Social media marketing strategies and tools are key to recruiting today’s prospective college students, who utilize social media to gather information as well as to engage with institutions. In a recent study, Joy de los Reyes, D.B.A., Associate Professor of Marketing at Felician University, sought to understand the relationship between social media influence and the college selection process for traditional first-year students. 

The study, highlighted in a recent SEMQ article, examined the Instagram usage rates of first-year students and the delivery of regular information from the college or university of their choice as well as assessed the influence that regular and accurate information has on the student’s selection process.

de los Reyes found that while traditional marketing strategies revolve around reach and frequency…frequency is not an important factor for first-year students when evaluating the options for college selection. In addition, she found a relationship exists between the response rate (online engagement) by a university and the influence on consumer decision-making.

She concluded: To better utilize social media marketing strategies, university enrollment marketing departments must understand the influence factors on social media related to the varying demographics. The more targeted the information and the better the response rate (engagement) from the university are, the more likely it is that a university will influence a student’s decision to create more interest or gather more information on the university.

Other articles in the July issue of SEMQ include: 

• An Exploration of Admissions-Related Practices from Institutions’ Admissions Web Pages and Implications for Equity by Jose Sotelo, Reginald M Gooch, Sugene Cho-Baker, Sara B Haviland, Harrison J Kell, Guangming Ling, and Ou Lydia Liu

• A Tale of Two Private Catholic Philadelphia Universities:  Longitudinal Market Position Differentiation by John Haller

• Incorporating Post-Traditional Adult Learner-Centered Strategies into Enrollment Management Planning by Diane Treis

• The Relationship Between One-Stop Support and New Student Enrollment by Lisa Perry

• Review of: SEM in Action: Implementing and Sustaining Your Plan by Christopher W. Tremblay

For more information on submitting an article to SEMQ, contact Managing Editor Heather Zimar.

Registration is open for the 2023 Strategic Enrollment Management Conference, register early to receive a special discount on attendance.

Attend the "Developing Inclusive Leaders: The ASCEND Program for Enrollment Management Professionals" webinar on August 30 from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

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