Social Media

Social media’s role in college admissions:

Social media’s role in college admissions By David Peccia

Introduction:

Introduction Social Media is an emerging trend that is changing the way that colleges and universities market themselves to prospective students. It is important for schools to understand how this trend impacts them and find ways to take advantage of their organizations presence online. Organizations that do not have a social media presence may find themselves falling behind others in the competition for student recruitment.

College Admissions Study on Social Media:

College Admissions Study on Social Media In January 2010 Cappex surveyed 170 college admissions officials . The study was designed to create a benchmark for the use of social media in the college admissions process. Cappex interviewed officials from 119 private and 51 public institutions, ranging from 56 to 40,000 undergraduate students. The study generated many key findings that can be adopted by other institutions to improve their recruiting process.

Slide 5:

Twitter As Twitter ‘s numbers have grown, it has become an increasingly important communications tool for organizations. 56 % of College Admissions Offices report that they use Twitter as a method to recruit new students. A strategic and consistent Twitter plan can help universities and colleges connect with their potential students while keeping them up to date on the latest announcements and application deadlines.

Slide 6:

YouTube is a great way admissions offices to attract new students by showing what their campus has to offer. 56% of College Admissions Office’s use YouTube in their recruiting process. George Mason, Tufts, and St. Mary's College of Maryland are some of the first colleges to accept videos as part of their admissions applications.

Slide 7:

Facebook is the primary social media platform admission officers use because of its popularity among prospective students. A study conducted by Kaplan calculated that 82% of Colleges in America use Facebook as a method in their recruiting process. Prospective students can check out a school's Facebook page to follow the latest news and happenings on campus. Facebook

Audience:

Audience Conversations among these three audiences can help prospects form a general opinion about a school before making an official visit. Admissions Offices make a strong effort to promote conversation about their affiliated institution in order to reinforce their other marketing efforts.

How important is your Facebook Profile?:

How important is your Facebook Profile? 70% of colleges say that they a candidates Facebook profile is of medium to high importance during the admissions process. 62% of universities report that a candidates profile has helped them in the recruiting process. While 38% report that a candidates profile decreased their chances for admission.

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words:

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words

Planning:

Planning Start with a strategy Research the situation Set specific goals and deadlines for your efforts

Content:

Content Post general news from your college Post admission events Answers to student / parent questions Post videos about your college Post non-admission-related events Post news about your college’s sports teams Links to other school related websites

Frequency:

Frequency Staying current and fresh is key to keeping the attention of your followers on Facebook. Admissions Offices typically update their Facebook page 2 to 3 times a week. Getting carried away by posting too much and too often can result in a negative reaction so it is important to limit updates to relevant information.

Authenticity vs. Marketing:

Authenticity vs. Marketing Interviews from the Cappex study suggest that Admission officers believe that prospective students use Facebook to get a realistic view of what a college life is like. Through communicating with actual students and alumni, prospective students can gain a more genuine feel for a college or university. Social media creates a place for dialogue between students.

Advantages of using Social Media:

Advantages of using Social Media Quick and constant feedback The ability to communicate with a wide audience from a central location Can increase exposure for smaller schools Brings the message to where students spend a large amount of their time; the internet.

Drawbacks:

Drawbacks Time Content Control

Conclusions:

Conclusions