the maturation of mobile and social: the 2017 social admissions report
TRANSCRIPT
THE MATURATION OF MOBILE AND SOCIAL: THE 2017 SOCIAL ADMISSIONS REPORT + +
#SocAdm17
Join the backchannelTweet using #SocAdm17Mention:@SocialAdmission @NRCCUA & @TargetXOr talk to the presenters:@gilrogers & @brianwmniles
#SocAdm17
Data-Driven Research
Direct Outreach
Digital Marketing
For Chegg Partners:• Continued delivery of all
student data and/or digital marketing services
• Opportunity to reach a broader pool of students with data-informed strategies
For NRCCUA Partners:• Continued delivery of all
student data, access to DataLab, Eduventures Research, etc.
• Opportunity to enhance traditional outreach with turn-key digital marketing
For Partners of Both:• All of the above + a single
NRCCUA Regional Director to support your
• However, with consistent changes to algorithms and platforms, we continue to stay on our toes
• There is a consistent shift in what platforms students use and value most
• It’s important to stay informed and understand where college help sites and social media influence behavior, and the impact mobile access has
Mobile and Social Are No Longer New
#SocAdm17
Background: Objective is to get greater insights into high school students’ use of social media, in general, and in selecting a college or university
Methodology
Methodology: Survey invitations were emailed to Chegg high school studentsSurvey Dates: Q4 2016Past Social Admissions Report fielded since 2012. Trends are highlighted throughout the presentation
High School Students: 1926 surveys completed this wave (over 7,000 in total). Weighted data to 42% male, 58% female #SocAdm17
53%
23%17%
1% 2% 4%
Ethnic Breakdown
Caucasian
Hispanic
African American
Native Hawaii/Pacific Islander
American Indian/Alaska Native
Prefer Not to Answer
1 - 3
4 - 6
7 - 10
+10
34%
39%
19%
8%
Number of Schools Applied tooTop States of Residents
Respondent Breakdown
+ +
IT’S IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WHERE DIGITAL TOOLS AND SOCIAL TOOLS FIT
IN THE COLLEGE SEARCH
#SocAdm17
DIGITAL TOOLSStudents use these tools to determine: Does this school offer what I want? Can I afford it? How do I apply?
#SocAdm17
SOCIAL NETWORKSStudents use these tools to ask: Will they like me?Will I like them? Are the students like me?
#SocAdm17
STUDENTS USE A
COLLEGE SEARCH/REVIEW
SITE WHEN RESEARCHING
SCHOOLS
Informative Social
Specialized
9 out of 10
Which of the following online resources have you used to research colleges?
Segmenting Digital Tools
#SocAdm17
85% 84%73%
63% 57% 56%
Which types of content are you looking for on these sites?+ +
Type of Content Looking For
#SocAdm17
$$$$$What Students Are Looking For
4 in 5 For Scholarships
3 in 4 Looking for Admissions
InfoStudents are in “discovery” mode when using digital
tools. #SocAdm17
Most Useful for College Research
Social media sites
Ranking sites (e.g., US News and World Report)
College reviews and scholarships sites (e.g., Chegg, niche)
College/university sites
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
11%
17%
28%
40%
24%
35%
41%
37%
45%
40%
28%
14%
20%
8%
2%
1%
Extremely useful Very useful Somewhat useful Not very useful
College “.edu” is a marketing vehicle for prospective student outreach
69% Indicate
very-extremely useful
35%
How useful were the following types of sites during your college research?
#SocAdm17
• Differentiate between “digital” and “social” tools. While it may be appropriate for a youthful member of your team to manage your social networking presence, this person may or may not be the best fit for managing your entire digital recruitment strategy.
• Nearly all students report using at least one college search/help site 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.
Insights on Digital Tools
#SocAdm17
DIALING IN ON MOBILE
#SocAdm17
35%Hand HeldDevice
Savvy Consumers
14%Desktop
50%Laptop
Primary Device Used to Research College
Which device do you primarily use to research colleges??
