Compared Content of University Facebook Feed Analysis

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to observe, identify and evaluate the usage of a university Facebook fan page and offer suggestions that the university could implement into their social networking. For this study we assessed and recorded each Facebook status, picture and video posted by the university over a two month time span (January through February). Once the data was collected it was analyzed through a series of categories the group deemed as important research reference points. The next step of the process was to identify which posts attracted the most interactions and figure out what it was that got people interested in the particular subject. Thanks to this research, we have come to realize several factors are needed to create appealing subject matter via social networking.

INTRODUCTION Social media seems to be an entirely new language to some people, but more so organizations, companies, and groups of all kinds. Facebook has become advertisings best friend in the last decade, and has become its own form of communication. The issue being, if youre not using it, youre being left behind. It is not only important to be on Facebook, but also be interesting on Facebook. Our point of interest was not only what makes a universities Facebook feed more effective, but how college universities can and are using their Facebook fan pages for more than just entertainment. The university is gaining social presence. We wanted to find out how universities can speak the Facebook language effectively and efficiently.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Problem Statement Since social media has become increasingly accessible to various industries, colleges and universities have taken steps to have a greater influence on the social networking generation. Given the easy access to websites such as Facebook, it is reasonable to suggest that students have relied heavily on receiving necessary information through these important pages. Research suggests the communication model within marketing is making the shift from a sender-receiver model to a peer-to-peer or receiver-sender model (Johnston, 2010). Consumers have turned to each other in most cases for reliable and trusted information on what is new and best. In most cases, those involved with higher education have recognized this shift in communication, and are listening for what students are really looking for when it comes to choosing a university. With a few simple changes, using these social media outlets, colleges and universities can have a positive impact on how future students view their soon-to-be home for the next four years.

Purpose Statement The purpose of our study was to discover what factors influence prospective and current students, as well as, alumni to participate or acknowledge university social media sites.

Research Questions To achieve the purpose of our study, we investigated the following research questions: 1. Which types of social media content on university Facebook pages result in high feedback (likes or comments) among external and internal university groups? 2. What factors within the Facebook pages influence prospective and current students, as well as, alumni to participate or acknowledge university social media sites?

REVIEW OF LITERATURE Social media has not always been around to help aid organizations and individuals in making tough decisions. Presently, in the year 2013, social media impacts us on multiple levels. What was once just a way to connect with friends has now become a way to gain knowledge, catch up on local news, trending events, and decision-making. In February 2004, the social networking site Facebook became available exclusively for college students to meet and connect with each other online (Facebook, 2004). In 2005, high school students were allowed to join the network and witnessed what current college students were talking about and where they attended classes. Facebook became available to everyone and anyone in 2006 when they lifted the e-mail requirement to begin networking (Facebook, 2004). The expansion into the social networking spectrum has been utilized at universities on a national level. Every college and university tries their best to recruit potential students at every outlet possible. With the millennial generation being more tech-savvy than those prior, colleges and universities have turned to the web and other media to get their name out there (Millennial Matters, 2012). Social networking has continued to consume a large part of the Millennials time and has brought these technologies into the classroom to enable a more common and diverse learning environment. Campus tours are now offered virtually, along with recruiting, advising, simulations, and classes are among those included in the growing virtual environment. Educational institutions have discovered ways to cut costs and deliver higher student satisfaction and are catering to a more technologically dependent generation (Virtual worlds and social networking: reaching the millennials, 2010). Surprisingly, we noticed there are a significant number of colleges and universities that do not yet use these social networking sites to their full potential. Todays students receive information about colleges by chatting with enrolled students, instead of relying on glossy

viewbooks filled with general information on that particular campus (Beyond Facebook: What's Next for Social Media in Higher Ed., 2012 ). Just because a university has a Facebook page, does not mean that page is being utilized to its full potential. Posting everything from special events covering Black History Month, repairs of a popular landmark, and even a baby picture with the infant next to a the universitys graduation ring; the site has major traffic. Pages should touch on a variety of subjects, instead of street closings and athletics. Prospective students have liked these college facebook pages to see the community they are considering joining. Alumni support played a role in this process as well. The more engaged the alumni are when it comes to their alma mater, the more interested prospective students become in a particular institution. In the students mind, if the former student still cares so much about the campus after they walk the stage, they too could share the enthusiasm for that school (Stuart, 2009).

