iPad Textbooks Need Professor Endorsement

Will the new iPad from Apple revolutionize textbooks, or is it nothing more than a slow laptop with a hefty price point?

The tablet PC might be the proverbial nail in the textbook coffin. Angst over textbooks has been in the air on college campuses for decades, and e-readers and alternative delivery options have started building momentum (just look at Chegg). It appears that with the release of the iPad, textbook publishers aren’t going to sit this one out.  McGraw-Hill, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, among others, have all indicated that their textbooks will be available on the device in the near future. The Kindle DX has already been tested with the college crowd. Kindle can’t claim victory yet, but I’m sure it has gained some valuable student feedback from which to build.

The iPad’s price will put it slightly out of reach for young consumers for awhile yet, but as the device becomes more prevalent, students will likely be migrating to the iPad or other brands that follow.  The real question is: Will textbook publishers still be gouging students with their e-book versions? The convenience of having textbooks in digital form is just one selling point, but if publishers and Apple think that point alone will sell readers and e-textbooks, they should think again. It does appear that textbook prices will drop when offered digitally, so the savings could very well pay for one’s initial investment in the iPad. Nevertheless, price is the primary pain point for students that should be addressed.  Students will also demand other features such as ala carte downloading of chapters and review sections with the ability to print and highlight text.

So, who has the upper hand here? Actually, professors do, and that’s because students have to buy the books they assign for class. And because professors are not typically early adopters of new technology, it may be awhile before students do their back-to-school book buying on iTunes.  Maybe once students get a taste of this technology, they will step up and demand that their textbooks be on these devices at prices they can afford. After all, they have already pushed textbook rentals into reality and made it a viable business model to boot.

Top 15 College Newspapers for Reaching Black Students

Campus Media Group is a leader in college marketing and campus newspaper advertising. Many moons ago, we actually got our start placing ads in college newspapers for today’s top brands. Over the years, marketing trends have come and gone. College newspapers remain a vital part of most college marketing campaigns we see. Brands that get it right invest in college newspaper ads that run during the entire semester rather than placing one ad and hoping for the best. This brand building creates awareness and trust among today’s skeptical college crowd who are marketed to all the time.  More than 1,800 college newspapers can be publishing in any given year. Breaking this down into a manageable list of schools that are right for your company can take time and be a bit overwhelming. We are here to help you navigate through these newspapers and highlight the top college newspapers in different categories.

Today, we have listed the Top 15 HBCU college newspapers in the U.S. If you are interested in reaching campuses with a high enrollment of African American college students, this campus newspaper list offers a potential reach of more than 120,000 black students.

If you are interested in having us place advertising in these papers for you, contact us here.

PANTHER – Clark Atlanta Univ (Atlanta, GA)

THE FAMUAN – Florida Agricultural & Mechanical Univ (Tallahasse, FL)

GRAMBLINITE – Grambling State Univ (Grambling, LA)

HAMPTON SCRIPT - Hampton Univ (Hampton, VA)

HILLTOP – Howard Univ (Washington, DC)

BLUE & WHITE FLASH – Jackson State Univ (Jackson, MS)

MAROON TIGER – Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA)

SPOKESMAN – Morgan State Univ          (Baltimore, MD)

SPARTAN ECHO – Norfolk State Univ (Norfolk, VA)

REGISTER – North Carolina A & T State Univ(Greensboro, NC)

CAMPUS ECHO – North Carolina Central Univ (Durham, NC)

PANTHER – Prairie View A & M Univ (Prairie View, TX)

SOUTHERN DIGEST – Southern Univ A & M College (Baton Rouge, LA)

THE METER – Tennessee State Univ (Nashville, TN)

THE NEWS ARGUS – Winston-Salem State Univ (Winston-Salem, NC)

Help for Haiti

The heartbreaking stories from Haiti keep pouring in, and we are encouraged to see the love pouring back out. So far, Americans have donated more than $150 million to various organizations dedicated to helping earthquake victims. Generation Y has also answered that call by rallying their social networks and donating via text message. More than $22 million has been donated through SMS alone, and the youth market plays a big part in that success. We know the work has just begun. Do your part by donating to a reputable charity. You can donate via text to the Red Cross by texting ‘Haiti’ to 90999, or sending your money to any number of good organizations. You can also help spread this message of need and support by downloading a banner ad for your site, email sig file or blog like the one above from the American Red Cross.

2010 Social Media New Year Resolutions

I will not be a Johnny-Come-Lately. I chuckle when a company asks me to help it start a Facebook fanpage or build a Twitter following for a promotion it has starting in three weeks. By the time you realize the need for a social following, it’s too late. Start a genuine dialogue with your customers now to find out who your fans are. You will need them to make anything sticky in the future.

I will lay out a communication plan. With any marketing plan, nearly everything you do should trace back to your main goals.  Social media is no different. Ask yourself what you want to achieve with Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIN, and tape the list to your computer monitor. Think big, but start small by coming up with a realistic goal. Before you start a contest, build an app, or update your status, double check to see if what you are doing advances the plan.

I will become a power user. Our friend Libby Issendorf has challenged us to choose one new social network each month and become a power user, if only for 30 days.  Make friends, add content, and experiment with every feature and privacy setting.  No making “I don’t have time” excuses: A few hours of setup, one hour-long session per week, and a five-minute daily check-in are all you need.  You’ll learn more about Tumblr, Foursquare, or Farmville than you ever could from a blog post or presentation.

I will practice good netiquette. Remember, social media is not an advertising channel. College kids have moved from being excited about finding their brand favorites on Facebook to “expecting” you to be on Facebook. Your website is probably dead to them unless it really has utility. If that utility can be found on Facebook they will be relieved if they don’t have to click away. Remember, too, that a college kid may be a fan, but you aren’t his friend. Don’t be offended. It’s just the way it is. So, don’t be pushy or interrupt them too much.

I will hold up my end of the bargain. Getting someone to follow you, friend you, or share something about you to their friends is a huge deal. Don’t let that action go to waste. Make interacting with your company through social media worth it for your friends, fans, and followers.  You can do this with personal thank you messages, free samples, or by rewarding your best followers with exclusive content before others hear about it.