When you think about social media, Facebook and Twitter are usually the first two words that come to mind. They’re the popular kids of social media — everyone knows their names — and they totally sit at the cool table. What about Pinterest? It’s definitely not the first social medium you think about, but it’s quirky and zealous and pretty easy on the eyes.
With Social Media Month in full swing at Converge Consulting, we’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the new kid that’s up to bat for #highered marketing: Pinterest.
Tweeting and connecting with friends on Facebook are definitely social media staples. We’re not denying that. But, Pinterest is underutilized and highly underrated. It has great potential just waiting to be realized, which is probably why many colleges and universities are starting to jump on the bandwagon. We’re here to make the case for how and why you should too.
Connect with your students.
At Converge Consulting, we are constantly emphasizing the importance of inbound marketing to our clients. You want to pull prospective users in with strong, interesting and engaging content. Pinterest offers an amazing opportunity to connect with your students on a more personal level.
Show a softer side of your brand. Get them excited to start the semester and make them feel at home on campus with boards like Syracuse University’s Dorm Sweet Dorm or Creighton University’s Creighton Barrel. Appeal to their interests with boards like University of Delaware’s Trendy Hens. Share your favorite Tailgate Food & Recipes (Auburn’s Alumni Association) and Homecoming Traditions (University of Iowa Alumni Association) and encourage them to do the same.
Be strategic. Promote your brand.
Generate content that is so interesting your followers just have to share! Pinterest is extremely user-friendly and has the potential to be a great tool for higher ed institutions in this regard. There may not be many obvious ways to measure ROI yet, but there are some pretty obvious ways to promote your brand and recruit students through Pinterest.
Louisiana State University does a great job of this with their Just for the Male Tiger board. They’ve generated pins that link back to their LSU Athletics official store website where students, alumni and fans can shop. Cogswell College takes a more indirect approach with Pinterest brand strategy that shows off their uniqueCogswell Programs and how these set them apart from other colleges and universities. Duke University takes a similar approach by highlighting studentService & Engagement on campus.
Make social media your job.
We just love this Huff Post Blog from the President of Southwestern College, Jim Nolan. He makes a great case for why In Higher Education Social Media Is Your Job:
“Recruitment is everybody’s job. So consider this: If you are not active on social media, if you are not contributing to the recruitment of the incoming Class of 2014, you are probably not really doing your job, as I (and a growing number of others) see it.” As of July 2013, there were 70 million users on Pinterest and the number has only been growing in 2014. Consider the amount of prospective students and potential donors in that mix. It’s time to start developing a presence for your brand on Pinterest and any other social mediums your institution may not currently be active on. Make it your personal goal to take a more active role in student recruitment and engagement through social media this month.Interested in learning more about social media for higher education? Register for our upcoming webinar on Social Media for Higher Education! This free one-hour webinar will be on Thursday, April 17 at 2PM EST.
