Academia and Social Media

With the ubiquity of the Internet, universities have experienced many changes.  The opportunity for faculty and students to take classes, share ideas and opinions, perform research, etc., are endless.  One big change the universities have experienced has been the use of social media.  One challenge they face with social media is guarding their reputation.

(The image is of the McGregor Conference Center - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McGregor_Memorial_Conference_Center)

First Impressions Count

You only get one chance for a first impression so it is important to make your first impression a good one.   Perspective students and their parents often perform online searches when researching and considering a college or university.  It is important for the univeresity that they like what they see.  Information they read on your site can have a huge impact on their decision to attend your university or not.  The good news is that the university can control what they share on their website, but they cannot control what outside users post. 

Rate Your University / College

Because users can give their honest opinions, both negative and positive, it is important for universities to be aware of what is being said and how it affects the reputation of the university and colleges. There are some websites that can show how you rank.  Some of these sites are:

• The University Review
• The College Prowler
• College Confidential
• Students Review

These can be valuable tools to help universities understand and address any negative responses or posts on their website.  Recruiting alumni to share their experiences is also a good idea.  They could share and post success stories they may have had since graduating from the university.

Take the Next Steps

Having a good website is critical.  The university needs to review their site often to work out any issues and rebuild their reputation if necessary.  I also believe with social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Blogging, etc., the university can keep up with what is current and relevant for their intended audience.  Is your university taking the important next steps to assure they have a good online reputation? 

(All accolades and credit for this tremendous blog post are for Kathleen Page who is the author and content creator.)