like announcements and bulletin board. So I use it more and that 175 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.399 or just simple congratulations about different things. So I have a different mindset for 176 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.509 what I want to share her platform and they are a little the audience. 177 00:11:35.909 --> 00:11:39.190 The audiences skew a little differently based on the platform from issues. That's great 178 00:11:39.629 --> 00:11:43.710 and I guess one of the questions I have about that is that I might 179 00:11:43.750 --> 00:11:46.419 be hearing people who are on the listening right now. They might be saying, 180 00:11:46.419 --> 00:11:48.940 okay, that's great. Where did you learn that? How did you 181 00:11:48.980 --> 00:11:54.539 do that? My guess is, and if mean being a generation extra myself, 182 00:11:54.580 --> 00:11:56.899 we kind of figure things out and I'm guessing that's kind of what you've 183 00:11:56.899 --> 00:12:00.059 done. Yeah, that's trialing there. I mean that's I mean that's really 184 00:12:00.220 --> 00:12:03.490 wasn't I mean there are people now doing scholarly work about how do you, 185 00:12:03.570 --> 00:12:07.529 you know, maximize are use these platforms. But right you know, once 186 00:12:07.610 --> 00:12:11.529 again, I've became a president the same your facebook started. So they're figuring 187 00:12:11.570 --> 00:12:13.570 out facebook and I'm figuring out facebook at the same time. Yeah, and 188 00:12:13.730 --> 00:12:16.480 so that's I think that's just been part of it. and You I don't 189 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:20.399 think you have to use all the platforms. I think sometimes, I mean 190 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:22.039 I you know, I have an account on pair of scope. People don't 191 00:12:22.039 --> 00:12:26.480 really use paiscope because you can do video on instagram and facebook. So that 192 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:30.470 didn't really exist. A lot of people talk about the benefits of Tick Tock. 193 00:12:30.909 --> 00:12:33.830 I, you know, I have an account that's there just to protect 194 00:12:33.870 --> 00:12:35.710 the brand, but I don't use it. And and based on our studies 195 00:12:35.710 --> 00:12:39.629 that we've done for our campus, our campus is much more of a twitter 196 00:12:39.710 --> 00:12:41.789 campus. So I'm not going to really expand my reach if I go to 197 00:12:41.909 --> 00:12:45.500 tick tock. That's not going to I mean, I have a fifteen year 198 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:48.500 old daughter. She likes Tick Tock, so it's so that's it. I 199 00:12:48.580 --> 00:12:50.460 just, you know, the ones that I want to use. I really 200 00:12:50.500 --> 00:12:54.580 lean into those and others I'm aware of and I haven't really found a good 201 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:58.049 use for them yet and so I'm not pressed to do that. Yeah, 202 00:12:58.250 --> 00:13:01.929 okay. What would you say for other campuses that are saying like hey, 203 00:13:03.009 --> 00:13:07.570 we really think that our our president, his personality or her personality would go 204 00:13:07.690 --> 00:13:11.570 well in social media? How would you encourage them to help them get involved, 205 00:13:11.570 --> 00:13:15.000 or is that something where it's like well, if they don't already do 206 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:18.440 it and they're not already naturally there, it might not be the best use 207 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.000 of their time? Well, yeah, I think presents more presence. Are 208 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:28.029 Open to having that kind of presence at our accreditation meeting in the South Southern 209 00:13:28.070 --> 00:13:31.750 Association of colleges and schools about three or four years ago, Josie all quiz 210 00:13:31.789 --> 00:13:35.470 who does a lot of work in this area. She's she was a speaker 211 00:13:35.509 --> 00:13:39.350 for Presidents Day. So I mean she showed them examples as a how college 212 00:13:39.429 --> 00:13:43.220 presence can be effective on social media and I had a lot of people asking 213 00:13:43.299 --> 00:13:46.419 me questions afterwards because, you know, I was one of her examples a 214 00:13:46.460 --> 00:13:50.220 number of times. So I think a lot of people are aware of it. 215 00:13:50.500 --> 00:13:54.580 I think they're still is some reticence by people just because they might think 216 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:58.809 that I'm too old or really engage at when I always tell them it's like 217 00:14:00.409 --> 00:14:03.169 Gordon get at West Virginia is in his mid to late seventies and he's an 218 00:14:03.210 --> 00:14:07.330 active presence on social media. So don't give me the I'm too old answer 219 00:14:07.529 --> 00:14:09.929 because that's not it, but that you just have to find a way that 220 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:13.120 you're comfortable in using it. It doesn't mean that you need to be on 221 00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:16.159 