Earlier this year, Inside Higher Education reported that a recent survey found 98 percent of higher education institutions are on Facebook and 84 percent of these institutions are on Twitter.
Not only is social media dominating how people interact online, college recruiters nationwide are constantly seeking more creative ways to engage their target student population within the highly competitive academic market.
College officials use social media as a news resource that can quickly share information about events, meetings and needed alerts. For a university, being technologically savvy plays a pivotal role in how students perceive an institution and increases the likelihood of student applications.
Understanding the need to reach and appeal to students of diverse interests, Benedictine University, located in Lisle, Ill, just outside of Chicago, embarked upon a social media endeavor aimed at showing the world that Benedictine University is not only a strong academic institution, but also a place where life lived in balance means everyone gets to have some fun occasionally.
This understanding led the University to invest considerable effort and finances in two professionally-produced videos, titled “Who’s That Chick” and “Imma B,” for their YouTube channel.
“Today’s networking and the use of social media moved our efforts from “luxury” to “necessity,” said Charles Gregory, Benedictine executive vice president.
A 2015 college graduate will never have lived in a world without the Internet. Students today can take virtual campus tours via a smartphone application, receive an initial college acceptance letter via Facebook and have access to college resources 24/7.
Social media is now a survival skill for colleges and they are using it to garner student participation inside and outside the virtual world.
“Our community has grown in size, diversity, academic offerings and physical plant. These videos are an excellent way to inform, entertain and familiarize students with our University. We are proud of our rich 125 year history and traditions, but we also recognize the need to embrace technology,” Gregory added.
Benedictine debuted its latest video, “Imma B,” in August for the start of the new school year. This light-hearted video focuses on the idea that all members of the University are Benedictine- a distinction that sets the school apart from many others. It’s set to the beat of the Black Eyed Peas song “Imma B,” with original lyrics.
To view the videos, visit: http://www.youtube.com/benu1887