Crafting a Killer Social Media Strategy for Admission Counselors

Writing down social media strategy for admission counsellors either working as individual or a company requires undertaking extensive research and practical experiences. In today’s digital age, presence on social media platforms has become necessary for college admission counsellors to connect with prospective students and engage with them on various platforms.

Sound knowledge of market trends, direct or indirect competitors and your current resources are as crucial as your need oxygen for breathing. Also, documenting your strength, weaknesses and opportunities are all the important factors that will help to generate desired result in an organized way rather wasting time in something which can’t be achieved in a certain period of time.

Fortunately, you could find this article as a guide to craft a profitable social media strategy for admission counselors and the points are as below:

Dont’ Skip the basics

In this modern era of speed, it’s tempting for businesses to jump straight into social media marketing without taking the time to establish a solid foundation through traditional marketing channels. However, it’s important to remember that traditional marketing methods are still relevant and effective in reaching target audiences, building brand awareness, and driving sales. Before investing time and resources into social media marketing, college admission counselors should ensure they have covered all the basics of traditional marketing, such as developing a clear brand identity, creating a strong value proposition, identifying target audiences, understanding the competition and developing messaging that resonates with those audiences. By establishing a strong foundation through traditional marketing channels, admission counselors can more effectively leverage the power of social media to amplify their message and reach even more potential customers.

Define Your Target Audience

Defining your target audience is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on the type of college or university you represent, your target audience could vary greatly. Here are some additional tips for defining your target audience based on different factors:

• Educational Level: Your audience could be undergraduate students, graduate students, MBA students, PhD students, or even high school students who are considering college options. Understanding the educational level of your audience can help you create content that is tailored to their specific needs and interests.
• Type of Institution: Different types of colleges and universities appeal to different types of students. For example, some students may be interested in Ivy League or Oxbridge institutions, while others may prefer liberal arts colleges or national universities. By understanding the type of institution your audience is interested in, you can create content that speaks to their unique preferences and goals.
• Financial Situation: Some students may be looking for full-ride scholarships, while others may be willing to pay full tuition. Understanding the financial situation of your audience can help you create content that is tailored to their specific needs and preferences.
• Geographic Location: Depending on the location of your college or university, your target audience may be limited to certain regions or countries. For example, if your college is located in the United States, you may want to focus your social media strategy on reaching prospective students in the U.S. Alternatively, if your college has a large international student population, you may want to create content that is tailored to students from different countries.

By defining your target audience based on these different factors, you can create a social media strategy tailored to their specific needs and interests. It will help you create content that resonates with your audience, drives engagement, and ultimately enables you to achieve your enrollment goals.

Work on Your social media presence

By maintaining an active social media presence, college counsellors can share valuable information about the college admissions process, offer advice and guidance, and build relationships with their audience.

• Branding: It is essential to maintain consistent branding across all social media platforms. This includes using the same profile picture, cover photo, color scheme, and tone of voice. This helps to establish a strong visual identity and make your brand more recognizable to your audience.
• Awareness and reach: To target your audience effectively, you need to understand where they are most active on social media. For instance, Instagram might be a better platform for reaching students, while LinkedIn could be more effective for connecting with alumni. You should also consider using paid advertising or sponsored content to expand your reach.
• Platform-specific branding: Each social media platform has its own strengths and limitations, so it’s essential to tailor your branding and content to suit each platform. For instance, Instagram is a highly visual platform, so you might want to use more images and videos. LinkedIn is more focused on professional networking, so you may want to share more industry-related news and insights.

According to a survey by the Pew Research Center:

• 81% of people aged 18-29 use YouTube

• 71% of people aged 18-29 use Facebook
• 71% of people aged 18-29 use Instagram
• 65% of people aged 18-29 use Snapchat
• 48% of people aged 18-29 use TikTok
• 42% of people aged 18-29 use Twitter

A student of O/A-level or IB’s want a college counsellor who is innovative and tech-savvy. They want to be able to access information and guidance through digital platforms and social media channels. They want to feel like their counsellor is up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies and is using them to provide the best possible service. So your brand must show a clear and strong message on all social media platforms.

Content Calendar

A college admission counsellor’s content calendar should be well-planned and strategic in order to effectively engage with prospective students and their families. The calendar should include a mix of content types, such as blog posts, social media updates, videos, and email newsletters. It should also be tailored to the different stages of the admission process, from awareness to consideration and, ultimately, application.

For example, during the awareness stage, the content should focus on introducing the college and its unique features, while during the consideration stage, the content should provide in-depth information about academic programs, campus life, and extracurricular activities. The calendar should also include key dates and events, such as application deadlines, campus tours, and open houses. Overall, the content calendar should be a comprehensive guide that helps the admission counsellor deliver valuable information and engage with prospective students in a timely and effective manner.

Sample Content Calendar

Here are few more tips on making killer content strategy for college admission counselor.

Educational Content: Share tips, insights and advice on the college admission process, including how to choose the right university, what to expect from standardized tests, how to write a standout essay, and more. These posts could include graphics or short videos that are visually appealing and easy to digest.

Student Stories: Feature success stories of Pakistani students who have worked with Dignosco to gain admission to top universities abroad. Share their experiences, challenges, and how they overcame them to inspire and motivate other students.

Industry News: Share relevant news, trends and updates from the international education industry. This could include information about new scholarships, changes in admission criteria, and popular universities and programs.

Interactive Posts: Engage your audience with interactive posts such as polls, quizzes, and open-ended questions. This can help you learn more about your audience, build a community, and spark conversations.