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Our research has been guided by the social presence theory as it applies to universities social presence on Facebook. Social presence theory has many different definitions and explanations but Short, Williams, and Christie summed it up in 1976 as the salience of another person in a mediated environment (Short, Williams, Christie, 1976). Gunawardena and Zittle suggest there are two factors in social presence consisting of intimacy and immediacy. Intimacy includes nonverbal factors, such as, physical distance, eye contact, and smiling. Immediacy is a measure of distance put between two people communicating (Aragon 2003). Social impact is defined as when there are many physiological changes in an individual as a result of imagined presence of other individuals (Lantane, 1981). The social presence of universities is fueled by

frequent posting but also frequent feedback. This theory outlines our research to help us decide what the university can post to gain the most feedback.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY For the purpose of this study, we utilized the grounded-theory content analysis method to examine how universities in Texas have used Facebook to communicate with current and prospective students. We utilized the systematic methodology, most commonly used in the social sciences, that uses the analysis of data to develop a central theory. The method worked backwards to generate a hypothesis from data collected. The first step was to collect the data and then mark key points within the data to group them into similar concepts. From this we formed categories of information and began the basis for a theory.

CONTEXT OF THE STUDY Each of the universities involved in this study have a Facebook page. These pages allow future, former, and present students to stay informed on current events and various information about the university and its students. Each university has administration, faculty, and students that provide Facebook updates for page followers on a regular basis. We analyzed the posts on these pages with the goal of discovering which posts generate the most traffic and the reasons behind this behavior.

UNIVERSITIES INVOLVED IN THE STUDY In our study we included four universities in Texas that share similar demographics. We originally sought to to use only universities within the Texas A&M University System, however it was decided the research was too narrow. Through researching the Texas Higher Education

Coordinating Board we were able to find universities that shared similar demographics in terms of size, location, enrollment and tuition. The Facebook pages of the following universities were examined and the data collected for further research.

University One Based in a rural area of Texas, this public institution has approximately 12,808 students (THECB, 2013). The university joined facebook in September 2008 and has over 41,000 likes and 1,205 people have talked about the page. Over 40,000 fans have also checked into the fan page.

University Two University two is also located in a rural area of Texas. This public institution has over 10,200 students and awarded 1,630 bachelors degrees and 428 masters degrees in Fall 2012 (THECB, 2013). Since joining Facebook in December 2008, the university's Facebook page has received 20,271 likes and 6,655 fans checked in to the fan page. Approximately 4,514 fans have told others about the website as well.

University Three University three is a public institution based in a rural area of Texas. The institution has approximately 14,288 students and awarded 1,353 bachelors degrees in Fall 2012 (THECB, 2013). The university joined Facebook in April 2008 and has since received 18,192 likes and 395 fans have told others about the page. Also 27,261 fans have checked in to the fan page.

University Four University four is located in an urban area of Texas. This public institution has slightly over 7,200 students and awarded 805 bachelors degrees in Fall 2012 (THECB, 2013). Since

joining Facebook in September 2009 the universitys page has received 14,575 likes, 994 fans have shared the page with others and approximately 12,015 fans have checked in to the fan page.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Starting the first week of March, we researched the Facebook pages of the four universities that were to be included in our study. Then we compiled the data over a two-month time period including all posts from the aforementioned universities between January 1st, 2013 and February 28th, 2013. Due to the universities posting several times throughout the day in some cases, we decided that a two-month period would give the most accurate representation of a university-ran Facebook fan page. As a group we utilized an Excel spreadsheet through our Google Drive system and analyzed each post or shared post through the four university Facebook fan pages. Using the Social-Presence Theory as our base structure, we implemented a grounded theory- based content analysis to separate the posts into ten different categories. Once the Facebook posts were divided, we used and incorporated the responses while discussing the constant popular themes the individual universities relied on.

