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3 Metrics that Can Help Enhance Your College’s Facebook Presence

Friday, January 20th, 2012

With over 800 million active users, Facebook is the largest social networking site. The site collects massive amounts of information about all of its users, which is great for page owners. Through Facebook’s newly revamped Facebook Insights, page owners can gain access to substantial amounts of information regarding the activity of everyone that “likes” their page. This information is an insight into how page owners can give their fans a better experience, which in the end will achieve better marketing results.

Here are three metrics your college should be tracking through Facebook Insights:

1. People Talking About This

This is one of Facebook’s new metrics for Facebook pages. The number, which is visible to the public, is pulled from a variety of interactions that occur on Facebook in the past seven days and is refreshed daily. It’s a good indicator of how much conversation your college’s Facebook page is generating on Facebook. It’s also a good way to measure the content your page is posting and how to generate more conversations around your page on Facebook.

The interactions that make up the “People Talking About This” metric are any stories (previously referred to as posts) that users share in their timeline (formerly referred to as their wall):

• “Liking” a page

• Posting to a page’s wall

• “Liking,” commenting on, or sharing a page post, photo, photo album, or video

• Answering a Question posted by your page

• Mentioning your Facebook page in a status update

• RSVPing to an event created by your page

• Tagging your page in a photo

• Checking into your college on Facebook

In your Insights dashboard you’ll see a percentage increase or decrease next to the current number, allowing you to compare this week’s engagement against last week’s statistics. Engagement is the most critical metric you can track, since the goal is the have a thriving Facebook community to give prospects a positive experience with your college.

2. Engaged Users

On your Insights dashboard you will find Engaged Users under the Page Post information. The Engaged Users metric shows you how your audience interacts with your posts by tracking actual clicks. Facebook only tracks this information for 28 days, so remember that when you’re looking over this data.

This information can be used to create more engaging posts. An important thing to keep in mind is your target audience. What do they want to see from you? What benefit do they get by “liking” your college’s page on Facebook? If your fans aren’t interacting with your posts then you more than likely aren’t solving their problems and posting content that is specific to them.

3. External References

External Referrers tracks how many times people visited your Facebook page from an external site during a select date range. It’s important for your school to know where people are finding them online. The reason this is so important is because Facebook allows for conversations and relationship building, stuff that you can’t do on a regular website.

Are you finding these metrics helpful for your college’s Facebook page? If so, have you made any changes recently based on statistics you’ve seen?

-Lauren

Tags: Facebook Insights, metrics, people talking about this, social media, user engagement, user information
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How to Optimize Your College’s Twitter Presence

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Twitter is a social media platform that enable users to send and read text-based posts, referred to as tweets, that are up to 140 characters. The platform is meant for having short conversations with other users and showing expertise in your respective industry, all without a sales pitch approach. This is a great site to connect with students and prospects and to stay in touch with graduates. Gaining a following seems to be a little tougher on Twitter than it is on Facebook, so be sure that you’re taking all the proper steps to make it easier for people to find you.

Check out the tips below on how to optimize your college’s Twitter presence:

1. Consistent handle and account name

You Twitter handle, which is your username, should be the name of your college or something pretty close to it (if the name of your college has been taken). It should also match other usernames your college has across all social media platforms. Your Twitter handle and account name are attached to all of your tweets, which is why it’s crucial that they reflect your college’s website and all other social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, etc.). Remember, usernames can only be 16 characters long. In the image below you will notice that our company name, Effective Student Marketing, had to be shortened. If your college’s name is too long, it will need to be shortened as well. Our Twitter handle, @EffectiveSM, also matches our account name.

2. Interesting bio

This section should describe why people should follow your college on Twitter. Include mission type statements, but remember to keep it short and simple since you only get 160 characters.

3. Consistent profile image and background

Your profile image is connected to all tweets that come from your account, which is why it’s important to use either your school’s logo or the profile image you’re using across the board. It is important to stay consistent, especially because it adds validity to your school’s account.

Your Twitter background should be creative, but also offer information to the end user. This is a good area to list the campus locations or programs offered by your college. Don’t get too sale-sy though – people are not on Twitter to be sold to! By doing this you are giving prospects an experience and feel for your college.

4. Use relevant and search engine friendly keywords

Before I go any further I want to point out again that people are not on Twitter to be sold to! That being said, people do enjoy relevant content. Know your target audience and speak to them, making their experience with your college unique. Your keywords can be the programs you offer, but don’t just tweet about enrolling in these programs. It is essential to provide content that the user can benefit from. If you have graduate success stories or even student spotlight stories those will work great! Remember to use #hashtags, too!

Conversations on Twitter are quick and to the point, but with so many users out there it’s important your school does everything it can to be found by its target audience and heard. How is your college optimizing its Twitter presence? Comment below and let us know!

-Lauren

Tags: #hashtags, campus locations, keywords, online presence, programs offered, search engine optimization, seo, social media, tweets, twitter
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