The use of social media by universities has become ubiquitous. So Facebook is increasingly becoming an important channel for social media teams at universities to market, engage, and stay in touch with students.
Facebook is the most popular social media tool in the higher education – 98% of the universities in the study said that they had a presence there.
In many cases, social media tools like Facebook Pages have given universities an opportunity to speak to audiences on their own, reaching thousands of people interested in keeping up with news at the school and connecting with others on the social network.
Facebook is one most common area in which prospective students, parents, current students, alumni are all present in one way or another is on Facebook.
Today’s students have grown up communicating and sharing experiences on social media sites like Facebook. Using the power of Facebook networks, universities are using social media to attract students and to interact with current students and stay connected with alumni.
Let’s take a look at the ways of how universities are leveraging Facebook”
- Organize and Promote Events: Facebook providing a platform to university to organize and promote their events.
- Virtual Tours: Through Facebook, the universities provide virtual tours for their students.
- Collaboration and Connecting with Students or Alumni: Through Facebook Pages or Groups, universities are able to connect and collaborate with students and alumni.
- Social Media as a Tool to Promote Research and Innovation: Many institutions are now utilizing social media to help elevate awareness about their research innovations.
- Use Messenger to Answer Inquiries: However, emails and phone calls are the most common ways of contacting universities. But now these days, the Facebook messenger is another most popular communication tool between universities and students. Universities use social media to answer students’ questions, listen to their opinions and take action so that they understand that they are being heard.”
- Share News, Achievements, and Milestones: Today, universities or schools are now able to share news, achievements, and milestones on social media with their students, parents, alumni, new students and others.
- Collect Reviews from Current and Past Students: Facebook provides a section for universities to collect reviews and ratings from current and past students, where you can also react or comment on the reviews.
- Create sub-Facebook Pages: Every university is so diverse with many different departments, societies, and clubs. On Facebook, universities can create own sub-facebook page for its apart departments or schools, societies, and clubs.
- Welcome and Bring New Students Together: So many universities create Facebook Groups for new students to ask questions, interact with one another, and get information about events and activities.
- Offer Career Advice and Support: Facebook is a great way to spread these helpful resources to the student body. So many universities now offer career planning advice and support on social media.
