The benefits for colleges to be active in social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Tiktok has its advantages.
“In terms of how helpful this has been for students, we certainly hope it has been! During COVID-19 in particular, I think students were thankful to receive frequent updates on social media since they weren’t on campus and some of them felt a bit disconnected at the time, they’re often very generous about thanking us when they’ve gotten a tidbit of information that they needed.” said Alex Breitler, director of Marketing and Communication of Delta.
Delta will also be reaching their 10 year anniversary on Facebook in July 2023 and is going on more than 5 years on Twitter and Instagram.
However, the Delta facebook page is not an official website. Breitler is a frequent user on Delta’s Facebook page by posting questions there asking students how their week is going and engaging with the audience for that group page.
Delta also runs paid ads on Snapchat, and joined Tiktok three years ago.
Victoria Gonzalez, Delta’s Digital Communications Coordinator, runs Delta’s social media accounts.
These pros are good for colleges because they are able to notify upcoming events and promote the college on these platforms especially when social media apps are used by global users.
For example when visiting Delta’s Instagram page, @sjdeltacollege’s bio lets people know that they offer up 200 degrees and certificates.
This also helps Delta to keep students informative besides relying on the deltacollege.edu
Delta also not only wants to focus on making their social media pages informative but also fun for the audience as they are aware they can be reaching different audiences.
“Student expectations about the frequency and timeliness of information have evolved over time so we need to evolve too. This is challenging because there are many types of audiences, so I think we have to put a lot more thought and strategy into which platforms we’re using and how we use them. We try to make it not just informative but also a fun place to build a sense of community and belonging,” said Breitler.
So how is Delta making these platforms more fun?
By engaging with students by not only being an informative page but also listening to students on social media so they can learn how to make Delta College a better place for students.
However, Delta’s social media not only has its pros for the college but also for the students.
For example, the San Joaquin Delta College Facebook page has been beneficial for me.
In Fall 2021 when first starting Delta, I was able to purchase a book for a class for a lower price than the Student/Bookstore while messaging with another student by meeting them on the San Joaquin Delta College Facebook group page.
The Facebook group allows students to communicate by allowing students to post on the group page, comment and share.
So students can create questionnaires for a class, sell books, promote business, a recommendation for who and what class to take besides using ratemyprofessor.com and just opinions from other students.
I myself have used the San Joaquin Delta College as a resource for a class and freely communicate with other students.
I am also able to find out about in campus events by checking their Instagram page.
Delta college’s official social media platforms are reliable and accurate information for students according to Breitler and are always corrected when needed.