Evaluating the content strategy developed by universities on social media

Abstract

Institutional communication is becoming a strategic instrument for universities, since it facilitates the relationships with their various publics and allows positioning of the institutional brand, which will contribute to building a distinctive reputation. The types of content disseminated by universities via their social media accounts will contribute decisively to these objectives, since the way in which the different topics are communicated may influence the publics’ perceptions of these higher education institutions. This research analyses the different types of content disseminated by universities (in Europe, the United States and Latin America) via their accounts on social networks (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn), to assess the main content topics that define the universities’ communicative positioning. A content analysis of the publications by universities on their social networks was carried out, representing an appropriate method to recognize the main themes and topics of their communication strategy. The results reveal two main thematic blocks of content: functional (teaching, research and social commitment topics) and institutional (organizational and contextual topics). Institutional publications are the most relevant block of content, far above the functional posts. In terms of specific topics, the organizational ones are the most common, well above publications on teaching or research, while contextual and social commitment content is used marginally. Most universities, in all regions and on all social networks, follow a dominant strategy of institutional content. So, the higher education institutions are mainly using social networks as a strategic tool for institutional positioning, more than informing about their daily activity.

Twitter killed the media star: a historical evolution of marketing communication used by Spanish universities

“…Although the literature review demonstrates a high consensus regarding the widespread adoption of Twitter as a communication tool by HEIs over the years, there is also strong evidence indicating that its use for branding and marketing purposes falls short of its full potential, primarily due to a lack of strategic approach in social media. A recent study examining the social media practices of 70 universities across Europe, the USA and Latin America found Twitter to be the most widely used platform (Capriotti et al , 2023). This study analysed the content shared on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn during a six-month period in 2021, identifying two main categories: functional topics related to teaching, research and social commitment and institutional topics focusing on organizational positioning rather than contextual and social engagement.…”