Using students to help refine a marketing plan to communicate technology to all stakeholders

In 2021, a small project was conducted to find out how students wanted to be communicated with (were there any tips and tricks that we were not already using?). The final list provided a few new ideas and have led to a broader discussion within Library and Learning Services about the way in which we communicate to all our stakeholders:

• Chalk boards in walkways (being used by Waterside Campus restaurant in walkways) 
• Paper handouts on tables (used sometimes in food areas) 
• Rollup banner 
• Digital screens 
• Email  
• Social Media (noted that F/book popularity decreasing) but Instagram could be useful 
• MyNorthampton / local app – it was asked if can it do notifications? 
• NILE / VLE homepage 

 The group noted that we should use more of: 

• Targeted messages (perhaps by subject area) 
• Memes 
• Put up main survey results on screen and what we are doing about them 
• Have a competition which encourages user generated content 
• Short tips 
• Quick videos (under 3 mins….ideally much less) 

 They suggested that messages could use: 

• Capital letters 
• Note when services are FREE 
• Bold text 
• Text which is short and focused 
• Text which quickly highlights the benefits and opportunities of the message 

It was noted that senders should be cautious of jokes / cartoons  – the message needs to apply to all and not offend audiences.