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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!
About Effective Student Marketing
Effective Student Marketing, Inc. is a strategic marketing organization that specializes in generating student leads and enrollments for career, technical, and vocational schools across the country through the use of Internet marketing tools and techniques.
The team at Effective Student Marketing combines experience working on the school-side with skills in the latest technology to create programs that can meet any school's needs. Marketing and recruitment programs can include online reputation management, social media marketing, cost per lead vendor management, search engine advertising, search engine optimization, and e-newsletter production and distribution.
