ERIC Number: ED577892
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 234
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-0-3551-7051-1
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Understanding the Role of Social Media on a Student's College Choice Process and the Implications on a University's Enrollment and Marketing Strategies
Thornton, Kimberly C.
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Louisiana Tech University
With decreasing state funds, a sluggish economy, and increased competition, universities are finding new ways to recruit prospective students to their institutions (Campbell, 2013; Sandlin & Pena, 2014). One way to create relationships and recruit prospective students to a university is through the use of social media platforms (Han, 2014; Joly, 2016). The purpose of this study, using the theoretical framework of Perna's (2006) Conceptual College Choice model, was to understand how social media impacted student college choice process by analyzing how universities used social media sites to market their universities to prospective students using the qualitative method of content analysis. Sixteen universities, based on the size and setting classification of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (n.d.), were chosen. Their official social media accounts were analyzed during a seven-day period in the month of October of 2016. The results found all universities were active on at least Facebook and Twitter; however, prospective students were using Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube more frequently, thus a majority of the universities studied were missing the opportunity to connect on the students' social media platforms of choice, which could impact enrollment numbers. The use of popular hashtags and the type of content posted to the university's social media sites also impacted the number of likes, shares, and comments made by prospective students. The limitation of the study included the use of a stratified purposeful sample and the difficulty of determining profile statuses. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Role, Social Media, Marketing, Content Analysis, Qualitative Research, Guidelines, Classification, College Choice, Student Recruitment, Universities, Profiles, Institutional Characteristics, Enrollment Trends
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A