The social media environment is much like a coral reef--a living, growing, dynamic entity filled with billions of independent organisms or ideas attaching themselves to each other and creating something glorious. But like a reef, these free-floating ideas need to be nurtured by a robust and healthy ecosystem if they are to remain vital. In the education advancement community, that vitality can be sustained through a comprehensive and wellthought-out strategic plan. It's not news that social media usage has exploded throughout the education sector. Regardless of how it starts, social media in advancement is growing. A 2008 study by Nora Ganim Barnes from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Eric Mattson of the research firm Financial Insite documented that 41 percent of admissions offices are blogging, 61 percent are involved in social media, 48 percent are videoblogging, and 16 percent are podcasting. Moreover, nearly 90 percent of the 536 respondents said they regard these activities as either "somewhat" or "very" important. So why are so many institutions sailing through the social media waters without knowing where they are headed? This article takes a look at some typical communications strategic objectives and how colleges and universities are building an environment where their social media efforts can thrive.