New social media index ranks Australia's top-performing universities
Announcement posted by Five Bees Media 22 Aug 2021
A new University Social Media Index has launched today, shining a light on Australian universities and their visibility online via social media and digital channels.
Created by the Student Job Board, the index compares Australian universities on their use of major social media platforms, and ranks them based on audience numbers and engagement.
Social media is increasingly becoming a trusted information source for young people and university students, and Australian universities have had to ensure their marketing efforts and community engagement have moved from traditional channels into the digital space.
Marina Garbuio, from Motivating Marketing, a digital marketing and social media strategist with extensive marketing teaching experience in the university sector, said for universities today, social media channels are increasingly important:
“Not only are social media accounts important for prospecting future students and providing them with an insight into what it might be like to study at the university, they’re also essential for engaging with current students, and creating loyalty in their graduates and alumni, so that students maintain a relationship with the university after they leave.”
The top performing university based on the index findings was the University of Melbourne, with a combined audience of almost 800,000 across its major channels of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Also featured in the top five on the leaderboard are the University of NSW, University of Sydney, Deakin University (VIC) and Monash University (VIC).
Student Job Board founder, Matt Heyes, said the index is an important opportunity for Australian universities to reflect on how they compare against their peers in this increasingly competitive digital space:
“With virtual open days and remote learning becoming the norm, it’s important for universities to embrace social media and online communities, so that their students still have an opportunity to feel connected to their peers and higher education institutions. We speak to students everyday through our job board, and we know connecting online and having access to engaging social media communities are really important to them right now.”
Facebook is the most popular social media channel for Australian universities, with this social media platform having the highest audience numbers across most universities surveyed. Macquarie University leads the pack on Facebook, with an audience of 725,545 and counting. On Instagram, University of Melbourne leads the pack, with 127,000 followers.
The top 10 Australian universities on the Social Media Index are as follows:
- University of Melbourne
- University of New South Wales
- University of Sydney
- Deakin University (VIC)
- Monash University (VIC)
- University of Queensland
- Macquarie University (NSW)
- Australian National University
- RMIT (VIC)
- Curtin University (WA)
The full University Social Index rankings report, with the top 42 ranking Australian universities, is available here: https://www.studentjobboard.com.au/university/
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Student Job Board:
Student Job Board is an employment website, which helps connect students and employers across a range of industries and work types. Focusing on part-time and casual work for university students, Student Job Board helps tertiary students find employment to help support their studies. The site is also a recommended source for summer jobs and work experience placements.
Student Job Board is the sister website to Backpacker Job Board; an employment website for working holiday makers. With its headquarters located in Melbourne, Student Job Board is owned and operated by Five Bees Media Pty Ltd.