Higher Education Migrates to YouTube and Social Networks

In the article, Higher Education Migrates to YouTube and Social Networks, the author quotes Heather Mansfield who owns a consulting firm that focuses on helping colleges and universities step on to the social media scene. Mansfield considers this step an absolute necessity stating, “The thing with higher ed and social media is that colleges really don’t understand that they have no choice whether they want to use social media.” In Mansfield’s mind, this does is not completed by simply having a school page on Facebook. Instead, she suggests different pages for alumni, admissions, academic departments, etc. allowing a different page for each interest or need. Mansfield also states that “If colleges don’t start profiles for their school on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc., then an alum or current student will do it for them. And by waiting or mis-thinking it is a fad, they run the risk of losing complete control of their brand online. It is very common.” 

Many schools have been hesitant to jump completely aboard the social media train as Mansfield and Gilroy have suggested. Instead they have stuck with one overarching page on a social media site or two believing that to be sufficient. But, I have to agree with Mansfield when she says, “Higher ed in general has been entirely too cautious, and they probably don’t realized the damage they are doing to themselves.” Social media is not the future of recruiting, it is today’s recruiting.

Gilroy, M. (2010). Higher Education Migrates to YouTube and Social Networks. The Education Digest 75(7), 18-22. Retrieved fromhttp://ezproxy.arbor.edu:80/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/ezproxy.arbor.edu/docview/218188936?accountid=13998