Abstract
Abstract:
Purpose: This review article assesses findings related to social media use in regards to student recruitment and retention for higher education institutions (HEIs) including schools of nursing. This review outlines the need for building a social media presence, creating engaging content for target audiences, available platforms, and posting times and frequency. Methods: A literature review was conducted with keywords including the following terms in combination with “social media and” higher education marketing, higher education recruitment, university marketing, university recruitment, college marketing, and college recruitment. Results: College applicants rely on social media when making decisions about enrollment (Chen & DiVall, 2018). Social media allows students to engage with HEIs in a casual manner and can help them determine if the HEI is a good fit for them from the start, which could lead to better retention rates (Benedict et al., 2016). Much of building a social media presence is trial and error. Created content should complement the HEI’s goals, but be appropriate, engaging, and interesting to the target audience while promoting a sense of belonging and community (Chen & DiVall, 2018). Engaged followers are also more likely to be loyal to the brand and invest resources there (Lund & Wang, 2021). Conclusion: HEIs and nursing programs can utilize social media platforms like FacebookⓇ, InstagramⓇ, and TikTokⓇ to disseminate content that showcases their brand and what differentiates them from competitors. Social media can be an impactful marketing tool to build brand awareness, and connect with current students, potential students, and donors.
Recommended Citation
Granier, C., & Gravois, J. (2025). The Role of Social Media in Higher Education for Recruitment and Retention and the Implications for Nursing Programs. Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration, 5(2). Retrieved from https://repository.ulm.edu/ojihp/vol5/iss2/4
Included in
Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Technology Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Other Nursing Commons, Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons, Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons
