American College of Education | ace.edu

You Are Your School: Why your presence on social media matters

IACRAO 2016

10/17/2016

2American College of Education | ace.edu

Who: Regionally accredited (HLC) online college headquartered in Indianapolis, IN that offers graduate degrees and certificates in Education for teachers. More than 13,000 graduates nationwide in just 10 years

Community: working teachers and administrators at least 5 years or greater into their career pursuing advanced credentials for stronger skills in the classroom, better student outcomes, and stronger leadership for stronger schools

American College of Education

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Social media is where (prospective) students get “the real” you

Social media reveals: • How you speak to others (formally or casually / flat or

engaging)

• What other people say about you

• What people with the most experience with you think or say about you

Particularly important for prospective students looking for the unvarnished truth from current students and graduates

Social Media as Influencer

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Social Proof and why it matters“Social Proof” – a psychological phenomenon where people take feedback or cues from peers to influence their thoughts/feelings/perceptions

Social proof can also be influenced by engagement (or lack thereof) from faculty, staff, and administration

When faculty or staff actively:• Share articles about the school• promote school events• share news about faculty, students, or alumni

(promotions/breakthroughs/projects doing social good)

it adds to social proof that your school is giving people the tools and opportunities to succeed.

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Social Proof in ActionSocial proof takeaway: If your faculty/staff/administration aren’t excited about or proud of what’s happening at your school, why should I be?

Retired faculty

Alumna

Works for school

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Why your presence matters

When faculty/staff/administration engage with their school on social media, they…

• Add a “face” to the brand

• Make the relationship more personal to prospective students/current students/parents/alumni

• Increase trust and mutual engagement

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Measuring your impactReach– the more you engage with your school or share their posts, the more people will be exposed to your school and their content

• Helps drive brand awareness

• Improves success of major campaigns

• Increases application volume

• Reinforces that employees are engaged, and that they care about the college (“This is a great school!”)

• Raises your school’s profile as an influencer, subject matter expert, key player in your community or among schools with similar presence

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External Engagement

Make your school’s brand awareness go further by finding ways to incorporate other brands.

• Other brands may have more reach than your school

• Proximity to well respected or prestigious brands raises your school’s association with those perceptions

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How should you engage?

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Don’t just like/share/retweet/repost!

• Comment • Engage with other commenters• Share your own photos or submit content the campaign is

asking for

If you re-post or share on your own page, add a personal note so the people who follow you pay attention!

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• Post book reviews or articles published by or about faculty / alumni / administration from your school; lead with a personal comment

• Share new hire information

• Promote major conferences/speaking opportunities/research

How does LinkedIn fit in?Raise the perception of your school as an expert:

Make sure your own profile includes examples of work you’ve done with and/or for the college that reflects well on the school and its expertise (published papers, presentations, community projects, etc.)

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Social Media Growth

• Growth in social media following– Average 11% increase across Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest– LinkedIn 69%

• Engagement – 105%

• Page reach – 70%

• Post reach – 98%

2015-2016 results from social media at American College of Education:

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Follow ACE on Social Media!

• Facebook – American College of Education

• Twitter - @ACEedu

• LinkedIn

• Pinterest - ACEedu

• YouTube - ACEedu / American College of Education