First, middle school students started using it. Then parents invaded the site. Now even Phillips Academy has a Facebook page. Over the last year, Phillips Academy has shifted from a primarily print-based communications strategy to the increased development of digital resources and online social media venues. Along with a PA Facebook comes a new Vimeo account for social networking, a Twitter channel for microblogging and an online alumni community that uses the Ning.com social networking program. The Office of Communication outlined this new social media strategy in a recent proposal, which stated, “Our overarching goal is to create and disseminate customized information targeted towards three primary audiences: alumni, parents and prospective students. “By embracing social media, Phillips Academy will raise its visibility on the Web, broaden the reach of its key messages, strengthen relationships and build new ones,” as stated in the strategy proposal. The school created its Facebook page this September, and has already accumulated over 2,200 fans. In addition to the four current sites, a Phillips Academy YouTube video channel is currently under construction. Andover’s new website launch last September spearheaded the school’s transition to online communication by making information more accessible, according to Tracy Sweet, Director of Academy Communications, and Stephen Porter, Director of Public Information and Web Publishing. Sweet said, “The new website sits at the core of all of our communications. We needed to establish an effective and engaging website first. Everything else links to it.” Porter said, “We live in a digital world. People are now used to communicating through online venues. As a school we need to be meeting the expectations that parents and alumni have. Target audiences want the ability to quickly obtain information from the school.” According to website traffic data compiled by Google Analytics, Andover’s new site has outperformed the old site significantly. The Communications Office compared traffic from September 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 to traffic data from the same time period of the previous year. The number of unique visitors from September 2008 to June 2009 was 384,130, an increase of nearly 50,000 from the previous year. The number of total page views jumped from nearly one million to about 3.8 million, an increase of 29 percent. The average time spent on the website also increased by 10 percent. In addition to increasing the availability of online communications venues, the school has reduced the production of print resources in an effort to limit environmental impact and printing costs. Sweet said, “The summer parent mailing used to weigh 18 ounces and as time went on, it continued to grow. This summer we made the goal to significantly streamline the package.” “We were able to bring the mailing down to under eight ounces by putting the bulk of the information on the online parent portal. We hope to continue streamlining the summer mailing. It will increase economic and environmental benefit as well as keep parents happy,” she continued. Porter said, “Print isn’t the most effective medium anymore. It’s both less interactive than online venues and more expensive to distribute.” Though the Phillips Academy website serves as the school’s most vital online informational resource, Andover’s new social media venues, like the Facebook page, create more opportunities for alumni, parents, students and prospective students to share information, Sweet said. Porter said that social media venues not only make it easier for the school to push information out, but they also create an interactive online community founded upon one common interest, Phillips Academy. Porter said, “There has definitely been a demand from both parents and alums over the years for increased connection with the school.” “We wanted to give these groups the ability to connect with each other and connect with the school in a more interactive way. Through online venues, audiences can develop discussion forums, create groups and reconnect through class pages,” Porter continued. These connections benefit the school by increasing availability and therefore “keeping Phillips Academy at the forefront of their minds,” said Sweet. “Alumni will hear from us more often and not solely for solicitations. Our goal is to engage people in the life of the academy. Oftentimes, this increased connection leads to people wanting to support their alma mater.” Sweet added. According to the Office of Academy Resources, Andover’s alumni giving via the Internet has increased dramatically since the giving form went online in 2002. During that year, 270 gifts were received online for a total of $77,896. In fiscal year 2008, Andover recorded 3,427 online gifts for a total of $1,054,835. Social media venues also help the Communications Office to check if their online messages are successfully reaching target audiences. Online resources allow members of the Communications Office to monitor sites and review the results of their online strategies. “There’s a certain authenticity to the conversations that happen on Facebook and other media venues. We want Andover to be connected to these online venues, which allow us to see how people are responding to our content,” Sweet said. “We want to know if our efforts have made a difference. With electronic venues, you can imbed systems that measure how well your message is being received. It’s very gratifying to see direct results,” she continued.
