Effectively Communicating with University Students Using Social Media: A Study of Social Media Usage Patterns

Social applications such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have driven the expansion of the Internet and made technology part of most students’ daily life. Universities and colleges are using social media to reach student prospects, keep contact with current students and alumni, and provide a mechanism for group collaboration and interaction in the classroom. Higher education institutions are influenced by current social media trends, and figuring out how to effectively interact with various constituencies within the social media environment can be challenging. A two-pronged study was conducted to assess contemporary social media best practices within higher education. Over 100 college and university web sites were studied to determine the institution’s participation in and promotion of official organization-related social media channels. A study of the characteristics of computing students and students within other concentrations was conducted to evaluate social media practices and preferences with a focus on higher education-related activities. The goal was to determine what aspects of social media were most effective in reaching various student groups based on social media usage patterns. Over 400 students participated in the study. The results from both phases of the study led to significant observations that can aid in the development of social media tactics to reach university and college students. Fifty-nine percent of study participants indicated they frequently used social media feature to find information on university organizations, activities, or classes. Developing an effective social media strategy can not only help programs, departments, and colleges, but also individual instructors.