In pre-pandemic days, colleges and universities counted on in-person campus visits, face-to-face networking and college fairs to get the word out on their institution and attract students. But in the current environment, in which these activities are now mostly virtual, schools must find a way to spark student interest.
What better way to reach prospective students than via their favorite social media platforms?
While higher education institutions are used to more traditional methods for attracting students, the current, digitally native prospect pool is not only comfortable with online activity, they prefer it. A pre-pandemic study by EAB measuring student communication preferences revealed that students are more likely than ever to interact with colleges and universities on social media at all stages of their search, and not just a way to engage students once they’ve decided to apply. And 30 percent of students have used a school’s social media site as a gateway to the school’s website. And 74 percent of students in the EAB study said they remember seeing digital ads from colleges on social media sites. Facebook and Instagram were shown to be the most popular social media sites and an important channel for reaching parents and Gen Z students.
COVID, of course, has changed everything. More than ever before, students are relying more heavily on online channels to research schools they’re considering. At the same time, colleges and universities are focusing more on social media to reach out to students.
Here are nine things to keep in mind when using social media to recruit prospective students.
- Figure out the platforms popular with your target group. There are multiple sites schools can use to get their message across – including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and more – and institutions may well want to use all of them. Statista research from 2020 shows that teens were most often using YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter platforms in that order. Make sure your school’s social media presence is robust on these sites.
- Make sure your social media accounts are very active. Post often. Students want to see a vital social media presence from a prospective school. Make sure posts are relevant and resonate with the audience you’re trying to reach.
- Show student life in photos, posts and videos. Students are as interested in what life will be like on campus as they are on factors like cost, geographic location, prestige and programs of study. Institutions should post photos and videos that visually represent campus life to help students evaluate different schools and hopefully choose your institution. Using videos can help boost engagement. University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee features a changing video showcasing the school in different seasons as its Facebook cover photo, for instance, giving students an idea of life on campus.
- Include virtual tours in social media posts. Since students and their families are generally unable to do campus visits, bring the campus to them. Show the areas and services and highlights that you’d typically feature in an in-person visit. The University of Utah’s virtual tour of the school on its Facebook page, for instance, shows everything from campus life, maps, special events, dining facilities, school buildings, residence halls and plenty of happy students.
- Use a dedicated social media account for admissions, Some universities have created separate social media accounts for admissions to encourage students to apply and make the application process easier. The Harvard College of Admissions & Financial Aid, for instance, has an Instagram account that includes photos of the college, application deadline information and student quotes. At the time of this writing, it has 186,000 followers.
- Showcase the university’s core values and mission in social media posts. Convey the tone of your campus with posts that reflect your school’s culture, identity and focus. Oberlin College & Conservatory’s Instagram page, for instance, features many posts featuring performing musicians. California Institute of the Arts features stunning visual images on its Instagram page. North Carolina State posted a link to an article that ranked in the top 10 of the most Military Friendly schools.
- Highlight alumni and faculty successes. When they’re considering colleges, high school seniors are already thinking ahead to their life post-college. Posts featuring success stories from alumni can help students envision their future and see what’s possible by attending at your institution. Featuring recent graduates can be especially helpful because teen students can better identify with former students in their 20s than successful alumni in their 50s. Similarly, feature current faculty’s research or specialties such as this post from The University of Arizona to show the high caliber of professors teaching in your institution. Consider doing a live Q&A with an alumni or record and post a video.
- Feature student stories. Peer recommendations are strong. Featuring current students in social media posts can lend some street cred to your recruitment efforts. Students can talk about life on campus or how their college years are transforming them, for instance. Students from Harvard, for instance, like this one that garnered more than 19,000 likes, are featured in posts on the college’s Instagram page.
- Look at other institutions’ social media posts for inspiration. Review the social media accounts of both direct competitors and institutions from far and wide to see their posts, get some inspiration and help shape your future posts. In particular, pay attention to the social media presence of schools that may have a similar profile, and also note the reach of the posts.