mobilizing admissions: the 2016 social admissions report
TRANSCRIPT
#socadm15
Optimizing Mobile for Your Future Students: 2016 Social Admissions Report
#socadm15
• Social media isn’t new. This year’s study updates key data but shifts focus to emerging resources and influencers.
• This year’s valuable yet often misunderstood asset is mobile technology.
• As always, there is a balance between being an early adopter and being strategic and focused on your goals.
Why We Do This Survey
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Audience
Invitations emailed to high school students registered to Chegg • October 2015 • Past Social Admissions Reports
fielded in: Q2 2015 | Q4 2014 | Q2 2014 | Q4 2013 | Q1 2013 | Q2 2012
• Trends highlighted throughout the presentation
Background
Insight into how students use, and are influenced by, digital tools, mobile technology and social media when researching and evaluating institutions
High school seniors and college freshmen
• 1,926 surveys completed this cycle (over 7,000 total)
• Weighted data to 42% male, 58% female
Survey
Methodology
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0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Ethnicity
CA 14%!GA 3% !FL 4%!
MI 7%! NY 3%!
PA 3%!
TX 7%!
Top States of Residence!
IL 7%!25%!
43%!
20%!
12%!
1-3!
4-6!
7-10!
+10!
Number of Schools Applied to!
Respondents
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Mobile From Recruitment Through Enrollment
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• 86% of young adults (ages 18-29) own a mobile smartphone
• 9 out of 10 young adults use social media • Half of young adults who own a smartphone also use messaging apps
• Mobile provides the most effective way to reach and communicate with students
Mobile Technology & Today’s Students
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0%!
10%!
20%!
30%!
40%!
50%!
60%!
70%!
80%!
90%!
Watched video from college!
Watched video from student!
Read a student blog!
Searched for specific hashtag!
Posted question to college rep on
sm!
Posted question to student on sm!
Tweeted with specific hashtag!
Participated in live chat!
Peeked at a specific school
on YkYak!
Past 24 hours! Past week! Past month or longer!
81%!
45%! 42%!
32%!
20%! 20%! 19%! 19%!
9%!
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4 in 5 HAVE WATCHED A VIDEO
FROM A COLLEGE
Connecting with Colleges
How often have you done the following during your college research process?
Email, 69%!
Social Media, 4%!
Call, 12%!
Live Chat , 4%!
Text, 8%!
Messaging App, 3%!
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Email Preferred Communication on Mobile
How do you most prefer to communicate with college admissions on your mobile device?
71%!
32%!26%!
7%! 5%!1%!
Kik GroupMe WhatsApp Whisper WeChat FireChat
Other includes:
FB Messenger!
Google Hangouts!
Messaging Apps Are So Popular
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7 in 10!HAVE USED KIK
Have you used any of the following messaging apps?
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53% EXPECT A RESPONSE
WITHIN A DAY OF CONTACTING COLLEGE REP
After you contact a college representative, how soon do you expect to hear a response?
Students Want Instant Gratification
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93%!AGREE!
“I would like to receive communication from college admissions
tailored specifically to me.”
Students Want Personalized Communication
47%!Laptop
37%!Smartphone
or Tablet 13%!Desktop
Primary Device to Research Colleges
#socadm16! Which device do you primarily use to research colleges?
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82%!
37%! 37%!
19%!15%! 12%!
6%!
Visited college website
Scheduled campus visit
Taken virtual campus tour
Downloaded native app from
college
Asked question on social media
Texted with college rep
Live chat with college rep
Admissions Actions Completed on Mobile
Which of the following have you done on a mobile device when considering which colleges to apply to or where to enroll?
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4 in 5 VISIT COLLEGE WEBSITES
1 in 5 DOWNLOAD NATIVE APP
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Admissions Actions Completed on Mobile
Which of the following have you done on a mobile device when considering which colleges to apply to or where to enroll?
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Your institution’s website is the first marketing tool
to attract and engage prospective students. !
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Mobile Browsing vs. Mobile Apps
Mobile browsing!is a key element during the discovery phase of
college search.!
Mobile apps!accelerate engagement with your institution once students have demonstrated interest.!
Native apps!are used most during decision phase of the college choice process.!
Once a day, 21%!
Once a week, 36%!
Once a month, 14%!
Every once in a while,
29%!
Frequency of College Website Visits!
16%!
64%!
14%!7%!
Quality of Mobile Experience!
Your Website Must Be Mobile Optimized
#socadm16! How frequently do you visit college websites on a mobile browser? How would you rate your mobile experience interacting with college websites?
73%!66%!
54%! 54%! 53%!
Updates on admissions info
Learn about college-specific info
Submit an application Communicate with college rep
Take a virtual campus tour
Students Download Native Apps
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HALF OF STUDENTS!WOULD DOWNLOAD APP
TO COMMUNICATE
For what purpose would you download a native app from a college?
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University-Branded Mobile App
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85%!
35%!
5%!
