John Hopkins University is using social media to the max. The university has its own site entitle Hopkins Interactive. It is a site where prospective students can learn about the college from current students. Blogs and videos talking about their experiences are released by students who attend the university. Prospective students want to learn about the campus they may attend and gain the information in a down to earth way. Social media provides students this opportunity. All the information below is a summary of the information presented by the article “How colleges use, misuse social media to reach students”.
Reaching students through brochures and pamphlets should no longer be an option. Students want to receive information in a way that is appealing to them. Students are on sites like Twitter and Facebook a majority of the time, so why not tap into them. Anything can be posted on the site from campus updates to athletic contest information. It is just another way to get information across. However, social media must be used correctly or the idea will fail.
The university must not leave the Facebook or Twitter account unattended. If they are unattended, people will lose faith in them and forget about them. Information must be constantly flowing through the websites. Students must have an eagerness to check the feed because of all the updates that occur. If only a few posts or tweets occur, students may not even bother. The key is to keep the students or prospective students engaged!
Use students to present the information! It shows the personality of the campus and helps prospective students relate. They don’t want to read blogs from the staff because it doesn’t give the college a real feel. Prospective students want to hear from the student body. They want to hear the truth about the campus and get an idea from the students who attend the university.
Social media is a powerful tool! Universities need to utilize this tool and change the way they promote themselves. Technology is changing the way people do business and relate ideas. Bring the information to the students and make them feel wanted! Make the students feel like the university cares about them and show the students they are not just a number. Tweeting to students or prospective students can be the first step. Remember, keep the account updated and post frequently!