Testimonials and Reviews: Share positive testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers. These can be in the form of quotes, videos or case studies and can help to build credibility and trust with potential customers.

Behind-the-scenes: Give your followers a glimpse behind the scenes of your company. Share photos and videos of your team, office, and the work you do to help students get into top universities.

Video Content: Utilize video content to deliver educational, inspirational and engaging content. Consider creating video tutorials, interviews with university representatives, and virtual campus tours.

Creating and sharing valuable content is the key to building a strong social media presence. Your content strategy should be aligned with your goals and target audience, and should include a mix of informative and engaging content.

Connect with alumni

Engaging former students on social media can be an effective way for college admission counselors to build relationships and strengthen connections with alumni. Here are some steps that admission counselors can follow to engage former students on social media platforms:

• Identify the social media platforms that alumni are using: Before engaging with alumni on social media, admission counselors should identify the platforms that are most popular among former students. This will help them to target their efforts and reach the widest possible audience.
• Join alumni groups: Many colleges and universities have alumni groups on social media platforms. Admission counselors can join these groups to stay connected with alumni and engage in conversations about the college or university.
• Share updates and news: Admission counselors can share updates and news about the college or university on social media. This can include information about new programs, upcoming events, and student achievements.
• Highlight alumni achievements: Admission counselors can highlight the achievements of alumni on social media platforms. This can include sharing news articles or blog posts about successful alumni or featuring alumni profiles on the college or university’s website.
• Respond to comments and messages: When alumni engage with admission counselors on social media, it is important to respond in a timely and professional manner. This can help to build trust and strengthen the relationship between the college or university and its former students.
• Organize virtual events: Admission counselors can organize virtual events, such as webinars or panel discussions, to bring alumni together and facilitate conversations about the college or university.

Overall, engaging former students on social media can be a powerful tool for admission counselors to build relationships and strengthen connections with alumni. By following these steps, admission counselors can create a vibrant online community of alumni who are engaged with the college or university.

Promote upcoming events

Organizing events is a great way for admission counselors to attract new students and engage alumni. By planning events that are informative, fun, and relevant to the interests of prospective students and alumni, admission counselors can build relationships and promote their services.

Here are some examples:

• Campus Tours: Campus tours can be an effective way to attract prospective students and give them a first-hand look at the college or university. Admission counselors can organize campus tours for groups or individuals, and provide information about the campus, academic programs, and student life.
• Information Sessions: Information sessions can be organized on specific topics such as the admissions process, financial aid, or career opportunities after graduation. These sessions can be conducted in-person or virtually and provide an opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the college or university.
• Open Houses: Open houses are a great way to showcase the college or university and its facilities, programs, and student life. Admission counselors can organize campus tours, meet-and-greets with faculty and staff, and provide information about the admissions process.
• College Fairs: College fairs provide an opportunity for admission counselors to showcase their institution and connect with prospective students. These events can also be a great opportunity to network with other schools and organizations.
• Alumni Events: Organizing events for alumni, such as homecoming or alumni reunions, can help engage former students and build a sense of community. These events can also provide an opportunity for alumni to connect with current students and share their experiences.
• Athletic Events: Organizing athletic events, such as sports games or competitions, can be a fun way to engage alumni and attract prospective students. These events can also help to build school spirit and community.
• Career Fairs: Career fairs can be organized for students and alumni to connect with employers and industry professionals. These events can help students and alumni learn about career opportunities, build their networks, and gain valuable insights into their future career paths.

Measure Results

Measuring the results of social media efforts is important to determine the success of the admission counselor’s social media strategy. Here are some ways to measure results on social media platforms:

• Engagement Metrics: Engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, shares, and retweets, can provide insight into how well content is resonating with the audience. The higher the engagement rate, the more effective the content.
• Follower Growth: The growth of the follower count on social media platforms can be an indicator of the success of the admission counselor’s social media efforts. A steady increase in followers shows that the audience is interested in the content being shared.
• Traffic to Website: Social media can be a source of website traffic. Using Google Analytics, the admission counselor can track the amount of traffic coming from social media platforms to the institution’s website. This will help determine the effectiveness of the social media strategy in driving traffic to the website.
• Lead Generation: Social media can be used to generate leads for the institution. For example, if the admission counselor creates a form for students to sign up for an open house event, they can track the number of sign-ups from social media platforms to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.
• Conversion Rate: Conversion rate measures the number of people who take a desired action, such as filling out an application or signing up for a campus tour, after interacting with the institution on social media. This metric can help determine the effectiveness of social media in driving conversions.
• Sentiment Analysis: The admission counselor can use social media monitoring tools to analyze the sentiment of mentions of the institution on social media platforms. Positive sentiment can indicate a successful social media strategy.

Overall, measuring the results of social media efforts is important to determine the effectiveness of the admission counselor’s social media strategy. By tracking engagement metrics, follower growth, website traffic, lead generation, conversion rate, and sentiment analysis, the admission counselor can make data-driven decisions and refine their social media strategy to achieve better results.

Conclusion

In conclusion, having a strong social media strategy is crucial for admission counselors in today’s digital age. It allows them to build a strong brand presence, reach their target audience, and engage with prospective students and alumni. A well-planned social media strategy involves defining clear goals, creating relevant and engaging content, and actively engaging with followers. It’s also important to incorporate alumni engagement into the strategy to build a strong community and network. By following these guidelines and regularly measuring the results of their efforts, admission counselors can effectively leverage social media to promote their services and attract the best and brightest students.