In student recruitment, social media tools present opportunities to extend your reach, but you’ll see the best results when you use these channels in ways that are both targeted and closely aligned with your communications in other media, with very specific outcomes in mind. Jason Simon, director of marketing and communications services for the University of California’s Office of the President, recommends asking these questions up front:

• What organizational objectives or priorities are you using social media to support? (e.g., increased yield, increased application rate)
• How does your use of social media complement your other efforts to achieve that objective?
• Are there gaps in your strategy that social media tools could enable you to address?

Rather than simply drive to get a number of Likes on your institution’s Facebook page, focus on one of the outcomes that really matter to your department (such as number of applications completed) and identify specific opportunities to use social technologies to complement your other efforts toward that goal.

Here are two case study examples of how other institutions have integrated social media effectively into their larger efforts.

Example A: Multi-Channel Campaign to Recruit Out-of-State Students

North Carolina State University makes a fascinating case study because of the high level at which the institution has integrated social media technologies into its existing efforts, without any separate budget or staff dedicated to social media. Tim Jones, the interim executive creative director for university communications at NCSU, explains one recent initiative:

“In December 2010 at North Carolina State University, we implemented a multi-channel recruitment campaign targeting admitted out-of-state students. We employed several different communication channels, including email messaging, printed invitations, campus events, a custom “Go to NC State” Facebook tab (http://www.facebook.com/ncstate?sk=app_168347586517151) accessed via the university’s official Facebook page, and a recruitment landing page. An HTML email provided the initial touch, directing students to complete their online applications, join the Wolfpack, or visit the custom admissions landing page (http://admissions.ncsu.edu/apply-join/) for more information. We promoted the custom Facebook tab in several places, including direct email, admissions landing page, university homepage and several other online locations. The Facebook tab was built in-house using free tools and basic Web code, but provided a nice, vibrant, stylized, on-brand presence inside of Facebook, with clear, direct calls to action.”

What North Carolina State University achieved in this example was a thoughtful and well-planned integration of Facebook into its broader recruitment strategy – as one of multiple channels for reaching prospective students. Because NCSU was able to align one message across these varied channels, the institution was able to maximize its reach and the response:

• Mailed invitations contributed to a 125 percent increase in traffic on the Facebook tab
• Email invitations saw a click-through rate of just over 60 percent
• Every “Experience NC State” event was at full capacity

The end result of this strategy was a 44 percent increase in the number of early-action, out-of-state students intending to enroll at NCSU.

Example B: A Landing Page with Online Video to Increase Applications from Adult Students

Because enrollment policies and practices have long been tailored to traditional-age students (especially at four-year institutions), efforts to recruit and enroll adults offer special challenges. Mike Barzacchini, director of marketing services for Harper College, has adopted an approach that has helped the institution see a significant boost in lead generation for adult students.

Barzacchini noted that traditional university websites often leave adults bewildered and unable to locate easily the information they want most: where and how to complete an application, what programs of interest are available, what financial aid may be available, and what the experience of other adults has been like at the institution. In an effort to keep the application process both transparent and streamlined for adult students, Harper College established a landing page for adult students, which:

• Walks them through the application process in quick, easy steps
• Includes only the information they most need: how to request more information, how to complete an application, and how to complete a FAFSA
• Includes an online copy of Harper College’s information session, with testimonials from adult students that answer frequently asked questions

Harper College used social media – in this case, online video – to relay the testimonials on the website. Barzacchini realized that adult applicants want to hear from other adult students, and expanded the video testimonials to include interviews with students who could tell stories about how they overcame barriers to their success, including classroom anxiety and balancing work, life, and education. These video interviews support the key messages of the website: that adult students can be successful, and that they can be successful at Harper College.

For institutions hoping to try a similar landing page, Barzacchini recommends asking your admissions and outreach officers what concerns they are hearing from adult students. "Start with a lot of listening," he advises. This will allow you to produce videos that address specific challenges and perceived challenges that adult learners may find daunting.

Both of these examples, at NCSU and Harper College, illustrate how effective social media tools can be when integrated intentionally with your other efforts. Because social media extends the communications tools and channels available to you in meeting your recruiting objectives, the critical question to ask is not “How can I develop a Facebook strategy?” but “How can I develop a strategy to increase yield (or applications / or inquiries from a specific demographic) using the tools available to me (direct mail, email, telephone, website, Facebook, YouTube, other)?”

In This Issue

Social Media: From Tactics to Strategy

A Letter from Amit Mrig, President, Academic Impressions

Social Media: Not a Brave New World

Social Media and Student Recruitment

In and Out of the Classroom: Using Social Media in Ways that Matter

Social Media and Alumni/Donor Engagement

Providing Central Guidelines and Support for Social Media