You probably already know that your higher education marketing strategy requires a social media presence. Your target market spends considerable time on social media, so you’ll want to maximize this avenue for connection. However, if you haven’t started implementing social media, you can benefit from these strategies.
Appoint a Social Media Manager
When one person takes over management of your social media presence, you’ll benefit from consistent messages and follow-through.
You might let several people operate your social media platforms, but put one person in charge. Your social media manager must review all posts and keep track of your analytics for optimum performance. This person should understand social media’s purpose and power so you benefit as much as possible from the exposure.
If you have multiple people working on the social media aspect of your higher education marketing strategy in addition to the manager, consider setting up weekly or monthly meetings. These get-togethers can focus on coming up with new strategies and incentives specifically for this campaign.
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Create an Editorial Calendar
Your editorial calendar allows you to create social media content in advance. You might prepare two or three months of posts that coincide with upcoming events and promotions for your school. Knowing what you’ll post ahead of time keeps you organized and prevents time crunches when you need a piece of content to go live immediately.
Create your editorial calendar using a software program, application, or paper calendar. Make sure everyone involved with your higher education marketing strategy has a copy so all professionals remain on the same page.
Create Different Accounts for Distinct Groups
Consider using social media to target specific people or groups online.
According to a recent study by a Boston interactive agency, higher education marketing initiatives that target specific groups or demographics have proved extremely successful. A Facebook group that welcomes international students or student athletes allows you to target your messages to specific audiences.
While this method can help you make particular groups of students feel accepted and included, it can also get out of hand. Don’t feel compelled to create new accounts or groups for every conceivable demographic. Instead, identify a few core groups who might need extra support or guidance.
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Establish a Reputation-Management Protocol
Although social media offers an excellent resource for connecting with students, it can sometimes damage your reputation if you accidentally send an unintentionally-offensive Tweet or make an uncouth post on Facebook. Create a reputation management protocol that outlines steps you should take to recover from this type of problem.
Use Google Alerts and other tools to learn when your school gets mentioned on social media. Respond as quickly as possible to negative feedback and keep your responses polite and on-point. Don’t insult the person who created the disparaging post or respond with sarcasm. Instead, invite that person to discuss the issue online or in private.
Every higher education marketing campaign can benefit from social media engagement. Whether you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or some other platform, you’ll need a decisive strategy in place. To learn more about how you can bolster your online presence, contact us today.
