By: Brittney Hager with the contribution of TJ Sheffer, Gabrielle Sealey, Jordan DeMars, Daniel Klevorn, and Pablo Romero
Technology has evolved drastically and brought a rise in social media. Almost everyone has at least one form of it, and the number of global users is constantly expanding. Social media is also crucial for universities and colleges. Having social media accounts, like Facebook or Twitter, help universities target new and current students, alumni, and the community
You would think that because everyone is on social media that it would be easy for schools to gain followers, especially from students. However, some colleges struggle at gaining attention on their accounts. So how do you attain the interest of these large audiences? The secret may lie within the social media sites of two universities. Baylor University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison have accumulated numerous followers and put out quality content that is liked by thousands of people, even if the content has no relation to the universities. Using these two colleges as examples, here are some great tips on how to improve your university’s social media.
- Generate Conversation
Baylor does a great job of posting articles and images on their Facebook page that they know people will want to discuss or state their opinions about. This makes your followers want to keep up with the interesting information that you are posting. It is also a good way to get a feel for campus or alumni opinions on specific decisions that are being made.
- Provide Beautiful Edited Graphics of Campus and Events
One of the most simplistic ways to gain your followers’ attention is through well-edited, beautiful graphics. Baylor includes images, from around their campus and at their events, that are sure to catch your attention. Obtaining a great photo editor could enhance the entire image of your university and what it has to offer.
- Be All About Your Students
Baylor makes their entire Facebook feed about their students. They are smart about this because their students are their customers but they are also the ones who get all the plebiscite. The community and incoming students are more likely wanting to hear about how students are making the next scientific advancement and other student achievements.
- Take Advantage of Livestreaming and Campaigns
Livestreaming is a newer feature to Facebook that still a lot of people are not familiar with. Baylor has a livestream on their page that essentially gives you a tour of their campus on a beautiful day. It was shot so elegantly that it feels like you are actually walking through their campus. Baylor also incorporates their #BearsOfBaylor campaign throughout their Facebook page to show off some accomplishments of their students and alumni and to get them more involved on the page.
- Incorporate University Pride to Make Pages Visually Pleasing
To stand out against university competitors and to gain followers, your pages must be visually pleasing to the viewers. University of Wisconsin-Madison does this by incorporating their school colors and logo into their Twitter page. This creates a clean and crisp viewing experience and highlights important points. This gives the page a sense of university pride in who they are.
- Engagement and Responsiveness
Engagement and responsiveness are key components to any social media page. University of Wisconsin-Madison retweets and engages in many posts from their followers that show specific aspects of campus or university organizations.
If your university can master these tips, then it will be one step closer to gaining more followers and a better sense of community throughout the university.