Getting new students is essential for any college. And student retention is also extremely important, after all, according to the current situation, university dropout rates are increasing.
Without a doubt, it is difficult to keep students throughout their degree and, given this scenario, measures need (and should) be taken to deal with the number of students who leave university. For this we have social media marketing.
What awaits you in this fabulous post:
Enjoy the read!
What are the advantages of investing in student retention?
Retaining students should be a constant practice for any college. These actions must be carried out strategically, as in addition to retaining students they can also attract new students.
There are several advantages to the student retention process. Some examples are:
- New sources of knowledge: through a Facebook group, for example, the teacher can connect with students and answer any questions;
- Communication tools: social networks are great communication tools and that speaks for itself;
- Establishes the institution as authority: with increased competition, your institution will attract more students if it manages to keep current ones, as it will be noticed as a reference;
- Stimulates engagement: Social networks are excellent for keeping students who already study at your college engaged, which further strengthens the brand.
SEE ALSO:
- How to use social media to attract new students;
- How to build a flawless LinkedIn profile for your company;
- Social networks for colleges: visibility, engagement and results.
And how to use social media to retain students?
Social media is often the first place for students who have a question or problem. As an educational institution, your goal is to be as accessible as possible to help them get a quick solution and make it clear that they can count on you.
This way, institutions can add value through their social networks, without overwhelming students with excessive reading material.
But then, how to do this? Let's see...
1. Give students a voice
Through social networks, students debate, learn and share their experiences – positive or not. Getting students to interact with your posts is an effective way to let others know that support is available and, more importantly, that it matters.
You can create a Facebook group, where it will allow students to meet other coursemates and get support from their classmates.
2. Plan posts carefully
When it's about social media, there is no standard post style. What works well on Facebook won't work the same way on Twitter or Instagram, for example.
Think about each profile individually. Do you want to support, engage and entertain your students? So you need to plan your posts carefully.
3. Spread good news
A social network is an excellent place to share campus news, giving students extra motivation to continue studying.
Share good news like university accolades, cool stories about the college, research achievements and other things that will help encourage new students while showing your institution as a good place to study.
Social media offers enormous potential when it comes to retaining students. However, not all social networks will meet your needs or audience and, therefore, it is essential to test to ensure that your time or money is not wasted.
Students not only want to know what your institution can offer, but also what they stand for. So, build a community through social media that makes a difference in the market and maintains student retention on the rise.
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