Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit dem Thema soziale Medien zwischen Maturanten und Hochschulen. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war es zu analysieren, welche Bedeutung soziale Medien bei Maturanten als Informationsquelle für das zukünftige Studium besitzen. Die Arbeit gliedert sich in einen theoretischen und praktischen Teil. Der theoretische Teil behandelt zwei Themen - soziale Medien und Hochschulmarketing, welche in das Hochschulmarketing in sozialen Medien konvergieren.
Durch Web 2.0 Anwendungen ist es möglich, Dialoge anstatt Monologe im Internet zu führen. In verschiedenen sozialen Netzwerken können Inhalte erstellt, konsumiert und daran teilgenommen werden. Auch Unternehmen können diese sozialen Netzwerke nützen, um Marketingziele zu erreichen.
Hochschulen betreiben seit Jahren Marketing, um ein Bewusstsein und einen positiven Ruf am Markt bei den Zielgruppen zu etablieren. Eine dieser Zielgruppen sind potentielle Studenten, welche durch traditionelle Kommunikationsinstrumente wie Messen, Tag der offenen Türen oder Informationsmaterialien gewonnen werden können.
Der letzte Theorieteil behandelt das Thema, ob soziale Medien für Hochschulen geeignet sind. Hochschulen profitieren von sozialen Netzwerken, da aktuelle Informationen potentiellen Studierenden bereitgestellt werden. Jedoch werden soziale Netzwerke nicht von Maturanten als mögliche Informationsquelle über das zukünftige Studium bewusst verwendet. Oftmals präsentieren Seiten in sozialen Medien den gleichen Inhalt wie von statischen Webseiten, was jedoch nicht das Ziel von sozialen Netzwerken ist. Derzeit können soziale Netzwerke als Marketinginstrument im Anfangsstadium bei der Ansprache von potentiellen Studierenden betrachtet werden.
Der praktische Teil dieser Arbeit untersucht, ob die theoretisch erarbeiteten Inhalte mit der Meinung von österreichischen Maturanten übereinstimmen. 85 Maturanten wurden hinsichtlich ihrer Akzeptanz befragt, ob sie soziale Netzwerke für die Informationssuche für das zukünftige Studium verwenden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass traditionelle Kommunikationsinstrumente vermehrt verwendet werden. Durch die Erhebung gibt es Informationen, dass Inhalte wie Erfahrungen von Studierenden in sozialen Netzwerken erwartet werden. Schlussendlich kann gesagt werden, dass die Resultate sich mit dem theoretischen Teil decken.
Table of Contents
1. Initial situation
2. Description of the problem
3. Objectives of the thesis
4. Reference frame
5. Web 2.0 and social media basics
5.1 Definition & development of Web 2.0
5.2 Social media
5.2.1 Social media networks
5.2.2 Social media marketing
5.2.3 Social behaviour of pupils
6. Higher education
6.1 Higher education marketing
6.2 Higher education promotion
7. Higher education social media marketing
7.1 Conclusion
8. Research of the meaning of social media networks as a source of information for potential students
8.1 Research method
8.2 Research location
8.3 Sampling
8.4 Field research
8.5 Analysis tool – SPSS
8.6 Results
8.6.1 Demographic data
8.6.2 How pupils are informed about future education
8.6.3 Which sources are used to obtain information on higher education institutions
8.6.4 Number of members and use of social media networks
8.6.5 Social media networks between secondary school graduates and higher education institutions
8.6.6 How higher education institutions are contacted and which higher education institution are known.
8.6.7 How the choice of study is affected by social media sites of higher education institutions
9. Conclusion
9.1 Discussion of results
9.2 Recommendation
9.3 Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
The primary objective of this thesis is to examine the role and relevance of social media networks as an information source for potential students (high-school graduates) when researching higher education institutions. The study investigates whether current social media marketing strategies of higher education institutions meet the expectations of these students or if traditional communication channels remain dominant.
- Theoretical analysis of Web 2.0, social media marketing, and its specific application in the higher education sector.
- Empirical market research involving 85 high-school graduates to analyze their actual online behavior and preferences.
- Evaluation of the alignment between institutional social media content and the information needs of prospective students.
- Derivation of recommendations for professionalizing social media presence in higher education marketing.
Excerpt from the book
5.2.1 Social media networks
SMNs are communities that enable users to communicate with each other through technical applications. Many SMNs have similarities such as profiles, the possibility of creating a corporate site, the ability to contact others, private and group messages, groups, pictures, videos, events, games and applications. Consequently, a distinction is made between consumption, participation and creation of content by users of SMNs. Table 2 describes in detail the social media activities of users.
Every type of user exists: Users who only consume content and do not create content. Other users, who form the majority, also leave comments on social media sites and in this way, produce content. In summary, these users are online on different SMNs with various benefits.
This thesis examines the following SMNs due to their importance and the number of members in Austria:
Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Xing, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, Picasa.
Summary of Chapters
1. Initial situation: Describes the developments in the higher education market, including European standardization and increased competition.
2. Description of the problem: Highlights the ambiguity regarding the suitability of social media marketing for higher education institutions to attract potential students.
3. Objectives of the thesis: Defines the goal of researching whether high-school graduates use social media for information gathering and if such efforts are essential for institutions.
4. Reference frame: Provides a visual structural overview of the thesis and the logical flow from theory to empirical research.
5. Web 2.0 and social media basics: Introduces technical foundations, definitions of social media, and online behavioral patterns of the target group.
6. Higher education: Defines higher education marketing and the importance of promotional tools within the marketing mix.
7. Higher education social media marketing: Discusses the impact of social media on institutional marketing strategies and communication approaches.
8. Research of the meaning of social media networks as a source of information for potential students: Details the empirical survey methodology, sampling, and key findings regarding information habits of students.
9. Conclusion: Summarizes research findings and provides strategic recommendations for higher education marketing professionals.
Keywords
Social Media Marketing, Higher Education Institutions, Web 2.0, Potential Students, Digital Natives, Communication Strategy, Information Seeking Behavior, Online Surveys, Marketing Mix, Brand Reputation, Consumer Behavior, Social Media Networks, Traditional Marketing, Student Recruiting, Market Research
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this thesis?
This work examines the interaction between potential students in their final year of secondary school and higher education institutions within the context of social media networks.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The core fields are Web 2.0 technologies, social media marketing, and the specific application of marketing strategies within the higher education sector.
What is the central research question?
The research asks whether social media networks are perceived as a relevant and effective source of information by potential students when they search for data on future studies.
Which methodology was employed for the research?
The author conducted quantitative market research using a semi-standardized online questionnaire completed by 85 high-school graduates.
What is treated in the main part of the thesis?
The main part consists of a theoretical framework defining social media and education marketing, followed by an empirical section presenting survey results on student behavior.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include social media marketing, higher education, digital natives, student recruiting, and information behavior.
Do students consider social media as their primary source of information for study choices?
No, the findings show that students overwhelmingly prefer traditional sources like official websites, information leaflets, and open days over social media networks for initial information gathering.
What is the author's main recommendation for universities regarding social media?
The author suggests that social media should not be a secondary or isolated task; it requires professionalism, high-quality content, and must be integrated with traditional communication tools like personal acquisition.
Are there specific differences in how students use different networks?
The research indicates that while platforms like Facebook are widely used, their primary use by students is social interaction with friends rather than formal information gathering about institutions.
- Citar trabajo
- Lukas Riedner (Autor), 2015, Social Media between High-School Graduates and Higher Education Institutions, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/293725