College Website Common App Other
Submitting Apps on Their Phone
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12%!SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION
THROUGH MOBILE
Did you submit a college application on a mobile device? Which methods best describe how you submitted a college application on your mobile device?
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Don’t miss the mark. Five years ago social media was the hot new thing. Now it’s mobility. Don’t fall flat by not adapting your content to your prospective students’ mobile devices.
Know their boundaries. As restrictions around student data and privacy increase, understanding boundaries is key. Consider how private messaging through a native app compares to opt-in strategies, like texting.
Double down on what works. Understand where email, messaging apps and social media fit into the routine of your prospects.
Mobile Insights
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Digital for Discovery
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60%!INDICATED USING AT
LEAST ONE OF THESE SITES
!
Informative! Social!
Specialized!
NEARLY
Segmenting Digital Tools
#socadm16! Which of the following online resources have you used to research colleges?
87%!81%!
75%!
63%! 60%! 59%!
Information about college (e.g., specific
majors)
Scholarship information
Admissions information
Information about life on campus
College ratings Financial aid
#socadm16! What types of content do you look for on these sites?
Students in Discovery Mode
15%!
19%!
29%!
49%!
26%!
35%!
40%!
35%!
40%!
34%!
27%!
15%!
19%!
7%!
3%!
2%!
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Social media sites
Ranking sites (e.g., US News and World Report)
College review and scholarship sites (e.g., Chegg, Niche)
College and university sites
Extremely useful Very useful Somewhat useful Not very useful
How useful were the following types of sites during your college research? #socadm16!
69% say very to extremely useful
41% say very to extremely useful
Most Useful for College Research
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Differentiate between digital and social tools. While it may be appropriate for a youthful member of your team to manage your social networking presence, they may or may not be the best fit for managing your entire digital recruitment strategy. Nearly 60% of students report using one of the sites in the Chegg Network for their research. These sites are oftentimes the first (and even last) stop on a student’s college search. Digital sources are used for discovery and information gathering. An effective digital recruitment strategy focuses on reaching students on the channels they use, when they are using them.
Digital Insights
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Social for Decision
8%!
34%!
32%!
56%!
49%!
6%!
9%!
18%!
10%!
15%!
11%!
7%!
10%!
5%!
7%!
13%!
8%!
8%!
4%!
4%!
14%!
9%!
11%!
6%!
6%!
49%!
34%!
21%!
20%!
19%!
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Snapchat
Multiple times a day Once a day Once a week Once a month Every once in a while Never
+16
+
-10
+8
+0
YOY daily or more use (change in percentage
points)!
Frequency of Social Media Usage
#socadm16! How often do you use the following social media websites?
48%!
87%!
51%!
31%! 33%!
64%! 63%!
82%!
54%!
37%!
26%!
81%! 80%! 79%!
66%!
51%!
39%!
Instagram Snapchat Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr
2013 2014 2015
Trended Social Media Usage
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INCREASED GROWTH BY
PERCENTAGE POINTS
17!
Year over year comparison: How often do you use the following social media websites?
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Social Media as Decision Engine
61% HAVE LIKED OR
FOLLOWED A COLLEGE IN THEIR CONSIDERATION SET
Have you liked or followed a college that is in your consideration set?
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4 in 5 SAY SOCIAL MEDIA CONVERSATION
INFLUENCED THEIR ENROLLMENT DECISIONS 1 in 2
USE SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN DECIDING WHERE TO ENROLL
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Social Media as Decision Engine
Did you use social media as a resource when deciding where to enroll? How influential were each of the following in helping you decide where to enroll?
Visual-First Apps Used Most
4%!
18%!
16%!
15%!
22%!
14%!
5%!
8%!
11%!
12%!
12%!
11%!
5%!
7%!
9%!
16%!
13%!
14%!
9%!
5%!
7%!
9%!
7%!
13%!
12%!
12%!
15%!
16%!
16%!
19%!
65%!
50%!
42%!
32%!
30%!
29%!
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Snapchat
YouTube
Multiple times a day Once a day Once a week Once a month Every once in a while Never
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Has used ever: Vine 26%!
YikYak 20%!
LinkedIn 17%!
How often do you use the following social media sites during college research?
41%!
58%!
19%!
6%!
49%!
28%!
60%!
31%!
14%!
62%!
48%!
67%!
46%!
26%!20%!
71%! 70%!67%!
56%!
48%!
21%!
YouTube Instagram Facebook Twitter Snapchat Pinterest
2012 2013 2014 2015
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Increased Growth and Fragmentation
1 in 2!USE 5+ PLATFORMS
Year over year comparison: How often do you use the following social media sites during college research?
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Social is Mobile: 89% of students access social media on a mobile device. Know your networks: Facebook still isn’t dead, but video and visual-first platforms continue to gain ground. This age group understands intuitively how to filter inauthentic, brand-heavy messaging. Make students your story.
Social is fragmented: Students today use multiple platforms to find and engage with you and your students on social media. It’s important to prioritize your time accordingly.
Social Insights
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