We've truly arrived in the digital age. Today, almost every college and university has a social media presence. And yet, few of them can show actual success in attracting potential students and their parents, while assuring them your school is the right fit.
That's a significant missed opportunity. According to the E-Expectations report by Ruffalo Noel Levitz, students and parents alike use their favorite social channels to learn about schools, find out what life on campus is like, and connect with others who are going through the same process.
And yet, when they arrive on the pages for schools on their shortlist, their experience is often very different. Stiff promotions of upcoming events, bland links to the website, and other unattractive content tends to rule. Graphics are highly stylized and clearly vetted by multiple people, failing to convey the authenticity audiences are looking for in this venue.
A bleak picture? Definitely. Perhaps it's even a bit exaggerated. But a simple truth remains: too often, colleges and universities use social media as a promotional outlet rather than an opportunity to engage their audiences. The solution to that problem is at once complex and simple: it's time for your students to get involved.
You might have heard about user-generated content (UGC) as a core trend in digital marketing. In an age where online credibility is difficult to achieve, consumers tend to believe what their peers are saying about a brand more than the communication efforts of that company itself. As a result, organizations across industries have built comprehensive strategies to encourage their users to build content that only subtly promotes the brand.
In a recent survey, 75% of consumers said content from their peers made brand messaging more authentic. It tends to increase both the total reach and engagement with individual posts, and builds credibility of the brand over time. Especially younger audiences trust UGC to be truthful and relevant to their needs and questions.
The same effect is magnified in higher education. Here, you have the perfect audience to start creating this type of content right on your campus: your current students. Get your current students to start creating content for you, and you will begin to see prospective students engage with it.
Any higher education marketer knows: the field is crowded. A student considering your school likely also has 3-4 others on their shortlist. And even getting to that shortlist can be a struggle, given that they have a wide range of community colleges and online options regardless of their location.
At the same time, marketing in higher education is not necessarily unique. You might rightly boast about your beautiful campus, small class sizes, and generous financial aid package, but so does every other school trying to reach the same students. When that message becomes generic, it loses any effectiveness or differentiation factor.
Instead, it makes sense to show rather than tell these benefits to your potential students. That means having the message come straight from the source; if a starter on your basketball team boasts about how much they love walking around campus, that drives the message home much more authentically than the same statement from an anonymous enrollment staffer.
Another missed opportunity we often see in education marketing is failing to use all of the features of the various social media networks. It's easy to fall into the habit of posting images, some links, and little else. After all, that's the low-hanging fruit on many campuses, and it's only natural to promote news stories as well as campus pictures.
But that also limits the types of features that could actually magnify your social presence. Above all, that means video. On Facebook alone, including a video in a post increases the reach of that post by a factor of more than three.
Your students can easily post videos that showcase your institution and its campus. These videos might not be polished, but will certainly be more authentic. Given just how successful videos have become across networks, including live streaming options, turning some of the content creation over to your audience can have a significant impact on your long-term social media success.
All of the above, of course, sounds great in theory. Who wouldn't want to see greater awareness, engagement and higher education lead generation? Getting to that point, though, can seem complex.
It certainly requires a comprehensive strategy and engagement that goes beyond managing your social media presence from a single point. Here are some tips to get you started, ranging from least to most complex:
That last bullet is undoubtedly the most involved. It often requires at least a few months to set up, from deciding whether these ambassadors should be paid to setting clear policies that ensure their posts will remain within the institution's brand and social media standards. Still, it's also the most effective.
The more you can get your students involved, the higher the payoff in form of leads, applications, and admitted students will be in the end. As a result, you can turn your social media pages from a static platform into a dynamic presence designed to attract and convert modern student audiences.
If you are interested in developing a successful social media marketing strategy for your institution, let's talk.
Social media marketing allows schools to connect more authentically with their target audience, including potential students and parents. It also provides an opportunity to showcase campus life, academic programs, and community involvement, ultimately helping to attract and retain students.
Schools can leverage their community by encouraging students to create user-generated content (UGC) that showcases their experiences and perspectives. This type of content is perceived as more authentic and credible by potential students and can help increase engagement and brand awareness on social media platforms.
Authenticity is crucial in social media marketing for schools, especially in a crowded higher education market. Potential students are more likely to resonate with content that comes directly from current students, faculty, and staff, as it provides a genuine insight into campus life and culture.
Schools can maximize the potential of social media platforms by exploring and utilizing various features beyond just posting images and links. Incorporating video content, including live streaming options, can significantly increase reach and engagement. Additionally, running contests, organizing takeovers, and building social media ambassador programs can further enhance the effectiveness of social media marketing efforts.
Developing a successful social media marketing strategy requires careful planning and execution. Schools should prioritize authenticity, engagement, and student involvement in their strategy. By leveraging the power of user-generated content and exploring innovative approaches to social media marketing, schools can effectively reach and connect with their target audience.
If you're interested in developing a successful social media marketing strategy for your school, Sonority Group is here to help! Feel free to reach out to us for further information or to schedule a call. We're passionate about helping educational institutions harness the full potential of social media to achieve their marketing goals.