Our University is one of the latest universities to embrace the potential of YouTube for increasing its visibility and providing a variety of content to current and prospective students. Students and faculty should try to use this communication medium to its fullest extent.
The University needs to embrace this new development in online marketing and communication, and students and faculty need to follow through and create content for this online forum.
According to Dave Pond, a web writer, editor and producer who works in Web Communication, the Office of Public Affairs develops about 90 percent of the content on the University’s YouTube channel.
Most of the multimedia is news-related – Pond works with Donna Barnes, assistant to the director for Creative Services and News Services to write and shoot news video clips for the NCSU home page. Ultimately, the goal is for the NCSU YouTube channel to quickly spread information about the University, student activities and research developments.
Other uses for this multimedia platform include expanding upon lifelong learning opportunities. Lecture materials, lab demonstrations and supplemental videos can enhance the learning experience outside the classroom. Given the simplicity of uploading content to YouTube and ease at which anyone can embed the material into any Web site, this platform offers huge educational and promotional benefits.
But this will not happen without student and faculty efforts to learn how to use the technology and produce interesting and attractive content. Once the University uses its YouTube channel to its fullest extent, it provides a way to attract new students, improve the delivery of its Lifelong Education program and generate publicity for NCSU. Students and student organizations also need to explore this new technology as a way to encourage students to get involved on campus.
The University needs involvement at all levels to help maximize the benefits of this new approach in communication and public relations. NCSU is a leader in technology research – the administration needs to broadcast these innovations to prospective students as well as research partners and investors.
Students and student organizations also stand to reap the rewards of online multimedia. Club sports and Student Government can use the NCSU YouTube channel to draw in new members and encourage participation, and students can use this platform to create a useful media portfolio for future use – but they must step up and start submitting.
