May 8, 2020
Strategies for Using Facebook in College Marketing
Facebook, the most popular social network in the world, is likely the centerpiece of your higher ed social media presence. But using it is not the same as having a solid Facebook strategy.
First, let me address a frequently asked question:
“Should we still be on Facebook at all, since Gen Z is increasingly using other platforms?”
Yes.
While studies are showing Gen Z is falling off of Facebook, the largest group for college marketing — alumni and parents — are still strong users. These are primary influencers, and keeping them engaged is vital to your overall strategy.
Speaking of strategy … As I said of Twitter in my last blog post, Facebook with no strategy will get you nowhere:
- A college presence with no strategy looks like photos with no context.
- It’s merely an Upcoming Events page with only past events, or nothing at all, making it seem like nothing is happening on campus.
- Inconsistent posts signal a lack of human engagement.
- Too much shared, few original posts, so there’s no voice.
- No groups, or few groups to join, and therefore no sense of community.
- Content about the school, but so little about the students makes users wonder whether students matter … or just the tuition they pay.
What makes Facebook so challenging is that it’s so well established, and offers so many ways to engage, that users expect a lot more from account managers than activity. They expect an experience.
Read on for tips on how to use Facebook for college marketing.
