Higher institutions are discovering the value of social media to build their brand among college students. Some schools are highly successful with this method and seem to know what to post and when. Other schools struggle to connect with students and drive results from their social media presence. If you feel that your college or university falls in the latter group, there are several things you can do to get your brand back on track.
Let’s check out five ways to use Facebook to recruit new students for your higher institution.
1. Deliver Personal Messages
College is one of the most important decisions that a young person will make. They don’t want to hear from a logo or a generalized entity. They want to hear from specific individuals who have a name and a face.
Make things personal for students by sharing information on the people who contribute to your Facebook page. Post images of your staff and faculty as well as your current students. The key is to humanize your brand so that prospects envision how they would fit in.
2. Be Genuine
You don’t need to impress students with sleek marketing videos and expensive press releases. While they may make your school look good, this is not what prospective students are looking for. Keep things real.
Show off your institution’s best assets – the things that no other school shares. This may be your passionate and experienced instructors. It could be your newly upgraded science lab. It may be the many groups on campus that allow everyone to have a voice.
3. Share Exclusive Information
Facebook isn’t the only channel that shares information about your school. Your website, blog or other social media channels deliver information, too. Be careful about turning your Facebook account into a regurgitation of other social channels.
Post unique content on your Facebook Page. This way, students will have new content to look forward to. With new features on Facebook such as live streaming, you can host exclusive events to generate interest and recruit students.
4. Instill Value
Students are flooded with information from colleges and universities, so it’s easy for yours to get lost in the crowd. Posting relevant, useful content is one of the ways to make your school stand out, but you still need more.
Think about an average college prospect and the type of content that they would find valuable. Would they appreciate a live streaming event where you tour a few buildings on campus? Would they benefit from a Q&A session with a few of your instructors?
Don’t just push posts on Facebook for the heck of it. Ask yourself how prospective students will benefit.
5. Stay Ahead of the Curve
While it’s great to be in line with what other schools are doing, you must stay competitive. Continuously examine your recruiting strategy and make improvements as necessary.
You may benefit from some of Facebook’s advertising methods as well. When you introduce these strategies, you gain insight into the audience you are reaching and their behaviors, which can help you recruit more students.
Conclusion
Facebook is an excellent channel for recruiting students. You must be patient, though, as students aren’t going to come to you overnight and ask for an application. This channel is best for getting your name out there and building an image for your brand.
