Social media open the front door, invite potential students in

Social media can play an important role in how colleges and universities reach out to and attract potential students. Elizabethtown College, a private, liberal arts school of nearly 2,400 students in south-central Pennsylvania, has integrated print, web and social media into a cohesive (and emulation-worthy) campaign directed at accepted students.

Through its "Share the Moment" campaign, now starting its third year, Elizabethtown invites accepted students not only to enroll at the college, but to let their friends, families and future classmates (plus anyone who follows the college on one of several social media channels) know that they're going to E-town. As part of the acceptance package sent to students — attractively done and tied in well with its newly redesigned viewbook — the college encourages them to tweet comments and/or photos using a special hashtag. Check out this year's class on Twitter with the hashtag #etown2017.

Also in the acceptance package are instructions on how new students can navigate the college's web page and access important information that they will need as they prepare for the upcoming academic year.

The college had more than 175 students "share their moment" of acceptance on either Twitter or Instagram, out of an incoming class of nearly 550. In addition, the college found many students following up with additional posts throughout the summer and as they arrived on campus.

So why reach out to students who may or may not attend your institution? According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 82 percent of students say they want to interact with the colleges or universities where they've been accepted. Making them feel like part of your campus community before they arrive can go a long way toward getting them to sign on the proverbial dotted line.

Logistically or financially, Elizabethtown's "Share the Moment" campaign may not work exactly the same way for other schools, but the ideas certainly can be adapted to fit any size institution.

(Photos from Microsoft Office Images)