The document discusses how social media engagement is key during the student recruitment process. It summarizes research that found students primarily use social media communities established by colleges during the enrollment period to make friends before starting school. While administrators see value in using social media for engagement, the research found they could better support students by opening communities earlier, allocating more resources to moderate them, and focusing messaging on relationships and community rather than affordability or outcomes. The research recommends colleges enhance social media engagement throughout the entire enrollment cycle to help students connect with the institution and establish friendships that can influence their final enrollment decision.

1. Choices, Choices…
How Social Media Engagement is Key
During the Student Recruitment Process
Dr. Corie M. Martin
Director, Web Services & Digital Marketing
Western Kentucky University
@coriemartin

2. Table of Contents
• Why Market Research
• Understanding Audience, Habits, and College Choice
Processes
• Why Social Media
• The Research
• What Students Really Want to Know
• How to Get There

3. Why Market Research?

4. Market research is the process of
analyzing data to help you understand
which products and services are in
demand, and how to be competitive.
Source: sba.gov

5. Market research is the process of
analyzing data to help you understand
which products and services are in
demand, and how to be competitive.
(Enrollment Data, Demographic Data, Website/Social Media Data)
Source: sba.gov

6. Market research is the process of
analyzing data to help you understand
which products and services are in
demand, and how to be competitive.
Source: sba.gov
(Trends: Academic, social, extracurricular, course delivery formats)

7. Market research is the process of
analyzing data to help you understand
which products and services are in
demand, and how to be competitive.
Source: sba.gov
(What are your competitors doing? How to celebrate what YOU do well.)

8. Why Social Media?

9. Social Media
• Has revolutionized real-time
communication
• Offers personalized, quick
access
• Reaches all demographics
• Provides accessible space
• 18-24 largest user base
• It’s cheap and easy to use

10. Why Social Media?
• Gives students a place
• Works on their time
• Familiar & easy
• Informal
• Wide reach

11. Common Admin Uses….
(Survey Says!)
• Customer Service
• Personal engagement with
students
• To provide a student-friendly
space
• To protect and help students
• To generate excitement

12. Who is your Student?
(Know your audience)

13. All of the Above

14. Understanding Habits:
(The Things That Matter)

15. Valuable References

16. Audience
- What type of student?
- CALL-TO-ACTION: What do I want them to do?
- What is MY timeline?

17. Media Choice & Timing
- What media does my audience use/respond to?
- What time of day are they most likely to see my message?

18. Message & Content
- Message types? Photos or videos?
- Headlines (Call-To-Action)
- Who is the best person to deliver my message?

19. Relevance & Timeliness
- Do I have something of value to add?
- Will my audience benefit?

20. Listening & Audience Demand
- Have I listened / responded / taken action?
- Do they WANT to hear from me?

21. The Research:
(Nuts, Bolts, Pie Charts & Such)

22. Does social media engagement during the yield period
increase enrollment likelihood?
Research Objective:

23. Understanding College
Choice Processes
(Getting to the WHY)

24. The Higher Ed Marketer’s Sacred Texts
Vincent Tinto
danah boyd
Don Hossler & Karen Gallagher
Tiffany A. Pempek, Yevdokiya Yermolayeva, Sandra L. Calvert
Nicole Ellison

25. 3-Stages of Student College
Choice
• Phase One: Predisposition
• Phase Two: Search
• Phase Three: Choice

26. The Search Phase
The Student Has
Decided to attend
Applied / admitted
Connects to learn more
Admissions Counselors
Campus Tours
Other Students
Academics
Engaged via Social Media

27. Methods
• Qualitative Case Study
• Semi-Structured
Interviews
• Observations of student
engagement in open and
closed moderated social
communities

28. Participants
• Five institutions
• Five higher ed social media administrators
• All different states and U.S. regions
• Four public, one private
• Enrollment from 10,000 - 82,000

29. Sample Characteristics
Yield Timeline: January 2015 - August 2015
• 5 Communities (4 Schools App, one Facebook Group)
• 56 Students
• 1805 Engagement Threads
• 197 General Conversation Topics
• 141 Direct Questions Posted
• 140 Engagements with Institutional Staff

30. Student Characteristics
• Diverse
• First-time, full-time residential
(+ some transfer, adult,
veteran, commuter)
• Most admitted
(10% undecided)

31. Top conversation topics shared by dozens of
individual students through hundreds of personal
interactions with each other and with HESM
professionals

32. Top conversation topics shared by dozens of
individual students through hundreds of personal
interactions with each other and with HESM
professionals
(In their own words….)

33. Top conversation topics shared by dozens of
individual students through hundreds of personal
interactions with each other and with HESM
professionals
(New friends made BEFORE ever setting foot on campus)

34. Top conversation topics shared by dozens of
individual students through hundreds of personal
interactions with each other and with HESM
professionals
(Typically ONE person in admissions/marketing)

35. 0! 40! 80! 120! 160!
Roommate!
Orientation!
Selfie!
Friends!
Residence Life!
"Follow Me"!
Interests!
Major!
Frustration!
Transportation!
Excited!
Top Student Conversation Topics
^ Represents 52% of all Engagements

36. Items of Interest
Example:
Inst I (80K+) = 553 engagements, 7 Qs, 18 staff
Inst V (20K+) = 533 engagements, 95 Qs, 86 staff
Public students = more interest in personal connections
Equal engagement among genders
HESM Admins use communities in different ways:

37. Student Findings
(The Do’s)
• Students DO engage in social communities
• Students DO respond to HESM calls-to-action
• Students DO ask questions
• Students DO express frustration, excitement, anxiety
• Primary use of social communities -
TO MAKE FRIENDS

38. Admin Findings
• Administrators are using social communities in different ways
• Administrators are directly engaging with students, but…
• Administrators are missing valuable outreach opportunities
• By opening communities too late
• By missing questions
• By being too “hands off”
• Due to limited resources

39. Recommendations
(Run, don’t walk…)
• Social media engagement during entire enrollment cycle
• Private communities should be provided early
• Allocate resources
• Designate an experienced and available admin

40. Engaged social communities are key in helping students
establish affinities with institutions
Students are focused on making friends - not on
affordability or outcomes as news might suggest…

42. Suggestions
Consider targeting academic, affordability, and outcome
messaging early on and/or to PARENTS
Yield messaging to students should focus on
relationships, fitting in, social acceptance, and
community

45. Lessons Learned
Administrators all face similar challenges and all use social
media the same way and for the same purpose regardless
of enrollment size or U.S. region.

46. Students want a place.
They want to make friends.
They want us when they want us.

47. Our messaging is often disseminated
to the wrong audience.

48. Enrollment Growth
Make Informed Decisions by…
• Market research & trend analysis
• Understanding audiences & habits
• Allocate resources
• Engage and send the right
messages

49. Questions?
Dr. Corie M. Martin
Western Kentucky University
Division of Public Affairs
@coriemartin
linkedin/in/coriemartin
corie.martin@wku.edu