their all day. It might just be a couple of time that you pick. 222 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:20.960 I always encourage people to make sure it's more authentic because some places you 223 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:22.919 got a team of people that do their social media for them and I'm not 224 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.350 a fan of that at all. Is I rather not do it than just 225 00:14:26.470 --> 00:14:30.830 have somebody posting. As you right, I think it's better if its authentic, 226 00:14:31.350 --> 00:14:33.110 but it's you know, it's scared for some people because then you know 227 00:14:33.190 --> 00:14:37.350 you're there and if somebody's mad about something that happens on campus, they're going 228 00:14:37.389 --> 00:14:39.460 to add you and you're going to get the vitriol and that sort of comes 229 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:43.139 with the territory. So well, first I would encourage our listeners that they 230 00:14:43.259 --> 00:14:48.700 haven't followed Dr Kimbro already to go out there and do so on twitter and 231 00:14:48.740 --> 00:14:52.289 the other platforms that he is on, and you'll see that he is authentic. 232 00:14:52.649 --> 00:14:56.610 He needs very engaging, very dynamic, and would love for you to 233 00:14:56.769 --> 00:15:01.370 share a story or two. I think the one that I'm most curious about 234 00:15:01.370 --> 00:15:05.330 and would love for everyone to know is the story behind you getting Denzel Washington 235 00:15:05.370 --> 00:15:09.720 to do the commencement address. That, I think is one of the most 236 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:13.960 famous commencement addresses on Youtube. Right. So, and this is one where, 237 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:18.000 at the end of the story, after it happened, we were able 238 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:24.590 to use social media, something like Youtube, to the really amplify what happened 239 00:15:24.669 --> 00:15:28.870 on our campus. So this is a Washington film, a movie in New 240 00:15:28.909 --> 00:15:35.710 Orleans right after Katrina with Paula Patton, and he heard about dillard and in 241 00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:37.659 one of the scenes he has a black on black dillard hat. So if 242 00:15:37.700 --> 00:15:41.460 you watch this movie you see this Dillard had on and he gave money because 243 00:15:41.500 --> 00:15:46.659 we're the oldest hbcu speech in theater program in the country. He gave a 244 00:15:46.700 --> 00:15:48.659 million dollars a deal at universities. That's right after Katrina. He was in 245 00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:52.970 town, heard about dillard and so we were thinking for a commissment ahead to 246 00:15:54.049 --> 00:15:56.049 say this is going to be the ten anniversity of Katrina two thousand and fifteen. 247 00:15:56.049 --> 00:16:00.330 Let'stend Denzel Washington and we have his people's information. Let's see if it 248 00:16:00.370 --> 00:16:03.919 do commissment. We send him the letter in October. So October two thousand 249 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:07.759 and fourteen. So it's February. We haven't heard anything. It's like all 250 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:10.600 right, we better get somebody. So I restout to dawn Lemmon. He's 251 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:14.399 a Louisiana native. He agreed to do it. So one day I lead 252 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.320 officer, I'm going home to work out. Our worst study student answers us 253 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:23.350 the call and it's Denzel Washington and she doesn't believe him. So she passes 254 00:16:23.429 --> 00:16:26.710 the the phone call on to my assistant and she says, Miss Cath is, 255 00:16:26.750 --> 00:16:30.509 somebody's on the phone plan and I don't know who it is, and 256 00:16:30.629 --> 00:16:34.059 so she answered. Cath answer the phone and it's Denzel Washington trying to reach 257 00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:37.860 me. So she gives him my cell number. So I'm working out. 258 00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:41.820 It's like four and afternoon thirty I see this unlisted number. I think it's 259 00:16:41.820 --> 00:16:45.379 Arnie Duncan because we've been having conversations about some thing. That's I'll call aren't 260 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:48.529 Duncan back late. I'm not worried about that now. And so I finished 261 00:16:48.570 --> 00:16:53.009 working out and listen to the message and it's Denzel Washington saying basically, Hey, 262 00:16:53.049 --> 00:16:56.730 I got your letter. Sorry took me so long to respond, but 263 00:16:56.129 --> 00:17:00.210 I know my schedule now I'll be in an area, so if you want 264 00:17:00.250 --> 00:17:03.640 me to do commissment, I'll do it. He was filming the magnificence seven, 265 00:17:03.680 --> 00:17:07.839 which is one of my favorite movies, and so it's like this at 266 