Dive Brief:
- More than 900 institutions responded to the sixth annual survey from CASE, Huron Consulting Group, and mStoner measuring social media activity on college and university campuses.
- University Business reports that 59% of the institutions surveyed boost fundraising campaigns with social media, including hosting “day of giving” and crowdfunding campaigns online.
- A minority of respondents reported using engagement scores to measure alumni and donor involvement, a level of tracking that helps administrators make decisions about where to allocate resources for future programs.
Dive Insight:
CASE, Huron Consulting Group, and mStoner called their first survey in 2010 one of the first studies of its kind. The 2015 results show widespread use of social media by staff members on campuses. More than 90% use Facebook, 81% use Twitter, 76% use LinkedIn, 67% use YouTube, and 55% use Instagram. Fewer than half use a range of other social media sites, including Flickr, Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Vine. Tracking engagement is simple when the interactions are digital. Facebook has its own built-in analytics software. Such tools, used deliberately, can be a boon for campuses everywhere.