3-2 Milestone One_Com-311
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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Apr 3, 2024
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3-2: MILESTONE ONE SUBMISSION
3-2: Milestone One Submission
Vincent Cirigliano
COM 311 – Social Media Strategy
Southern New Hampshire University
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3-2: MILESTONE ONE SUBMISSION
For this milestone I have chosen to develop a social media strategy for Campus Students
at SNHU. The goal is to successfully promote a bake sale being hosted by the student union
during the last week of the winter term in December. The baked goods will be donated by the
school’s dining staff and local bakeries. I’ll be looking to raise at least $3,000 with this
fundraiser, with all proceeds going to St. Jude’s.
Data Analysis
When analyzing the target audience, we begin by considering the makeup of typical
college students on campus, usually aged 18 to 22 years old, and are actively seeking a degree. In
the fall of 2022, Southern New Hampshire University had a total of 2,966 students on campus.
2,601 students are undergraduate students and 365 are graduate students. Among these students,
55% were male and 45% were female. Additionally, 60% of the student body resided in housing
affiliated with the college, while the remaining 40% lived off-campus. Additionally, 2% of
undergraduate men are affiliated with a fraternity, while 3% of undergraduate women are
affiliated with a sorority (U.S. News & World Report, 2024). The campus is located in
Manchester, NH and as of July 2022 the population of the city was 115,141 (U.S. Census
Bureau, 2024).
According to the NCES’s 2022 Condition of Education Report, numerous undergraduate
students aged 16 to 64 juggle employment alongside their studies. In October 2022, there were
11.6 million individuals aged 16 to 24 enrolled in college. Among them, 89.2 percent were
enrolled full time, while 10.8 percent were enrolled part time. Full-time students (such as SNHU
campus students) were significantly less inclined to engage in the labor force compared to part-
time students as of October 2022, 42.4% versus 81% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023).
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3-2: MILESTONE ONE SUBMISSION
Engaging in employment can assist students in covering the costs of tuition and various
living expenses. The estimated expenses for full-time beginning undergraduate students on
campus (tuition and fees, housing, books, and supplies) during the 2023-2024 school year is
$40,450 (Institute of Education Sciences, 2024). However, during their college years, numerous
students do not generate substantial income, especially full-time students living on campus. Their
employment is part-time, often with minimal hours. According to data from 2018, 6% of full-
time students worked fewer than 10 hours per week, 7% worked between 10 to 19 hours, 17%
worked between 20 to 34 hours, and 10% worked 35 hours or more. In 2020, there was a
decrease in the proportion of full-time undergraduate students who were employed, dropping to
40 percent from 43 percent in 2015. Likewise, the percentage of employed part-time
undergraduates decreased in 2020 to 74 percent compared to 78 percent in 2015 (National Center
for Education Statistics, 2022).
That being stated, the prices of the baked goods at the bake sale must be affordable
enough to entice the student body to continue purchasing them. Given that the items were
donated, the communications department can establish a price that is both enticing to students
yet still generates funds. Additionally, highlighting that the proceeds will benefit St. Jude's (a
noble cause) should hopefully draw more buyers to the bake sale. In theory, if every on-campus
student spent $1 at the bake sale, the $3,000 goal would be met.
The use of social media platforms cannot be emphasized enough. Over 98% of
individuals in the college-age demographic actively use social media platforms, rendering this
age group highly attractive to businesses. The rise of social media began in 2009 and has
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3-2: MILESTONE ONE SUBMISSION
maintained its momentum ever since. Today’s college students represent the inaugural
generation raised in a world where social media holds extensive influence (Zedd, 2023). According to the Pew Research Center’s social media fact sheet, as of September 2023,
the percentage of Americans aged 18-29 years old, using social media platforms that SNHU
actively promotes are as follows; Facebook at 67%, Instagram at 78%, LinkedIn at 32%, X
(formerly Twitter) at 42%, and YouTube at 93%. An emerging social media platform known as
TikTok, one that is not yet used official by SNHU, is used by 62% of adults aged 18-29 (Pew
Research Center, 2024). Despite packed class schedules, restricted income opportunities, and minimal leisure
time, students manage to pursue various extracurricular interests. SNHU offers a plethora of
extracurricular options with over 75 officially recognized clubs and organizations. This includes
intramural sports, volunteering opportunities, student clubs, organizations, and internships. To
participate, all student members must uphold a minimum GPA requirement of 2.0 for
undergraduates and 3.0 for graduates (SNHU, 2024b). Personal values and beliefs typically do not impact participation in this fundraiser unless
a student holds personal reservations about St. Jude's Research Hospital. Some students may
hesitate to spend money due to their upbringing.