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:11.359 Washington said I'm going to be in an area, I'm going to do this, 267 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:14.880 so we're like cool. You know, it was great and we know 268 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:17.910 we did like a little preview for the seniors I had to meet in the 269 00:17:17.990 --> 00:17:21.349 room and I actually played the the voice mail message and so you know they're 270 00:17:21.390 --> 00:17:25.109 citing aroundic a like that's this a Washington isn't who you're say. They hear 271 00:17:25.150 --> 00:17:27.390 him saying I'm coming to do your commitment. That was like one of the 272 00:17:27.549 --> 00:17:30.940 coolest moments that happen. So he came and so you know he had only 273 00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:34.859 done one commitment before at pin so this is the second one he's ever done 274 00:17:34.900 --> 00:17:41.299 before and short to the point, like nine minutes, and it this is 275 00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:45.490 really viral because it's like been viewed thirty, forty million times, and so 276 00:17:45.970 --> 00:17:48.730 you know, we put it on our youtube channel, but it's been on 277 00:17:48.890 --> 00:17:53.329 so many different platforms that this I mean I think there is a report that 278 00:17:53.450 --> 00:17:59.160 came out recently. It's like the second most viewed commencement address ever, behind 279 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:02.279 one that I think Steve Jobs or Bill Gates gave, one of the two. 280 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.240 I can't remember which one. So it's just been crazy. But that's 281 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:11.559 how social media has as amplified that and every year invariably somebody POPs up. 282 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:15.190 They show that this is a Washington speech at diller and it's great branding because 283 00:18:15.230 --> 00:18:18.349 you see him, you see the poling with diller university, and that's just 284 00:18:18.670 --> 00:18:22.109 that's going to lead live for infamy. It's just going to be there forever. 285 00:18:22.269 --> 00:18:26.190 Yeah, and we see you to write beside him, Dr Kimball. 286 00:18:26.269 --> 00:18:29.019 Right, yeah, yeah, it's I mean it's just one of those things, 287 00:18:29.059 --> 00:18:32.859 but that's the way that for us, social media just continues to just, 288 00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:34.859 you know, a great, you know iconic moment in the history of 289 00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:41.259 this institution is that Denzel Washington Commencement address. That's great and because it was 290 00:18:41.339 --> 00:18:44.569 just so good. It was to the point, it was practical. So 291 00:18:44.690 --> 00:18:47.009 he was just like boom boom, boom, boom boom. It was great. 292 00:18:47.009 --> 00:18:49.170 Everybody loved it. He kept it moved. Yeah, I mean I 293 00:18:49.329 --> 00:18:52.049 was perfect. Well, and it seemed like he really when I've watched it. 294 00:18:52.130 --> 00:18:56.200 It's I mean he knew the audience and he really leaned into the audience 295 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:59.359 and I think that's for anybody. I think, and even when we're talking 296 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:02.279 about social media, really being able to know your audience and lean into that 297 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:04.519 and being able to be authentic. I think those are really good takeaways. 298 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:07.599 Right, that's great. Yeah, no, it was it was. It 299 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:11.670 was just it was a great it was a great moment and, like I 300 00:19:11.750 --> 00:19:15.710 said, continues to live on. When people talk about great commiscement speeches, 301 00:19:15.069 --> 00:19:21.430 he always is mentioned in so just to have dillard and Dinzel mentioned together is 302 00:19:21.430 --> 00:19:26.819 always good. Dr Kimbro is there a piece of advice that you would give 303 00:19:26.859 --> 00:19:33.579 other presidents or high red leaders that aren't as leaned into social media as you, 304 00:19:33.059 --> 00:19:37.930 and maybe a tip or two to get them started and maybe a convincing 305 00:19:38.009 --> 00:19:42.849 reason why that they should do it? So what my reasons? I always 306 00:19:42.849 --> 00:19:47.130 tell people is that sometimes people feel like if they don't have an account on 307 00:19:47.289 --> 00:19:51.329 social media, they're not on social media, and that's a that's a mistake. 