From text messaging to video chat, Facebook to YikYak, you’re bombarded with countless student recruitment ideas. The one aspect they have in common? Mobile.
This session uses findings from the 2016 Social Admissions Report to provide practical recommendations on how to implement and optimize mobile strategies for recruitment.
2. #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
#socadm16!
3. #socadm15
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
#socadm16!
4. 0
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
#socadm16!
6. #socadm15
• 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
#socadm16!
7. 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%!
#socadm16!
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?
8. Email, 69%!
Social Media,
4%!
Call, 12%!
Live Chat , 4%!
Text, 8%!
Messaging
App, 3%!
#socadm16!
Email Preferred Communication on Mobile
How do you most prefer to communicate with college admissions on your mobile device?
9. 71%!
32%!
26%!
7%! 5%!
1%!
Kik
GroupMe
WhatsApp
Whisper
WeChat
FireChat
Messaging Apps Are So Popular
#socadm16!
7 in 10!HAVE USED KIK
Have you used any of the following messaging apps?
10. #socadm15
#socadm16!
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
13. #socadm16!
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?
14. #socadm15
4 in 5
VISIT COLLEGE WEBSITES
1 in 5
DOWNLOAD NATIVE APP
#socadm16!
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?
15. #socadm15
Your institution’s website
is the first marketing tool
to attract and engage
prospective students. !
#socadm16!
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.!
16. 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?
17. 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
#socadm16!
HALF OF STUDENTS!
WOULD DOWNLOAD APP
TO COMMUNICATE
For what purpose would you download a native app from a college?
19. 85%!
35%!
5%!
College Website
Common App
Other
Submitting Apps on Their Phone
#socadm16!
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?
20. #socadm15
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
#socadm16!
22. #socadm15
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?
23. 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
24. 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
25. #socadm15
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
#socadm16!
28. 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
#socadm16!
INCREASED
GROWTH BY
PERCENTAGE
POINTS
17!
Year over year comparison: How often do you use the following social media websites?
29. #socadm15
#socadm16!
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?
30. #socadm15
4 in 5
SAY SOCIAL MEDIA CONVERSATION
INFLUENCED THEIR ENROLLMENT DECISIONS
1 in 2
USE SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN DECIDING
WHERE TO ENROLL
#socadm16!
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?
31. 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%
Pinterest
Snapchat
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Multiple times a day
Once a day
Once a week
Once a month
Every once in a while
Never
#socadm16!
Has used ever:
Vine 26%!
YikYak 20%!
LinkedIn 17%!
How often do you use the following social media sites during college research?
33. #socadm15
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
#socadm16!