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3-2: MILESTONE ONE SUBMISSION
SWOT
ANALYSIS
– S
TRENGTHS, W
EAKNESSES, O
PPORTUNITIES, T
HREATS
The SWOT analysis reveals strengths in the form of high-quality photos and videos
showcased across their social media platforms. The marketing team's strategic focus on online
students has been particularly effective. However, weaknesses include targeting a low-income
market segment with limited disposable income. Additionally, the heavy emphasis on online
students may inadvertently marginalize on-campus students, potentially diminishing their sense
of importance within SNHU.
Opportunities exist in incentivizing student engagement and social media tagging, which
could elevate awareness of events like bake sales and generate favorable publicity for SNHU if
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3-2: MILESTONE ONE SUBMISSION
executed creatively. Incorporating emerging platforms such as TikTok and Meta's Threads could
also open new avenues for reaching both current and prospective students, especially considering
their popularity among younger demographics. However, a significant threat lies in the fact that
the majority of SNHU's student population is online based, limiting the reach of posts related to
events like bake sales to only a fraction of the student body who can physically attend.
SNHU's social media strategy revolves around showcasing recent graduates' stories,
highlighting their reasons for returning to school and the successes they've achieved at SNHU.
This marketing campaign aims to inspire potential students to choose SNHU for their education.
SNHU maintains five official social media accounts on platforms including Twitter, Facebook,
LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram (SNHU, 2024a). As of March 2024, their Facebook page has
310,000 likes, while their Instagram page has garnered 45,200 followers with 1,787 posts.
Instagram and Facebook are prioritized as primary platforms due to their popularity among
college-aged students. Connection strategies involve tagging students in posts related to events
like bake sales, ensuring content quality over quantity to effectively engage the target audience.
While SNHU typically relies on reputation triggers, exploring innovative approaches such as
automaticity or reward strategies could offer a fresh perspective and captivate students with new
and creative content.
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3-2: MILESTONE ONE SUBMISSION
References
Auxier, B., & Anderson, M. (2021, April 7). Social media use in 2021
. Pew Research Center; Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-
use-in-2021/
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. D. of L. (2023, May 4). Labor force participation rates of college students differ by enrollment status and type of college : The Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
. Www.bls.gov. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/labor-
force-participation-rates-of-college-students-differ-by-enrollment-status-and-type-of-
college.htm
Clampitt, P. G. (2017). SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY : tools for professionals and organizations.
Sage Publications.
Institute of Education Sciences. (2024). College Navigator - Southern New Hampshire University
. Nces.ed.gov. https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?
q=Southern+New+Hampshire+University&s=all&id=183026#general
Meta. (2023, July 5). Introducing Threads: A New Way to Share With Text
. Meta. https://about.fb.com/news/2023/07/introducing-threads-new-app-text-sharing/
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022, May). COE - College Student Employment
. Nces.ed.gov. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ssa/college-student-employment
Pew Research Center. (2024, January 31). Social Media Fact Sheet
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tabId=tab-5b319c90-7363-4881-8e6f-f98925683a2f
SNHU. (2024a). Social Media Directory
. Alumni.snhu.edu; Southern New Hampshire University. https://alumni.snhu.edu/alumni-resources/social
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3-2: MILESTONE ONE SUBMISSION
SNHU. (2024b). Student Organizations & Clubs
. Www.snhu.edu. https://www.snhu.edu/student-
experience/campus-experience/student-organizations-and-leadership/student-
organizations-and-clubs
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Manchester city, New Hampshire
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Www.census.gov. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/manchestercitynewhampshire
U.S. News & World Report. (2024). Southern New Hampshire University Student Life
. U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/southern-new-hampshire-
university-2580/student-life
Zedd, E. (2023, February 9). Opinion | Social media has turned college students into mass consumers.
The Breeze. https://www.breezejmu.org/opinion/opinion-social-media-has-
turned-college-students-into-mass-consumers/article_65ac8052-a7d9-11ed-9930-
272f82cad2b1.html