308 00:19:51.369 --> 00:19:53.319 Everybody's on social media. They just don't have a way to sort of 309 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:56.960 add you, but they are with your name and so you can't avoid it. 310 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:00.640 You're a part of that conversation. So since you're already a part of 311 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:04.400 it, is better to play an active role so you can decide how you 312 00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:08.670 want to participate in that and not just sort of be a bystander. I 313 00:20:08.789 --> 00:20:11.190 mean it. So it is it's scary, like I said, you know, 314 00:20:11.309 --> 00:20:15.670 the toughest part because sometimes social media is a me space. You know, 315 00:20:17.150 --> 00:20:22.019 people go through out ray cycles. We had a Senate debate here in 316 00:20:22.099 --> 00:20:26.059 Louisiana and we just rented out the space and it wasn't a big deal until 317 00:20:26.460 --> 00:20:30.019 some kind of way David do qualify, and so everybody was like, you 318 00:20:30.180 --> 00:20:33.900 know, you guys invited David you we were like no, we didn't. 319 00:20:33.180 --> 00:20:37.369 I mean we rented the space. We always wrint spaces for debates. He 320 00:20:37.410 --> 00:20:40.650 didn't qualify for the one two weeks ago. I still don't believe he qualify. 321 00:20:40.730 --> 00:20:42.609 Legitimately, I think it was somebody just did US wrong, but that's 322 00:20:42.609 --> 00:20:45.930 a whole nother story. So it's like for you know, for twenty four 323 00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:49.359 hours is like, don't even look at your mentions because the whole world was 324 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:52.839 mad at me because of that. And you let the outrace cycle go through 325 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:56.319 and then you go on about your business. I mean that's you know, 326 00:20:56.519 --> 00:21:00.599 as the people who really know you and noticed situation, and we use social 327 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:03.680 media to tell our side of the story. But it's just going to be 328 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:06.430 sometimes when you just get beat up, that's just part of it. So 329 00:21:06.470 --> 00:21:10.349 I think you understand that. But in the end, can you leverage it 330 00:21:10.670 --> 00:21:15.990 to really get out stories about your institution in ways and it might spur additional 331 00:21:17.069 --> 00:21:22.059 people to write stories about your institution. So another really quick story. I 332 00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:26.059 have always when I got to dealer, when I learned it we were number 333 00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:29.779 two in the country for producing African Americans with degrees in physics. I was 334 00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:33.049 telling everybody I could about that. I was like, I would post about 335 00:21:33.089 --> 00:21:34.529 it a lot. Every time I gave a speech I led with that. 336 00:21:36.049 --> 00:21:38.369 So I had a reporter from the APE, this is two thousand and sixteen 337 00:21:38.410 --> 00:21:42.329 I believe, who said, Hey, you are always talking about dealing in 338 00:21:42.410 --> 00:21:47.319 physics, and this is after we had secure Janelle Mulney to be our commencement 339 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:49.880 speaker, and this is right after hidden figures that come out. So you 340 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:56.119 got this movie about these women and stem and this reporter from the ape says, 341 00:21:56.279 --> 00:22:00.039 I am going to pitch this story that we do an ape story on 342 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:04.670 Dialer in physics. She pictures the story, she comes, they write the 343 00:22:04.750 --> 00:22:08.349 story, they have the photographer here. That becomes another one of our viral 344 00:22:08.390 --> 00:22:12.950 moments because this story is an APE story. It rant in every major newspaper 345 00:22:14.069 --> 00:22:17.019 in the country, from the New York Times to the San Francisco Chronicle, 346 00:22:17.900 --> 00:22:22.180 and so now you getting it amplified via social media and NBC News on their 347 00:22:22.299 --> 00:22:25.779 site. So that was just another but that was part of me always talking 348 00:22:25.819 --> 00:22:30.609 about physics, physics, that this AP reporter. It clicked for her to 349 00:22:30.769 --> 00:22:33.009 say, yeah, he's always talking to outside. She saw Janelle Monee and 350 00:22:33.089 --> 00:22:37.930 she put the dits together and she ran with it at that's the power of 351 00:22:37.049 --> 00:22:41.849 social media. That happens because of social media. Didn't happen because I wrote 352 00:22:41.849 --> 00:22:44.009 a you know, a piss letter, hey do a story on this. 353 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:47.960 She came up with the idea and she ran with that's exactly but that's part 354 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:49.759 of me. Just continue to say here are good things that we're doing over 355 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:52.680 and over again, and somebody picks it up and they say this is a 356 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:56.440 great idea, let's run with it. So to me that's a benefit. 