It wasn’t too many years ago when researching potential universities was a lengthy process. First, you had to mail a letter to the school requesting information. Then, you’d wait for the glossy brochures to arrive in the mailbox. Next, you’d fill out an extensive application using a typewriter. After you mailed in the application, you’d wait for the mailman to deliver your letter of acceptance or rejection. Multiply the entire process by the number of schools you were interested in, and you ended up with a mountain of paperwork.

For the most part, those days are in the past. Colleges still produce the glossy brochures, but most prospective students hardly glance at them. The current generation of students uses technology to get the information they want. They are constantly connected — to family, friends, and information. They want (and expect) instant answers to their questions.

Universities need to adapt to this growing movement and actively participate in social media. This generation is already immersed in social media — it makes sense to reach the students where they already are. But before you run off to create your social media pages, you should do some research. Each piece of information should serve a specific purpose. Know who these students are, and know how to communicate with them — without trying to sound like them.

Knowing your audience is critical in all forms of communication,

Know Your Audience

Knowing the demographics of your social media followers gives you a head start when you are writing content. You can safely assume the majority of your followers will be in the 18-25 age range. There will be exceptions, such as former students, adults going back to school, and parents of current students. But it’s safe to direct the majority of your content to the students.

You probably know the objective of your followers as well — they are most likely looking for information. Whether it’s the dates of an application deadline or when football tickets go on sale, they want easy access to information.

Applicants.

Rather than navigate through a university’s website to locate information, applicants are more likely to go to the school’s Facebook page first. They can ask a question and get answers from current students, former students, faculty, and administrative staff, among others.

Current Students.

This group is interested in current information, such as athletic highlights, office hours, and emergency announcements.

Parents.

Some parents will be more interested in a school’s social media presence than others, especially if they are supporting a student financially. Parents might be interested in Parent’s Weekend information, financial deadlines, and the school calendar.

Alumni.

Graduates will be interested in information regarding Homecoming Weekend and other alumni who are in the news, such as professional athletes.

Don’t Try to Sound Like Your Audience

While it may be tempting to use slang in an attempt to connect with your followers, it’s best to avoid it altogether. Your goal is to connect with students — not turn them away by reminding them of their parents.

Keep in mind you probably have some international followers as well, and slang doesn’t always translate well into other languages.

Your content is representing the university to your followers. You need to maintain an air of professionalism in your content.

Don’t talk down to your followers, but at the same time, don’t talk above them. Find the middle, where you can communicate effectively and confidently.

Other Helpful Hints

• Consider a student-run social media site, such as Hopkins Interactive. It allows prospective students to get to know the school from the inside.
•  Make sure someone responds to questions and comments promptly.
  Don’t ignore comments and questions.
• Keep your social media pages up-to-date. Old and incorrect information on your site is sure to lose the interest of your followers.
• Create separate Twitter accounts for different interests. If you have a group of students interested in financial aid deadlines, create an account such as @YourUFinancialAid. Or if anyone wants to keep up with the university’s baseball team, create an account such as @YourUBaseball. Students can then subscribe to the information they are interested in.

Engaging in conversation with students via social media makes them feel like you care about them. No matter how awesome your content is, if you aren’t interacting with your followers, you’re missing out on a great opportunity.

This post was written by Amy Kirkegaard