As colleges face shrinking budgets and increased competition for quality students, they are more likely to consider web-based marketing campaigns. Facebook is a low cost tool that can meet the need to connect, collaborate and communicate with various valued target markets. Forward thinking colleges are embracing this social-network platform to increase their online presence, engage prospective and current students and network with alumni. “Facebook (stylized facebook) is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004… as of January 2011, Facebook has more than 600 million active users” (Wikipedia). Statistics at Insidefacebook.com show in February 2011, “154.9 million Facebook users [are] in the USA” (Insidefacebook.com). Facebook is unrivaled as a virtual marketplace in which to present a product aimed at teens and people under 25 in particular. The “percentage of US users decline[s] after age 25” (Burbary), but still offers a substantial consumer audience at any adult age. National Public Radio’s National Political Correspondent, Mara Liasson refers to facebook as “the biggest town square in history” (Liasson). Digital citizens are incorporating social media into their daily routines.
Facebook has knowingly or unknowingly crafted a masterful tool which can be manipulated by tech savvy marketing professionals to dramatically impact a brand’s value. Lisa Phillips, emarketer.com author reports, “millenials value experiences and engagement with brands, and will talk about those things within their social circles” (Phillips). Academia has been slower to create profiles on facebook than other business genres, but is beginning to acknowledge more widely the value of the medium. Josh Keller at Chronicle.com reports, “Ninety-five percent of respondents [1,000 colleges] agreed that social media have great potential to achieve important goals. But they saw staffing as the biggest barrier: Roughly half reported having the equivalent of one full-time staff member or less working on social media” (Keller). As social-media based marketing gains acceptance in higher education there will be a demand for social media developers, managers and coordinators.
While facebook is currently considered the “beating heart” of social media, the only thing certain about its future, is that it is uncertain. Those committed to this field continually research developing technologies to keep pace with the evolution of the web and its interfaces. Successful, creative interactive technologists must eagerly seek, discover and master new platforms and applications. Social media managers must be comfortable to continually alter tactics in virtual relationship approaches to remain effective. A college succeeds or fails based on its ability to teach and remain relevant. It is time to accept the fact that one “can only offer so much offline” (Meyers and Ward), and meet the online community where it lives – on Facebook!
Works Cited
Burbary, Ken. Web Business by Ken Burbary. 13 January 2010. 12 April 2011 <http://www.kenburbary.com/2010/01/dispelling-the-youth-myth-five-useful-facebook-demographic-statistics/>.
Insidefacebook.com. 1 April 2011. 12 April 2011 <http://gold.insidenetwork.com/facebook/>.
Keller, Josh. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 19 April 2011. 19 April 2011 <http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/social-media-efforts-are-hindered-by-inadequate-staffing-colleges-say/30970>.
Liasson, Mara. NPR National Political Correspondent Michelle Norris. 20 April 2011.
Meyers, Andrew and Brad J Ward. Slideshare.com. 2009. 20 March 2011 <http://www.slideshare.net/bradjward/how-to-recruit-students-using-new-media-outlets>.
Phillips, Lisa. emarketer. September 2010. 12 April 2010 <http://www.emarketer.com/Reports/All/Emarketer_2000700.aspx>.
Wikipedia. 18 April 2011. 19 April 2011 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook>.
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