New ways of marketing education with Twitter, Google+, and online reviews

For some, using today's hottest social media tools like Twitter and Google+ comes as second nature. Take University of New Hampshire, for example, whose staggering array of social media accounts provides evidence of a considerable footprint on social media platforms. But with the social and online marketing evolving so quickly, it seems you can never have too many tips on how to unlock the potential in these platforms. Recently, we came across several helpful articles that can put a few new tricks up your sleeve.

Twitter for learning, networking, and recruiting

This piece highlights 20 innovative ways schools are making use of Twitter. While it targets high schools, we think these tips apply equally well to language schools, universities, colleges, vocational schools, exam prep classes - you name it. From basic vocabulary and grammar building to hypothetical conversations to fundraising, volunteering and career planning, the uses are only limited to your imagination. And don't be put off by Twitter's 140 character limit. Sometimes the most effective messages are the shortest ones.

20% of Google+ users are students

It wasn't long ago that Google+ launched and we all thought, "Let's wait and see how important this new channel is before we invest time and money." Well, the waiting days are over. With 90 million profiles and 50.4% of all users between the ages of 18-24, you are missing a significant pool of potential students if you aren't mingling in their circles. A new report provides a bevy of profile information, including the fact that over 20% of all Google+ users list "student" as their occupation. This review of the report highlights another interesting fact: it's not necessarily the user engagement that matters; it's the advertising potential.

Monitor and encourage online reviews

Third-party college review sites offer unbiased perspectives which are worth big pots of gold to prospective students. Video clips and testimonials are probably already part of your marketing mix, but since these are created and delivered by educators, they carry less weight than genuine reviews written by students or alumni. This article suggests a few simple steps you can take to discover what people are already saying about your school, and how to generate fresh, genuine reviews on key sites.