How is your institution using social media for student recruitment?

1. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 1
Q&A Session: Social Media For
Student Recruitment

2. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 2
1) Social Media for Student Recruitment
2) Limited Budget?
3) Separate Facebook Pages For Recruitment?
4) One Particular Initiative?
5) Best Platform to Reach Students?
Overview
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Q&A Session: Social Media For Student Recruitment

3. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 3
 The effect social media has on student recruitment continues to be a
highly debated topic.
 Many colleges and universities have welcomed social media into their
recruitment initiatives, not so much to replace more traditional
recruitment strategies, but more so to complement them.
 In order to bring some clarity to the issue, we have compiled some of the
questions we get asked the most regarding social media and student
recruitment.
1. Social Media For Student Recruitment
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Q&A Session: Social Media For Student Recruitment

4. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 4
 Q: We have a limited budget and are not sure if we should prioritize
social media. What can social media do for me that I am not already
doing with traditional media?
 A: Social media offers you a way to reach students at home and makes it
possible for you to keep track of your efforts, thus continuously improving
them.
 In the end, it can help bring traffic to your site and thus, further down the
funnel, help recruit students.
 With social media becoming intertwined with search engines, not using
some social media may be detrimental to your other online marketing
efforts in the long run.
2. Limited Budget?
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Q&A Session: Social Media For Student Recruitment

5. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 5
 Q: Should our college have a separate Facebook page dedicated to
student recruitment?
 A: Many colleges maintain a general Facebook page for current students
and host a separate one for other audiences or purposes.
 This tactic may work for large universities, but it is not always efficient for
smaller community colleges.
 Many of these Admissions pages do not create much engagement and
are unlikely to be followed by prospects.
 That is why we usually recommend having a general page open to
students that all students can contact with a Contact Us page and using
private Facebook groups for incoming students to share information.
3. Separate Facebook Pages For Recruitment?
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Q&A Session: Social Media For Student Recruitment

6. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 6
 Q: My team does not have much time for social media. Is there one
specific social media initiative we can focus our time on?
 A: The right social media platform really depends on your school and
what you goals are.
 Many colleges jump onto Facebook, thinking that it is the primary step in
initiating their social media presence. But a Facebook account with
hardly any shared content and virtually no Likes or traffic, amounts to no
page at all.
 Creating a community on social media can be time consuming.
 So if you are running on a tight schedule, we suggest you follow these
steps, one at a time
4. One Particular Initiative?
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Q&A Session: Social Media For Student Recruitment

7. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 7
 1. Optimize your website
 Focus on what should remain the hub of all activities: your website, and,
if you have one, your blog.
 Have all of the info about financial aid and admissions easily visible on
your site. Have clear program pages with calls to action.
 2. Focus on the platforms used by your students
 Sample your students to determine what platforms they use and where
they would like to see their college share information.
 3. Create or share content that is useful to them
 Social media is not about shouting news about your school or programs,
but about being useful to your students and community.
 Make sure you share relevant content only.
 One sure way to do that is to create a student blog and have student
discuss their experiences at your school.
4. One Particular Initiative?
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Q&A Session: Social Media For Student Recruitment

8. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 8
 Q: Not many of our students are on Twitter or LinkedIn. How can we
choose the best platforms to reach new students?
 A: Choosing the best platforms involves understanding key factors.
 What information or resource your students are looking for: if your
students are looking for a professional network, LinkedIn and Twitter
may be great tools.
 If you can produce visual content such as videos and images, use a
platform such as Tumblr or YouTube.
 International recruitment is a growing stake for Canadian colleges.
 Skype is great to book interviews for international recruitment.
5. Best Platform to Reach Students?
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Q&A Session: Social Media For Student Recruitment

9. Q&A Session: Social Media For Student
Recruitment
Slide 9
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