There are about 4,500 colleges and universities in the United States and most – if not all – use social media for marketing and recruitment. At least that’s what the surveys say and you’ll be hard pressed to find ones that don’t. Trust me. I tried.
There are varying degrees of interest and participation, certainly. Harvard University, which prides itself on being at the top of every list, boasts the most college fans/followers on Facebook (2.4 million) and Twitter (199,500) and receives regular accolades for its social media prowess. Conversely, Rice University does not consider social media to be an important part of its enrollment playbook.
“Rightly or wrongly, I tend to be a little bit old fashioned in that I really believe that social media is personal,” Vice President for Enrollment Chris Muñoz told Time Magazine. “Visiting the campus is everything. If you’re really trying to influence a decision, that’s how it happens.”
Colleges admittedly had a jump on other industries in the social media marketplace. The leader in these web-based platforms, Facebook, was invented in a college dorm room (again, at Harvard) and an .edu email address was initially required to join – which college administrators as well as students possess.
Five Reasons Colleges Should Be on Social Networks
But, just in case there are still colleges or universities out there trying to decide whether to open their first social network account, here are five reasons they should already have done so.
1) It’s Where the Customers Are. About two-thirds of high school students use social media to research colleges. More than one-third of those employ the networks to help decide where to enroll. And, once matriculating, college students say they check Facebook an average of six times a day, so schools better have a presence if they want to reach them.
2) And the Competition Too. Other colleges and universities are connecting with potential and current students through social media, and not just on Facebook. The top 100 colleges, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, use an average of 3.7 social networks, with some as many as seven, according to a recent survey. Even college mascots have loyal followings on Twitter.
3) Print + Broadcast Media = Big $$$$. Social media has not replaced traditional college recruitment methods, such as glossy Viewbooks and brochures, and print and broadcast advertising. While students are looking on social websites, their parents likely are checking out information coming through the mail and over the airwaves. But some colleges are cutting back on expensive advertising campaigns and investing in staff to manage free social media networks. One in three colleges reports that social media is more effective than traditional media in reaching prospective students.
4) Mobile Is on the Move. Smart phones and tablets are becoming the devices of choice for checking in on social networks, as advances have made them increasingly fast, efficient and portable. Most high school students have a cell phone; about one/third have smart phones and the number is growing. By the time they get to campus, more than half have acquired smart phones. Many of these teens are using the phones more for social networking than making calls.
5) Everyone Is Doing It. We tell our kids that is no reason to do something but, in this case, it is. As consumers demand that all businesses have a website, they are starting to expect to find them on social networks as well, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a YouTube channel. Our institutions of higher learning, which collaborated to create the World Wide Web, must continue to be at the forefront of these new technological frontiers.
Great and informative blog this week Patti! I was a student ambassador/tour guide throughtout my four years in college and I think that visiting a campus is one of the main selling points for a potential student. But as more schools are using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, students are finding more about schools they are interested in via social media sites. Since graduating college, my alma mattar has stepped up their social media game and have become much more active on Facebook and Twitter. And while they may not have the numbers that Harvard does, I believe that using social media has been good for the school. Nice post and I look forward to reading your next blog!
I find it interesting that Rice University does not find social media as a factor in enrollment. I agree that campus tours are important but most students to not get the opportunity to tour a campus. In that case social media can provide a virtual tour of the campus. Virtual tours could be a way for potential students to attend campus tours and want to attend that University.
Yes very informative. I would actually love to see the statistics for the universities that have not used social media at all in the last five years. I would be shocked to see anything but a drop off in enrollment relative to other similar institutions.
Great blog this week! Very informative and I thought the 5 reasons you came up with for colleges to be on social networks were great. I really liked #3, “But some colleges are cutting back on expensive advertising campaigns and investing in staff to manage free social media networks”. I don’t know how any business would not want to take advantage of something that can really benefit their company and is FREE! If a business has plenty of money for all the expensive traditional media options I think it’s all the more reason to set up a killer social media campaign. I know SNHU definitely has a website, Twitter, and Facebook to reach out to prospective students, which is clearly a smart move from what you have said above. Do you know if SNHU is on any other SM networks?
I relied on social media heavily in making my decision to be a part of SNHU. Along with colleges using social media to advertise and get enrollments, a potential student can also gather good and bad information on schools to make an informed decision. Much of the negative you must take with a grain of salt. Much of any negatives I saw on schools were posted by a student upset with a grade or made about lack of parking spaces, etc. It greatly assisted me in my search.