Sept. 28, 2021

Small University Presidents: Build Your Social Media Presence

Small University Presidents: Build Your Social Media Presence

Big universities have the luxury of spending $1M per year only on advertising. For smaller universities, that’s close to a tenth of our entire operating budget.

But all universities have the exact same access to social media platforms. When a university president starts amplifying stories about the institution, think of it as free advertising that works.

In this episode, we interview Walter M. Kimbrough , President at Dillard University, about how he cre ated a personal social media presence to promote his university.

Join us as we discuss:

- Techniques that President Kimbrough used to build his online persona

- How social media attracted Denzel Washington for the nation’s second most watched commencement address

- What audiences that different social media platforms are good at reaching

- Advice for university presidents who might fear social media

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Denzel Washington’s commencement speech 

The AP report on Dillard’s physics graduates 

To hear more interviews like this one, subscribe to Higher Ed Marketer on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or your preferred podcast platform. 

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer podcast is brought to you by Caylor Solutions, an Education Marketing, and Branding Agency.

    

 

Transcript
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.