Visitor Services & the Social Media Craze

Marjorie Riddle Duffie Assistant Director for Special Programs

Began our social media campaign in July 2011

Social Media

Who has social media accounts?

Familiarity with social media – Twitter, Facebook,

YouTube?

What about others – Instagram, FourSquare, Tumblr, LinkedIn, others?

University of South Carolina Visitor Center

@UofSCVisitorCtr

Our Visitor Center Social Media

Five reasons why

1. Prospective college students use social media regularly.

2. Prospective college students’ parents use social media regularly.

3. You can chat with prospective students and their families

in a more relaxed environment.

4. You can receive feedback in a less intimidating way from prospective families.

5. You can point out resources on campus.

Research Noel-Levitz 2012 E-Expectations Report

Survey featuring 2,000 college-bound juniors & seniors

For social media

• 79 percent of students said they use Facebook at least once a week.

• 27 percent said they use Twitter.

• 46 percent of students surveyed visited a college’s Facebook page; 69 percent of those students “liked” that page.

Research Noel-Levitz 2012 E-Expectations Report

vs. 2011 Report & Our experience

Twitter use increasing faster than Facebook use Compared to the 2011 Noel-Levitz E-Expectations

Report, the percentage of students who use Facebook is about the same at 79 percent, but the percentage who

use Twitter has increased to 27 percent from 9 percent.

• Increased our Twitter followers to 755 from 313 between July 2012 & April 24, 2013

• Increased our Facebook likes to 293 from 90 likes between July 2012 & April 24, 2013

• Most of our direct communication with prospective students occurs on Twitter

Research Noel-Levitz 2012 E-Expectations Report

Recommendations

Focus your social media assets where they will have the greatest impact on enrollment.

Trying to do too much across too many different social media will result in unfocused,

unsuccessful efforts.

Keep an active presence on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, while also keeping an eye on

emerging social media outlets.

Move forward with mobile optimization, as students browsing websites and social media on mobile phones and tablets is increasing rapidly.

Research Inigral Insights 2013 Social Admissions Report

Survey featuring 4,000 high school students

For social media

• 75 percent of students said they use social media as a resource when deciding where to enroll (up 36 percent compared to 2012).

• 49 percent said they “liked” or “followed” a college on social media.

“While students from our survey did find news and updates from their prospective college on social media helpful, they were also interested in connecting with current students, admissions counselors, and their fellow admitted students.”

Research Council for Advancement and Support of Education

(CASE)/Huron Education/mStoner Inc. 2013 Social Media Survey Results

Survey featuring 1,000 advancement professionals at education institutions (schools, colleges and universities)

For social media

“Survey participants indicated the importance of: • Looking at social media from a bigger picture perspective • Focusing on showing return on investment and success.”

• 96 percent use Facebook • 82 percent use Twitter

• 75 percent use LinkedIn • 71 percent use YouTube

What we’ve tried

• Koozie campaign

• Types of posts – overall picture of student life

• Communicating with prospective students

• Shared our Ambassadors’ stories

• Sharing photos of our campus and events

10 ideas to launch your own

1. Utilize the more popular social media tools: Facebook, YouTube & Twitter; consider others.

2. Provide basic information: Contact info, how to schedule a tour, parking, operating hours, etc.

3. Try to think like a prospective student.

4. Prospective students want to read about students.

5. Be interactive – and actually answer their questions.

10 ideas to launch your own continued

6. Assign certain staff members to oversee social media.

7. See what other universities like yours are doing.

8. Get your students involved.

9. Use proper grammar/spelling, even if you have to abbreviate.

10. Try not to over-post to your social media profiles.

What are YOU doing?

Share what your office is trying

What’s worked?

What hasn’t?

Questions?

Feel free to contact me Marjorie Riddle Duffie duffiem@mailbox.sc.edu

(803) 777-0019

References

Croke, Brandon (2013). Social Media and Student Trends – Where Are They Headed? Inigral Insights. Retrieved from http://blog.inigral.com/social-media-and-student-

trends-where-are-they-in-2013/

Russell, Pam (2013). New Survey Indicates Educational Institutions are Increasingly Using Social Media to Reach Donors, Alumni and Students. Council for Advancement

and Support of Education (CASE). Retrieved from http://www.case.org/About_CASE/Newsroom/Press_Release_Archive/New_Survey_Indicates_Educational_Institutions_are_Increasingly_Using_Social_Media_to_Reach_

Donors_Alumni_and_Students.html

(2013) 2012 E-Expectations Report: The Online Expectations of College-Bound Juniors and Seniors. Noel-Levitz. Retrieved from https://www.noellevitz.com/papers-

research-higher-education/2012/2012-e-expectations-report