RESULTS

The four universities included in this study contributed 220 Facebook posts from the beginning of January 2013 to the end of February 2013. During the two-month period, the universities produced 20,401 Facebook likes, 872 Facebook comments, and 1,771 Facebook shares (Table 1). We have formed two overarching categories: enhanced posts and interactive/outreach. Enhanced posts formed five subcategories: photos, shared links, links, videos, and question. Interactive/outreach formed three subcategories: event, greeting, and notification. (Table 1)

Table 1 - University Facebook Pages - Posts, Likes, Comments, and Shares

Total Number of Posts University 1 University 2 University 3 University 4 25 50 38 107 Total Number of Likes 7079 8310 804 4208 Total Number of Comments 228 480 43 121 Total Number of Shares 986 618 46 121

Total

220

20,401

872

1,771

Overarching Category: Enhanced Posts As stated above, the enhanced posts group includes five subcategories. Those subcategories include: photos, shared links, links, videos, and question. (Table 2)

Table 2 - Overarching Categories With Enhanced Posts

Photo s S h a r e d Li n Li n k s Vi d e o s Q u e st io n

k s Unive rsity 1 Unive rsity 2 Unive rsity 3 Unive rsity 4 17 3 1 4 0 0

72

1 2

1 7

18

3 0

124

1 1

4 2

Total

231 (61%)

5 6 (1 5 % )

7 3 (1 9 % )

9 (2 % )

1 0 (3 % )

T ot al F r e q u e n ci e s:

3 7 9

According to the chart, the most popular subcategory among the universities was photos (231). One university posted [University 1] shared [University students] photo. Shout out to [University student] for representing us in Afghanistan. Thanks for your service! You make

us [University 1 mascot] proud! "Just saying hello from Afghanistan. I can not wait to get back to class." The subcategory with the second highest number of posts was links (73). This subcategory entails posts with an attached link to a different page (i.e. the universitys website or athletic website). The third largest subcategory (56) was shared links. This subcategory includes posts that were shared by the universitys followers to their personal pages. For example, one of the universities posted, Check out [University 1]s own [University Coach] and [University athlete] today at 1:30 on Fox Sports Southwest! and included a link. If the university redistributes this particular post, it would be considered a shared link. The next largest subcategory is question. In which the university purposed a question to its supporters in search of some feedback or interaction. For example, University 3 posted Have you registered for Spring yet? Classes start Jan. 17.. The last subcategory was videos. University 3 posted, [University 3] - [University news station] is looking for you! [University news station] has auditions for news, sports, and weather anchors on Friday, Feb. 1, at 11:30 am at Theatre Annex Room 113. Please dress professionally! For more information call the [University 3] Television Studio at [telephone number]. [University news station] Break - Wednesday, November 28, 2012..

Overarching Category: Interactive/Outreach As stated above, the interactive/outreach group includes three subcategories. Those subcategories include: event, greeting, and notification. (Table 3)

Table 3 - Overarching Category with Interactive/Outreach Posts

Event Greeting Notificati on 16

University 1 University 2

11

25

University 3 University 4

14

11

74

61

Total

124 (53%)

16 (7%) Total Frequenci es:

