Social Media Marketing for Higher Education

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Millennials are out.  Of college, that is.  Most industries are currently targeting millennials.  They make up a huge chunk of consumers, so of course businesses want to appeal to them.  Higher education institutions, however, should be thinking beyond millennials.  Gen Z is the generation born between 1995 and 2012.  Unlike millennials, this generation probably never knew life without a computer.  Gen Zers are either ready or almost ready for college, and how universities appeal to this generation will be different than any previous cohort.  These kids don’t use the internet the same way millennials do.  For universities to engage with Gen Z, they'll need to learn how this generation spends their time online.

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 Where in the Internet is Gen Z?

Most universities probably already have a Facebook and Twitter account, but they might not find Gen Z there.  Here are Gen Z's top three social media sites and how universities are using them:

  1. Snapchat.  This generation loves Snapchat, because their parents don't know how to use it.  For a good example of a university Snapchat account, check out New York University.  They've mastered the art of Snapchat engagement. They encourage students to make content, and prospective students can access it. That makes them feel included and excited about the school before they even apply.  

  2. Instagram Stories. This is another platform that's not popular with the older generation, so Gen Zers can use it to get away from their parents.  It's pretty similar to Snapchat. The University of California, Los Angeles is a good role model for Instagram. They do a good job of highlighting their campus on this platform.  

  3. YouTube.  Notice a trend? Gen Z loves visual media.  A university that could engage Gen Z on YouTube would have the eyes of the biggest chunk of the generation.  85% of Gen Z watch YouTube videos.  Some higher education institutions, like West Virginia University, are getting creative on YouTube.  The school compiles Snaps from Snapchat into YouTube videos to engage students and prospective students.

Gen Z is actually a pretty straight forward generation.  They like visuals, the internet, and places their parents aren't.  But don't let that straightforwardness fool you.  Colleges and universities still need to be smart about how they reach this generation.  

If you’re interested in taking your social media presence to the next level, we’d be happy to help. Contact us today.

Marketing Tips for Winning With Millennials

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We recently came across an article that might be of interest. It lays out principles retailers should know about engaging with Millennial shoppers.

From the article:

The millennial influence on the market is so dramatic that it has altered the language that brands use when discussing target audiences...Millennials want to be consumer partners — not a target audience — with their favorite brands, and because of that, franchise professionals must shift their thinking to engage this influential group.

Connecting to the Community

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Using Social Media to Reinforce the Consumers’ Decision in the Hospital and Health Care System.

Reaching out to the public and creating an open line of communication allows a hospital to tailor services specific to patient wants and needs. By giving the hospital a voice, community members will learn that their opinions and concerns not only matter, but are being heard. Each interaction strengthens the image of the hospital and builds trust among patients.  Connecting frequently through social media deepens the relationship and reinforces the patients’ decision. Almost all US hospitals now have multiple social media accounts.  But are they hitting the target?

People love to talk about their experiences, good or bad. Rely on feedback from patient surveys, social media comments, and word of mouth to know what topics need to be addressed to improve public image. Don’t avoid harsh complaints. Listen to your patients and implement customer services initiatives. Being mindful of patient privacy, respond and comment directly to the individual who complained and let them know you understand their frustration and discuss what steps the hospital and staff are doing to correct the issue.  

In addition to responding to comments, use social media to promote patient education and public health programs. Free clinics, job training, back-to-school immunizations and so many other programs are the heart of communities. By addressing the basic needs of everyday life, the hospital promotes long term health and wellness. Have a record turnout at a women’s health event? Posting pictures will not only enhance visibility of the program but 40% of people will respond better to visual information than plain text. (Source: Zabisco)

Patients often are searching for answers. They are also looking for something else rarely talked about: hope. They want to see positive outcomes, feel inspired and have a reason to feel good about choosing a hospital.

By opening the line of communication, the hospital becomes a friend that is by your side during life’s celebrations and can be depended on during emergencies. Healthcare marketing can be complicated but creating a well-executed social media presence can produce meaningful and measurable results and leave healthcare consumers deeply engaged with your brand while also feeling validated and heard. 

The College Research Game

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When the school year ends and the weather heats up, students across the country look forward to backyard barbecues, family vacations and sleeping way past noon during their summer break. For many, summer is all about fun in the sun and spending time with family and friends. But for today’s high school students and their parents, the summer before senior year becomes all about the college application process.

Ample free time in the three months off from school allows rising seniors to put more time and energy into gathering information about their prospective higher education goals, and now, more than ever, much of the college research process occurs via digital media.

According to a Pew Research study, 95% of teens (between the ages of 13 and 18 years old) are digital media users, many of which are on Facebook and Twitter. New data on the digital media habits of students from Genius Recruiter suggests that 72% of students followed or liked a prospective university’s Twitter feed or Facebook page and 97% visited the university’s website. The five most viewed features on a school’s website or digital media platform: majors and minors, photos of the campus, curriculum details, residence life and class information. The study also showed that YouTube is one of the top three digital media channels used in the college research process.

Now, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (among others) offer native advertisements in the form of promoted posts, tweets, trends and video clips to advertise to what they call “tailored audiences.” These posts are targeted to users based on their interests and activities, and using data acquired from their conversations, profiles and behavior.  The digital media users are the ones being sold, without even knowing it – reminding us of the old adage that nothing in life is really free. Digital media companies sell advertisers demographic information and browser data to show users ads that directly relate to the sites they've recently visited – in this case, universities.

Two-thirds of students say digital media engagement influences their college decisions.  So, in order for universities to compete for prospective students’ attention, they have to play the marketing game the modern way. It is almost a prerequisite for higher ed. institutions to have a digital media presence and for their information to be a “like” or re-tweet (RT) away.

[For more information on higher education and its advertising possibilities, contact Jacki Friedman here at Furman Roth Advertising.]