#SocAdm17
85%
42% 38%
20%14% 12%
6%
Actions taken on mobile when considering which college to apply to or enroll in.
College Research on Mobile
+ +
What Students Are Looking For
8 in 10 Students Visit College Websites on
Mobile
4 in 10 Schedule a Visit or Take a Virtual Tour #SocAdm17
More than half of
students access college
sites on a mobile
device at least
weeklyExcellent
Okay
Challenging
Not Applicable
17%
65%
11%
7%
Quality of Experience on Mobile Site
College Websites on Mobile
Once a Day18%
Once a Week40%
Once a Month13%
Every Once in a
While28%
Frequency of Visiting College Websites on Mobile
How frequently do you visit college websites on a mobile browser? How would you rate your mobile experience interacting with the college websites?
Which of the following have you done on a mobile device when considering which colleges to apply to or where to enroll? (select all that
apply)
The Application Process Rarely Ends on Mobile
+ +
SUBMITTED AN APP THROUGH A MOBILE DEVICE
13%
Track Conversion from the Initial Click…
#SocAdm17
Track Conversion from the Initial Click…
Track Conversion from other devices after the first view
60% OF STUDENTS EXPECT A RESPONSE WITHIN THE SAME
DAYAfter you contact a college representative, how soon do you expect to hear a response??
#SocAdm17
92% AGREE“I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE COMMUNICATION
FROM COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO ME”
I would like to receive communication from college admissions tailored specifically to me #SocAdm17
Email Preferred Mode of Communication; One in Four Students Want Text
Phone call
Messaging App
Text
In-person
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
13%
13%
26%
32%
53%
76%
37%
24%
32%
38%
33%
20%
29%
23%
19%
19%
9%
3%
21%
40%
23%
11%
5%
1%
Often Sometimes Rarely Never
Down from 20%
How Often Would You Prefer to Receive the Following Types of Communication from College Admissions?
Email and Mail Preferred Communicated Modes
Admissions decision
Housing/ roommate assignment
Receipt of transcripts
Financial aid information
Application completion
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
47%
66%
67%
67%
75%
45%
21%
27%
26%
19%
1%
2%
1%
1%
1%
2%
5%
2%
2%
3%
5%
5%
2%
4%
2%
0%
1%
1%
0%
0%
Email Social Media Text Phone call Messaging App
How Do You Most Likely to Receive Communication from Colleges About the Following?
APP HAPPY
#SocAdm17
Mobile Browsing vs. Mobile AppsYour institution’s
website is the first marketing tool for
attracting and engaging prospective
students. Mobile browsing is a key element during
the discovery phase of college search.
Improve student experience through the funnel.Faster, easier access to information and people once students have demonstrated interest in your institution.Provide a two-way, direct form of communication thanks to push notifications, student preferences etc.#SocAdm17
Kik GroupMe WhatsApp Whisper WeChat FireChat Other
63%
39%36%
11%
5%1%
7%
Private Messaging
Have you used any of the following messaging apps?
Private Messaging Apps Continue to Gain Ground
Over HALF of Students Use WhatsApp or GroupMe
Other: Facebook & Skype
TAKE NOTE: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEER-TO-PEER AND STUDENT-TO-SCHOOL INTERACTIONS.
#SocAdm17
Mixed-Use Mobile Apps
Specialized Mobile Apps
What is it? Mobile app experiences for everyday life
“De-bundled” mobile app experiences for admissions
interactions
Who is it for? Reserved for friends and family
Other admitted and current students, admissions staff
ActionsText messaging, private
messaging
Personal admissions info, virtual campus tours, private message with
admissions rep
Examples WhatsApp, GroupMe, SnapChat
Native apps for your institution (e.g. Schools App)
Text Messaging & Private Messaging
#SocAdm17
Stay Updated on Admissions
Info
To Manage Schedule,
Check Grades, Etc.
