Social Media Strategies Summit Higher Education | Asia Johnson
I had the opportunity to tune into this webinar recently and it was helpful to say the least. In my role at the time, it was imperative to understand social media and the impact it has on acquiring prospective students to colleges and universities so this webinar was beyond useful.
Some of the key takeaways I was able to gain were as follows:
Content first strategy
Universities are shifting to a content first strategy which essentially means that the focus is predominantly on the type of content and not on how much is created. There had long been this idea that there needed to be a consistent flow of posts on all social media platforms which put a strain on quality. Now, it is imperative to produce high caliber content. Followers engage more when the content is of quality.
Response Time
It is so important to respond in a timely manner to those asking questions or simply engage with a college platform. If a prospective student reaches out via a social platform and are left without response for a long time, they will assume that this will be their experience at the college. If they are engaged with in a timely manner, then they will feel as though they were tended to and this could be reflective of their time at the school.
Avoid getting lost in social space
It is easy to get lost in the clutter of the social stratosphere so it is important that each college differentiates itself from the next. This is where strategy comes into play. If one college is posting about their upcoming events in a traditional way, it may prove useful to find a new way of showcasing that same information.
Less posting, more engagement
Staying true to the content first strategy also means increasing engagement. Although corporations are selling products, they still are effectively creating a brand experience and a sense of community. High education platforms can also create this brand experience through engagement which can consist of interactive posts, polls, and simply responding to the needs and concerns of prospective and current students.
Scrappy not crappy
Some colleges have limited resources and budgets but that does not mean that the content can’t be of quality. There are different ways to showcase a school and its offerings. The main takeaway that you want prospective students to have is “this looks like a great place to go to school.”
Alumni Achievements
Finally, you need to showcase that your school is actually worth it. Alumni are the best way to advertise this. How many people have gone off and been successful after graduating from your school? What are they doing? What programs did they take? What internships did they apply for? This will showcase that your school yields results. However in keeping with quality, over quantity it is important that these alumni posts are displayed in a fresh interesting way.
I learned so much from this webinar and was able to apply these new ways of thinking to my job.
