1. American College of Education | ace.edu
You Are Your School: Why your
presence on social media
matters
IACRAO 2016
10/17/2016

2. American College of Education | ace.edu 2
Who: Regionally accredited (HLC) online college
headquartered in Indianapolis, IN that offers graduate
degrees and certificates in Education for teachers. More than
13,000 graduates nationwide in just 10 years
Community: working teachers and administrators at least 5
years or greater into their career pursuing advanced
credentials for stronger skills in the classroom, better student
outcomes, and stronger leadership for stronger schools
American College of Education

3. Social media is where (prospective) students get “the real” you
Social media reveals:
• How you speak to others (formally or casually / flat or
engaging)
• What other people say about you
• What people with the most experience with you think or say
about you
Particularly important for prospective students looking for the
unvarnished truth from current students and graduates
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Social Media as Influencer

4. Social Proof and why it matters
“Social Proof” – a psychological phenomenon where people take
feedback or cues from peers to influence their
thoughts/feelings/perceptions
Social proof can also be influenced by engagement (or lack thereof) from
faculty, staff, and administration
When faculty or staff actively:
• Share articles about the school
• promote school events
• share news about faculty, students, or alumni
(promotions/breakthroughs/projects doing social good)
it adds to social proof that your school is giving people the tools and
opportunities to succeed.
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5. Social Proof in Action
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Social proof takeaway: If your faculty/staff/administration aren’t excited
about or proud of what’s happening at your school, why should I be?
Retired faculty
Alumna
Works for school

6. Why your presence matters
When faculty/staff/administration engage with their
school on social media, they…
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• Add a “face” to the
brand
• Make the relationship
more personal to
prospective
students/current
students/parents/alumni
• Increase trust and
mutual engagement

7. Measuring your impact
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Reach– the more you engage with your school or share their posts,
the more people will be exposed to your school and their content
• Helps drive brand awareness
• Improves success of major campaigns
• Increases application volume
• Reinforces that employees are engaged, and that they care about
the college (“This is a great school!”)
• Raises your school’s profile as an influencer, subject matter
expert, key player in your community or among schools with
similar presence

8. External Engagement
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Make your school’s brand awareness go further by finding ways to
incorporate other brands.
• Other brands may have
more reach than your
school
• Proximity to well
respected or
prestigious brands
raises your school’s
association with those
perceptions

9. How should you engage?
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Don’t just like/share/retweet/repost!
• Comment
• Engage with other commenters
• Share your own photos or submit content the campaign is
asking for
If you re-post or share on your own page, add a personal note
so the people who follow you pay attention!
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10. • Post book reviews or articles published by or about faculty / alumni /
administration from your school; lead with a personal comment
• Share new hire information
• Promote major conferences/speaking opportunities/research
How does LinkedIn fit in?
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Raise the perception of your school as an expert:
Make sure your own profile includes examples of work you’ve done with
and/or for the college that reflects well on the school and its expertise
(published papers, presentations, community projects, etc.)

11. Social Media Growth
• Growth in social media following
– Average 11% increase across Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
– LinkedIn 69%
• Engagement – 105%
• Page reach – 70%
• Post reach – 98%
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2015-2016 results from social media at American College of Education:

12. Follow ACE on Social Media!
• Facebook – American College of Education
• Twitter - @ACEedu
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest - ACEedu
• YouTube - ACEedu / American College of Education
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