92 (40%) 232

Most of the posts emerged in the event category. For example, Show your support and connect with old and new [University 4 mascot] friends during [University 4] s Spirit Week 2013, Monday, Feb. 4 Thursday, Feb. 7. Events are open to the public. The celebration kicks off with a Shopping Cart Decorating Party, Monday, Feb. 4 from noon 5 p.m. in the Student Center (SC) ballroom. Voting for Mr. and Ms. [University 4] 2013 begins Monday. Students can vote online at [University 4 link] through Wednesday, Feb. 6. Videos of the candidates are available at [University 4 YouTube] . Everyone is encouraged to wear maroon and silver all day to show his or her school spirit and pride. Students should keep an eye on [University 4 Facebook] to find out where to win a free [University 4] T-shirt.. The subcategory with the second highest number of posts was the notification section. University 3 posted, "This beautiful weather is getting us excited for baseball and softball season! The [University 2 mascot] baseball home opener vs. Louisiana Tech is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at [University field]. [University 2 jargon]". Our least popular subcategory was greeting. An example of a greeting would be, Welcome transfer students! We hope you enjoy Transfer Connection Day as you make your transition to your new home here at [University 1].".

Most Effective Posts for Universities

The posts in the table below are the posts from each university that received the most attention. We would consider these posts to be the most effective based on the number of likes. These posts accumulated 3,906 likes total. (Table 4).

Table 4 - Five Most Effective Posts for Universities

Post
(1/22/2013) [University 1] shared [University Student]s photo. Shout out to [University Student] for representing us in Afghanistan. Thanks for your service! You make us [University Mascot] proud! "Just saying hello from Afghanistan. I can not wait to get back to class." (1/1/2013)[University 2] Marching Band at London New Year's Day Parade (39 photos)The LMB led the annual London New Year's Day Parade at London, United Kingdom. (1/17/2013) Welcome back, [University 3] students! Hope you're having a wonderful first day of the spring semester! "(1/4/2013) It feels a bit more relaxed on campus in the interim, at least according to the wildlife. It's tempting to pet them, but don't give in. It's illegal."

Number of Likes
1945

University
University 1

1460

University 2

161

University 3

340

University 4

Total Likes:

3,906

CONCLUSIONS The purpose of the research we conducted was to discover what got the attention of prospective students, current students, faculty, staff and others through a social media outlet

known as, Facebook. During this study, we categorized each post in order to find the most and least effective ways the universities communicated with their friends. The categories used were enhanced posts and interactive/outreach. The most popular Facebook posts came from the enhanced posts category. In conclusion we found that these select universities have a social presence, but whether that presence impacts their students is to be determined by projected internet traffic; in the form of: likes, shares, comments, tagged posts, and campus related check-ins. Through research analysis we discovered that universities rely on feedback from their fans, in the form of internet traffic, to find out exactly what followers are interested in or what is appealing to them on their newsfeed. Once we related our research to the social presence theory we were able to better analyze the information at hand to give a better recommendations for future postings.

IMPLICATIONS The Facebook pages for the four universities observed over the two month period (January and February) should consider focusing not only on posting for current students but for the prospective and alumni. Universities should consider informing prospective students with posts on certain dates or deadlines needed to begin their next semester allowing them to be excited to begin school. We noticed the few posts posted from alumni received the most feedback. University one had the most effective post with a picture from an alumnus soldier holding the schools flag in Afghanistan. Universities should consider involving pictures from/of alumni to receive high involvement that is normally overlooked. Universities should consider making the Facebook page a source for all announcements. This should focus on any information that would need to be given to all students and faculty

throughout the academic year. The universities should work to involve a specific communication department to avoid students and faculty not receiving the announcements in time. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Due to the time constraints of this study, we were only able to analyze Facebook posts spanning two months of a Spring semester for each university (January & February). It is suggested for future researchers to focus on a longer period of the academic semester or perhaps an entire academic year. Additionally, future researchers may want to focus on how individual sectors of the university utilize Facebook (i.e. academic advising, student programming, greek organizations etc.) and other social networking sites to communicate with interested parties. An efficient way to conduct research and study university fan pages would be to track their posts for an entire school year. This would allow you to see what a university is posting for their entire school year. If a year could not be done, a full semester would work as well. This would help a researcher be able to tell their strengths and weaknesses from month to month. By expanding research and including larger universities with a greater social media presence you can analyze the similarities and differences in their posts compared to that of smaller universities.

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