Be where your prospective students are. Learn how to maximize your institution’s presence on the top social media platforms.
It comes as no surprise that high school students are increasingly shifting their college searches on social media. This trend compels more and more institutions to leverage innovative social media tactics in their recruitment processes in order to engage with a wider group of prospective students.
Join us for a highly tactical and hands-on training, where our expert faculty will discuss social media’s rising role in recruitment strategies and help you focus in on the nuts and bolts of elevating your work on specific social media channels.
Take a deep dive into top platforms
During this program, you will delve into each of the most popular social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube – and examine how you can maximize your institution’s presence and activity through these channels to enhance your admissions funnel. We will cover:
- An overview of the platform and its in-app tools that can be utilized for recruitment
- Best practices for leveraging the platform at various points in the admissions funnel
- Challenges to consider
- Organic vs. paid content
- Institutional examples of success
- Measuring ROI within the platform
Explore the latest trends
What worked two years ago isn’t necessarily going to make you successful in reaching Generation Z. This conference will provide examples of tactics that have been successful at a variety of institutions and give you the opportunity to share your own successes and challenges.
Learn from the best
As part of this program, you will have the chance to share successes you’ve had using social media in your admissions process or bring new ideas you want to vet with our experts and your peers. You will hear inspiring case studies from peer institutions that you can use to revitalize your own work.
Who Should Attend
This training is designed for campus constituents who want to leverage social media within their admissions process. The content shared will be beneficial for Enrollment Management professionals, as well as those Marketing/Communications professionals who partner with their Admissions colleagues to assist in student recruitment. Teams that represent both Admissions and Marketing/Communications are encouraged to attend together.
Note: The content and case studies at this event are focused exclusively on undergraduate admissions at community colleges and 4-year institutions.
Bring your team and save!
Save over 15% when you register three or more colleagues.
Agenda
The Bigger Picture
12:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Social media has become so ingrained within overarching digital and recruitment strategies that you must understand broader institutional branding and marketing strategies for initiatives to be successful. This opening session will help you connect how social media in admissions fits within these larger strategies, learn about current trends in the space, and set the stage for the rest of the conference. You will work through an activity to help you audit what your institution is currently doing to move students along the enrollment funnel and identify your current strengths and opportunities for growth.
Our second deep dive session will explore Instagram, the platform that is currently the most popular with students. Topics covered will include:
- An overview of the platform and its in-app tools that can be utilized for recruitment
- Best practices for leveraging the platform at various points in the admissions funnel
- Challenges to consider
- Organic vs. paid content
- Institutional examples of success
- Measuring ROI within the platform
This time will allow participants to reflect, ask additional questions, and prepare for the rest of the conference.
This informal reception is your chance to decompress, have some refreshments on us, and expand your network of connections. Our programs are intentionally designed for smaller groups, so this is a great time to catch-up with attendees and speakers whom you may not have connected with yet.
The Nuts and Bolts of the “Big 4” Platforms
8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
We will begin our day by reflecting on our learnings of Day 1 and giving space for additional questions before moving forward.
The first of the deep dive sessions into the “Big 4” social media platforms, this session will focus on Facebook. Topics covered will include:
- An overview of the platform and its in-app tools that can be utilized for recruitment
- Best practices for leveraging the platform at various points in the admissions funnel
- Challenges to consider
- Organic vs. paid content
- Institutional examples of success
- Measuring ROI within the platform
The third deep dive session will explore Twitter, a platform that institutions use at varying levels and in different ways. Topics covered will include:
- An overview of the platform and its in-app tools that can be utilized for recruitment
- Best practices for leveraging the platform at various points in the admissions funnel
- Challenges to consider
- Organic vs. paid content
- Institutional examples of success
- Measuring ROI within the platform
The fourth and final deep dive session will focus on YouTube and the importance of video within the admissions and recruitment funnel. Topics covered will include:
- An overview of the platform and its in-app tools that can be utilized for recruitment
- Best practices for leveraging the platform at various points in the admissions funnel
- Challenges to consider
- Organic vs. paid content
- Institutional examples of success
- Measuring ROI within the platform
During this showcase, participants are invited to bring examples of successes they have had in using social media in their admissions process OR new ideas they want to vet with our experts and their peers.
We will end Day 2 with time to review the day’s learnings and Q&A.
Moving the Work Forward
8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
The world of social media is rapidly changing, so it is critical to keep your finger on the pulse of where your prospective students are. This session will look at other social media platforms to have on your radar such as LinkedIn, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Bringing stakeholders from across campus into the conversation is critical to truly take your social media recruitment to the next level. This session will explore models and tips for strengthening the partnership between Admissions and Marketing / Communications offices on campus and outline how you can invite students into your social media in admissions work, both formally or informally, to bring an authentic voice to your feed and delegate work.
During this structured working session, participants will explore how they might leverage these platforms in their own admissions process and develop an action plan for their campus.
Speakers
Geoff Coyle
Chief Communications and Integrated Marketing Officer, West Virginia University
Geoff Coyle serves as Social Media Editor for West Virginia University. In this role, Geoff and the rest of the Social team work to promote the University’s message and image for prospective students, current students, and alumni through digital platforms.
Sonja Likness
Director of Social Media & Content Strategy, Duke University
Sonja Likness takes care of university-wide social media consultations and strategy, content development and distribution, analytics reporting and strategy in the University Communications at Duke University. She joined Duke in 2014 with extensive experience in social media and brand-building as well as analytics and cross-platform planning.
Lindsay Nyquist
Director of Marketing & Communications, Fort Lewis College
Lindsay Nyquist has held continually evolving positions during her time at Fort Lewis College, a small public four-year institution in Durango, Colorado. She now oversees the Marketing & Communications Department, including web, social media, video, design, writing, and community and media relations.
Questions About the Event?
Kate Poisson
Program Manager, Academic Impressions
*All-inclusive members get this conference FREE. Academic Affairs, Advancement/Alumni Relations, Business Office, Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, and Leadership members will continue to receive $100 off conference registrations. Upgrade your membership to qualify for a higher discount. Please note this discount is not applicable on conference binders or success coaching.