Featured Client: Alvernia University

2011 // August

The Millennial Generation’s continued embrace of social media has compelled more and more college recruiters to follow suit. Seldom does one see, for example, a missed opportunity for a tweets or Facebook update, which can keep students abreast of everything - from a paper’s deadline to the dining hall menu special.

However, keeping pace with the minefield of social media competitors can be a daunting task. There are more than 300 registered social media sites, each with a devoted following and subject to unpredictable fluctuations of interest.
 
That has left many scratching their heads when trying to incorporate a social media component into a recruitment strategy. For Alvernia University, though, the solution was simple: include them all.
 
Having opted for a social media toolbar in its online Virtual Campus Experience (VCE), Alvernia can now receive immediate user feedback with the Facebook “like” button, allow students to share content they like and, in turn, drive organic traffic to the Alvernia VCE.
 
“That vastly increases the number of prospective students who can and will access Alvernia’s virtual experience,” says Courtney Cable Sowerby. “We’ve seen a massive increase in schools using social media in the last few years, but few are really tapping into its full potential, which gives those who do a distinct advantage.”
 
Statistics back up this assessment. A study by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research found that 100 percent of 456 admissions professionals interviewed now use social media in recruitment campaigns, compared to 61 percent in 2008.