LinkedIn becoming a marketing tool for colleges


LinkedIn University Pages, since it was introduced in August 2013, has become a source of information for high school students deciding which schools to apply to and a marketing tool for colleges and universities.

Each University Page displays data about an institution that allows ties between universities and employers to become visible to prospective students. This LinkedIn data shows prospects where alumni from certain universities are hired after they graduate.

linkedin-marketing-tools

High schools are likely to utilize social media in their everyday lives, so LinkedIn allows universities the chance to recruit students on familiar platforms.

Students can contact admissions staff through University Pages, and colleges can create targeted posts and updates in their news section to attract potential freshmen.

New York University’s (NYU) page aims to showcase programs of study and upcoming campus events.

“Currently, we utilize the page to bring to life the NYU culture, and to create a robust community of NYU stakeholders all across the globe,” said Heather Tranen, an NYU spokeswoman. “At this time, it is too early to measure any concrete metrics regarding admissions interest, but we certainly do plan on measuring such items in the future.”

LinkedIn University Pages has the potential to reach high school students where they are: on social media, higher-ed officials said.

The Pages allow students to contact the university directly through private messages or by posting comments in the news section. Universities can send messages to their followers as a direct marketing tactic.

Each page includes a contact phone number and eMail address for the institution.

Univeristy Pages highlight the top industries and companies in which alumni work, as well as general information about the school including its history and demographic information. Universities can also include a prominent alumni figures section, images, and videos.

“Through my relationships at LinkedIn, I knew that hidden in millions of member profiles were powerful insights about the career outcomes of educations from universities around the world,” Christina Allen, LinkedIn’s director of product management, wrote in an August blog post. “If harnessed, these insights could provide incredible value for students – helping them explore possible futures and build a support network to help them succeed on campus and beyond.”

Jaccii Barmer is an editorial intern at eCampus News.

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