Summary of Advanced Trends in Mobile and Social Media

Chris Long of Cappex did a data unload from a marketing survey they gave to students and admissions folks. These results were similar to the 2011 Noel-Levitz E-expectations Report (summarized here in case you want to compare results). First here’s Chris’s Advanced Trends in Mobile and Social Media presentation.

Email vs. Facebook Communication

86% of students say they’d rather be initially communicated with through email.
However, 21% said they’d rather use Facebook Messages for an initial contact from a school
93% said they’d rather use email for continuing communication, with Facebook Messages staying around 20%
56% of students say that Facebook Messages is alright if the message is targeted and relevant, but 32% say a college should NEVER send them a Facebook Message

When students are averse to “using Facebook” they are saying they do not want Facebook Messages, not that they do not want to use the Facebook environment as a point of sign on. We need to get a little more sophisticated in how we phrase “Facebook.” Facebook has many features and is a platform for many applications, not to mention is a single sign on for most of the internet.

Mobile Devices

When it comes to the device, the iPod touch is the primary tool with 35% of students claiming they have one. Below are some other highlights on mobile trends I found interesting.

33% of students say they still do not have a smart phone
23% of students have downloaded an app
77% of students have accessed a mobile site
66% of respondents said that texts are alright if the message is targeted and relevant, while 41% said a college should NEVER text them

Other Takeaways

Video tours and student videos proved very popular, with around 90% of respondents saying they would like that media form
Only 32% of respondents said they would be okay with a mobile-device tour as a replacement to a tour guide
Blogs were often described as “not useful” because of the time they took to read
Once admitted, 82% of students said they plan on using Facebook to get to know the school and share advice, especially to meet classmates

Getting to know the school, exchanging advice, finding a roommate, and connecting with instructors were also frequent use cases of Facebook for admitted students. It’s important to note that Facebook continually comes out as the clear winner among social media tools. For these reasons we recommend schools evaluate if their Facebook activity is meeting these student needs.

What do you think of the research? If you want to learn more about better ways to engage students on Facebook check out our weekly webinar.