getting it right: what really matters to students in social media communities; highedweb16
TRANSCRIPT
G E T T I N G I T R I G H TW H A T R E A L LY M A T T E R S T O S T U D E N T S
I N S O C I A L C O M M U N I T I E S
A research study by Dr. Corie Martin Director, Web Services & Digital Marketing
Western Kentucky University#TIE9
H E S M A D M I N S U N I T ET H I S S T U D Y H A S Y O U R B A C K
W H AT W E D O I S I M P O R TA N T
W E A R E T H E F R O N T L I N E
S T U D E N T S E N R O L L B E C A U S E O F W H AT W E D O F O R T H E M
W E S TA N D A L O N E
– T H E S E T H I N G S D O N ’ T M AT T E R
Academics. Finances.
Outcomes.
S O I S E T O U T T O P R O V E W H AT D O E S M AT T E R
T H E R E S E A R C H
T W O - P R O N G E D A P P R O A C H
• HESM ADMINS
• STUDENTS
I N S T I T U T I O N S
• Public and Private
• Distinct U.S. Regions
• Ethnically, racially, and gender-diverse
• Rural and urban
• Large and small
M E T H O D S
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Observations
S O C I A L C O M M U N I T I E S
P R I VA T E , C U S T O M , M O D E R A T E D
T H R E A D S
H U N D R E D S O F
C O M M E N T S
T H O U S A N D S O F
I D E N T I C A L F I N D I N G S
R E S E A R C H B A C K G R O U N DB U T F I R S T …
A R E S T U D E N T S W H O E N G A G E W I T H H E S M A D M I N S D U R I N G T H E Y I E L D P E R I O D M O R E L I K E LY T O E N R O L L ?
C O M M O N U S E S
• Customer Service
• Personal engagement
• Provide a student-friendly space
• Protect and help
• Generate excitement
C O M M O N H E S M T R A I T S
• Dedicated
• Personal ownership
• 24/7/365
• Party-Of-One
• Limited resources
S T U D E N T T R A I T S
• Diverse
• First-time, Full-time, residential
• Most admitted, some undecided
Valuable Resources
U N D E R S TA N D I N G T H E C O L L E G E C H O I C E P R O C E S S
3 - S TA G E S O F S T U D E N T C O L L E G E C H O I C E
1. Predisposition
2. Search
3. ChoiceDon Hossler &
Karen Gallagher
T H E S E A R C H P H A S E …
THE STUDENT HAS….
• Decided to attend
• Applied/Admitted
• Connects to learn more….
• Admissions counselors
• Campus tours
• Other students
• Academics
Engaged in social media
T H E Y I E L D P E R I O D
• December 2014 - August 2015
• Application - Enrollment decisions made
• Students admitted to multiple institutions
• Specific content
Top conversation topics shared by dozens of individual students through hundreds of personal interactions with
each other and with HESM professionals
R E M I N D E R : R E S U LT S C O N S I S T E N T A C R O S S A L L I N S T I T U T I O N S , U . S .
R E G I O N S , S E S , E T H N I C I T Y, G E N D E R
0! 40! 80! 120! 160!
Roommate !Orientation!
Selfie!Friends !
Residence Life!"Follow Me"!
Interests !Major!
Frustration!Transportation !
Excited !
Top Student Conversation Topics
^ Represents 52% of all Engagements
T H E T H I N G S T H AT M AT T E R
S O C I A L A C C E P TA N C E
M AT T E R S
F R I E N D S H I P S M AT T E R
S U P P O R T M AT T E R S
I N T E R E S T S M AT T E R
F U N C T I O N A L P R O C E S S E S
M AT T E R
E X C I T E M E N T M AT T E R S
M I S S E D O P P O R T U N I T I E S
• Unanswered or incorrectly-answered questions
• Infrequent or inconsistent engagement
• Broken processes
O U R J O B : T O P R O V I D E A S A F E , S U P P O R T I V E S PA C E A N D T O B E
AVA I L A B L E
W H Y S H O U L D T H I S M AT T E R T O U S ?
B E C A U S E …
It’s our job to convince these folks.
W E O P E N T H E D O O R .
W E PAV E T H E W AY.
WE BUILD THE FUTURE.
R E F E R E N C E S
https://www.google.com/search?q=have+your+back+photo&biw=1391&bih=747&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjGsrukud3PAhXLFT4KHfElB4sQ_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=hands+holding+seedling+photo&imgrc=VrdLOPFfVnS7pM%3A
https://students.asu.edu/sites/default/[iles/images/featured_image/apply-‐undergrad.jpg
http://creativegeniussociety.com/wp-‐content/uploads/2015/03/lady-‐buried-‐in-‐books.jpg
https://aos.iacpublishinglabs.com/question/aq/1400px-‐788px/why-‐do-‐light-‐bulbs-‐explode_cdfed3fd-‐f374-‐4fd8-‐a2ee-‐8ce04274ec15.jpg?domain=cx.aos.ask.com
https://www.localwise.com/articles/77-‐social-‐media-‐manager-‐job-‐description
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/content/images/articles/310/310140/decisions-‐and-‐impulsivity.jpg
http://farm9.static[lickr.com/8257/8615183704_0c689bb36b_o.jpg