357 00:22:56.519 --> 00:23:00.390 Once again, it cost me nothing and the media hit that we got for 358 00:23:00.509 --> 00:23:03.630 having Janelle money alone would have been great, but then when they linked it 359 00:23:03.710 --> 00:23:07.589 to the movie and to our physics program it took us to a whole another 360 00:23:07.630 --> 00:23:11.710 level. Free. Cost me nothing. That's awesome. Can't even calculate the 361 00:23:11.869 --> 00:23:15.420 add value of having those stories and every major newspaper in the country very very 362 00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:21.220 cool. Thank you well again. We are honored to it. Had you 363 00:23:21.259 --> 00:23:25.819 as a guest on the Higher Ed Marketer podcast. If we can, if 364 00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:27.650 someone would like to reach you, I mean they can just google you and 365 00:23:27.890 --> 00:23:32.529 there's so many ways that they can contact you, but as their way that 366 00:23:32.650 --> 00:23:36.569 you prefer serious inquiries to come to you. Yeah, well, you know, 367 00:23:36.690 --> 00:23:38.609 particularly folks engine hire at marketing. He just email me. I take 368 00:23:38.650 --> 00:23:44.200 all my emails directly. W Kimbro at dillarded you and it did normally take 369 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:45.880 me a long time either. I always tell my students if you haven't heard 370 00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:51.000 from me in twenty four hours, it means I'm dead or means called Liam 371 00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:56.509 Neeson because I was takes. I respond via email. So you know, 372 00:23:56.549 --> 00:24:00.069 people who have questions about that they can say my email and I can share 373 00:24:00.150 --> 00:24:03.829 whatever I have on it. Thank you, Doctor Bart do you have any 374 00:24:04.109 --> 00:24:07.950 parting words? Yeah, just a couple things. I wanted to point out 375 00:24:07.990 --> 00:24:10.460 the Dr Kimbro said just to kind of bring some emphasis to it. But 376 00:24:10.500 --> 00:24:14.099 I think that, you know, Dillard is a small school, under a 377 00:24:14.140 --> 00:24:18.380 thousand Undergrad students. If I'm correct, Dr Kimbro hundred two hundred. Okay, 378 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:19.819 so one hundred two it's at small school. So all I know a 379 00:24:19.859 --> 00:24:23.329 lot of the audience that listens to the hired marketer. You would consider yourself 380 00:24:23.369 --> 00:24:26.410 a small to medium size school, much like Dillard. I think one of 381 00:24:26.450 --> 00:24:30.609 the things that Dr Kimbro has talked about is just the power of social media 382 00:24:30.650 --> 00:24:33.170 and what that can do for a small school. I mean he kind of 383 00:24:33.170 --> 00:24:37.799 used the the illustration the beginning about the big state school in Arkansas that was 384 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:44.519 spending a million dollars a year on advertising. Just like Dr Cambro and Dillard. 385 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:45.720 I know a lot of these schools don't have that kind of budget, 386 00:24:47.079 --> 00:24:49.759 but you do have access to the same platforms that Dr Kimbro has with the 387 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:53.630 social media, with facebook, with social with twitter, with Linkedin, with 388 00:24:53.710 --> 00:24:57.829 instagram. Leverage that in leverage that with several of your leaders. I think 389 00:24:57.950 --> 00:25:00.509 that you'll, you know, rather than just relying on the on the young 390 00:25:00.670 --> 00:25:06.710 student in turn in the marketing department to do your instagram, really lean into 391 00:25:06.750 --> 00:25:10.700 it and get some of your leadership behind that and leverage that free resource which 392 00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:14.140 can really turn into something much more, as Dr Kimber has shared today. 393 00:25:14.180 --> 00:25:17.059 So thank you again, Dr Kimber. This has been a wonderful conversation. 394 00:25:17.140 --> 00:25:18.859 I think it's been very beneficial for audience and it's been a pleasure to have 395 00:25:18.980 --> 00:25:25.009 you. Thank you appreciated. Thanks, Bart. The hired marketer podcast is 396 00:25:25.089 --> 00:25:30.890 sponsored by Taylor solutions and education, marketing and branding agency and by thing patented, 397 00:25:30.130 --> 00:25:34.210 a marketing, execution, printing and mailing provider of Higher Ed Solutions. 398 00:25:34.650 --> 00:25:38.160 On behalf of my cohost barred Taylor, I'm troy singer. Thank you for 399 00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:45.240 joining us. You've been listening to the Higher Ed Marketer. To ensure that 400 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:48.319 you never miss an episode, subscribe to the show in your favorite podcast player. 401 00:25:49.190 --> 00:25:52.430 If you're listening with apple podcasts. We'd love for you to leave a 402 00:25:52.470 --> 00:25:56.990 quick rating of the show. Simply tap the number of stars you think the 403 00:25:56.029 --> 00:25:59.509 podcast deserves. Until next time.