Social Media ROI for Higher Education Marketing

MARCH MADNESS: SOCIAL MEDIA ROI FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS, BRAND RESEARCH, AND

CUSTOMER SERVICE

“If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.”- Turkish proverb

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”- Stephen R. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“We listened to what our customers wanted and acted on what they said. Good things happen when you pay attention.”-- John F Smith, Former CEO and President General Motors

Introduction

Introduction

The conversations that are taking place on social media and online channels are important to collect and analyze

•How institutional brands are perceived•How schools rate against their competition•What matters to current and prospective students

When social media and online conversation is monitored strategically and effectively, colleges and universities gain access to 24/7, real-time qualitative research that can inform

•Marketing messages•Recruitment and engagement strategies•Branding efforts•Day-to-day customer service practices

(Potentially) Distracting Metrics:

•Likes•Retweets•Shares•Fans

Introduction

• Highlight tradition, leadership, rigorous academics, and other key messages

• Provide a more behind-the-scenes look at how things are actually being done on campus

• Depict what it takes to recruit an incoming class

• Make prospective students feel valued and “part of the process” so that college choice becomes a lifestyle choice

• Sell the essence of attending Morehouse

• Use social media to document the Morehouse experience

• Make messages timely, relevant, and targeted

• Monitor conversation to inform outbound communication strategy

Morehouse Goals

Social Media ROI: Admissions

Social Media ROI: Admissions

Social Media ROI: Admissions

Social Media ROI: College Choice Drivers

Social Media ROI: College Choice Drivers

Social Media ROI: College Choice Drivers

Social Media ROI: College Choice Drivers

Social Media ROI: College Choice Drivers

Social Media ROI: Customer Service

Social Media ROI: How to Make the Data Actionable

• Utilize social media monitoring to:• Set up broad queries (institutional name, athletic

mascot, etc.) to develop an ongoing understanding of:• How brand is perceived • How school is discussed vis a vis competitors• How prospects and others discuss important attributes

of the college choice process

• Set up specific queries (Morehouse + accepted/applied) to identify prospective students at various points in the funnel and then to engage with these prospects using various channels and people

• Analyze all social media data to develop an ongoing understanding of:

• Key themes and topics of conversation• What channels and sentiment people use to discuss

your institution• Who discusses your school frequently and are they

advocates or critics