Be Informed of Campus News
& Events
Learn about Types of Pro-
grams Offered
To View Campus Map
Submit Ap-plication
Communicate with College
Rep
Take a Virtual Tour
Interact with Admitted and Current Stu-
dents
I Wouldn't Download an
App
76%72%
66% 65%58%
53% 51%48%
40%
10%
Top Reasons to Download an AppHalf of students would
download an app to communicate with college
reps
For what purpose would you download an app from a college?(select all that apply)
Key Findings on MobileThe path to application is fragmented. Students stop and start their search across multiple devices. Connecting the dots is a challenge but important. Students want mass personalization. 9 out of 10 students want information tailored specifically to them within 24 hours of requesting it. “Students want what they want, when they want, where they want it”.
There is a difference between student-to-student and student-to-school. With respect to each platform and channel it is important to understand intent versus use.
#SocAdm17
LEVERAGING SOCIAL PLATFORMS
#SocAdm17
Snapchat
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
9%
26%
32%
50%
57%
7%
9%
16%
13%
10%
9%
5%
10%
6%
4%
5%
3%
4%
1%
1%
18%
13%
13%
7%
6%
51%
44%
26%
23%
22%
Multiple times a day Once a day Once a week Once a month Every once in a while Never
How often do you use the following different social media websites?
Frequency of Use: OVERALL
-19%
Use daily or more often % change YOY
Snapchat
YouTube
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
3%
8%
12%
12%
14%
16%
3%
8%
8%
10%
10%
12%
4%
11%
6%
14%
15%
15%
4%
5%
3%
7%
8%
7%
11%
14%
13%
20%
21%
17%
Multiple times a day Once a day Once a week Once a month Every once in a while
Frequency of Use: COLLEGE SEARCH
How often do you use the following social media sites during college research?
40% 20% 16% 13% 7% 8% 7% 5%
42%
27% 24%18%
12% 10% 8% 8%
Visual Activities
Have Done in Past Week Have Done in Past Month or Longer
Discovery vs. Decision Engine
4 in 5 students have watched a video during their college search
How often have you done the following during your college research process?
Instagram Snapchat Facebook Twitter Pinterest
48%
87%
51%
31%
64% 63%
82%
54%
37%
81% 80% 79%
66%
51%
77% 78%74%
56%49%
Use of Social Media (Trended)
2013 2014 2015 2016
Shifts in Social Media Usage
Q4. How often do you use the following different social media websites?
Instagram Snapchat Facebook Twitter Pinterest
28%
60%
31%
14%
48%
26%
67%
46%
20%
70%
48%
67%
56%
21%
71%
53%
68%
50%
28%
2013 2014 2015 2016
1 in 2USE 5+ PLAT-FORMS
Year over year comparison: How often do you use the following social media sites during college research?
Increased Growth and Fragmentation of Social in College Search
Yes; 37%
No; 63%
1 in 3 Have Used Social Media to Research College/Universities
Discovery vs. Decision Engine
Did (or will) you use social media to research colleges that you have applied to (or to which you are considering
applying)?
60% have liked or
followed a school in their consideration
set.#SocAdm17
Not at all Rel-evant; 3%
Slightly Rel-evant; 21%
Moderately Relevant; 40%
Very Relevant; 21%
Extremely Relevant; 7%
Only 1 in 4 find content on college social media accounts relevant
How relevant is the information posted on colleges' official social media accounts or posts? #SocAdm17
Interactions MatterNearly 40% of students say interactions they have on social media influence where they enroll.
#SocAdm17
Key Findings for Social MediaSocial is Visual: The majority of students use YouTube most frequently when researching colleges online.
Networks consistently shift: Twitter is down, SnapChat is up – But still not the #1 platform used by students to specifically research colleges.
Interactions matter: Decisions to enroll are influenced by the interactions they have with other admitted/current students.
#SocAdm17
Thank You!Gil [email protected]@gilrogers@socialadmission
Brian [email protected]@brianwmniles@TargetX
#SocAdm17
Recording, slides and the full whitepaper will be available shortly at http://edu.chegg.com/downloads