Social media is increasingly being used by everyone today. It started with regular people, later exploding into the world of business and education.
A staggering 96% of students who have Internet access use social media. What’s more, 27% of all schools report having built an online community for their teachers and other employees.
So, everything points to the fact that higher education institutions are using social media. But the question remains, what are they using it for and how?
The Marketing Efforts of Colleges and Universities
Social media is a powerful tool in marketing, and many higher education institutions are well aware of that. Many colleges are using social media to market themselves and attract future students.
When it comes to colleges, students are not only looking for an excellent faculty and a world-class education program – they are also looking for a place where they can fit in and maybe even call it home. When they’re looking for that, they go to social media to see how a school looks and feels.
Every smart college uses social media to show how welcoming their campus is and how each student can call it their home.
Social Media Is Great for Answering Questions
The one main benefit of social media is that it connects a large number of people. Students have long since been using it to connect to other students, ask questions, and share feedback.
Many universities and colleges have started doing the same by encouraging their students and all potential students to ask questions over social media. Some even hire people to be online late at night answering students’ questions, as that’s when they are mostly online.
How to Share Students’ Experiences
As we all know, the college years are one of the most influential and transformative ones in every person’s life. That’s why many universities and colleges are using this by collecting and sharing some of the experiences their students have at their institution.
The next step for them is to share these experiences through hashtags and blogs. Sharing this type of content has proven useful in engaging current students but also in attracting and welcoming new ones.
Social Media and Alumni
In the end, one of the main ways higher education institutions are utilizing social media is for alumni engagement.
It’s not only beneficial for staying connected to their alumni, but also for encouraging them to donate and help their former school.
Furthermore, many institutions share how successful their alumni are through social media. It’s great for paying respect to their former students and showing their current ones what they can accomplish when they finish their studies.