Remember when you were 17 years old? I do! I was flying to New York for the first time. Alone. Yes, that was me a long time ago. My final destination was New Haven, Connecticut. I was on my way to study English as a second language at the lovely Albertus Magnus College. The only direction I had was a piece of paper that said: “Take the Connecticut Limousine at JFK and tell them you go to 700 Prospect St.”. Piece of cake, right? I clung to that piece of paper since my plane took off, trying not to lose it because I would be alone in NYC. Home Alone - Teenager Edition.

 

Fast forward to 2022, that situation is completely different with GPS, the school’s address on the website, Google images, and social media. You know, the works.

 

The world has changed through the years, and the way we access information, too. You can have a humongous amount of data in the palm of your hand. How you display it is the key that will open more doors.

What exactly can I do with Drupal?

Now let’s pretend you already know what Drupal is. Wait, what? Oh! You don’t know? Drupal is a free, open-source content management system with a very supportive community around the globe. Millions of people use it every day to build and maintain their websites. It has different modules that you can personalize to suit your needs and works great with social media engagement.

 

And why does social media matter? To start off, the paradigm of the audience’s behavior has changed. According to Kepios, there are 4.65 billion social media users, which means (roughly) 58.7% of the total population. Just imagine if only 0.1% of the total users know about your educational programs. I am not that good at math (and should probably attend one of your classes!), but I bet that's a lot of people. People that will not only know about your school but will also share your content. Sharing your content will work on your online presence, providing exposure and authority. That’s where Drupal comes into action.

Do you know how your school can benefit from Drupal?

If you are like me, and I think you might be, you are eager to learn about all the juicy details. I’ll get there, pinky promise.

 

The way you connect your institution, whether a university or a community college, to social media is how you will get more prominent online. It’s all about exposure, but not only that.

 

Enough rambling! Here come the goodies. *Drum roll* Let's go through this list together.

 

• Since all of the students connect through different platforms, either mobile phones, tablets, or notebooks, Drupal developed a super responsive module that enables sharing information on any social network. Imagine not only "nice" (which we all like) but also valuable posts that you can share with everyone. By posting on social media, students can be aware of unexplored educational programs, schedule changes, news, updates, etc. Awareness will translate into higher enrollment rates.
• Live Chat! Let’s face it: we all want to access information fast and without any bumps through the road. Instead of reading endless FAQs or sending an e-mail and waiting for an answer, Drupal has a module for live chats, where students can access all the information they need: any parking space left? Live directions? Possibilities are endless, which will boost user engagement aiming at your target audience.
• Cross-promotion between different platforms. Connecting your educational institution with different platforms makes interaction easily accessible, not leaving any student behind.
• OneAll Social Login. It's a very smart module that Drupal offers free of charge, enabling login in from 35+ social networks. (I did NOT know we have that many networks, BTW!). It simplifies the registration process and integrates into your existing system, so students won’t have to start from scratch.
• I found one interesting module that can be customized to display your latest tweets or Facebook posts on your website, so information is always accessible from any platform.

 

At Awkbit, we are always trying to find the best solutions for your institution, college, or university. You have the chance to stand out on the web. We can help you transform your website into a great digital experience. Did I convince you? No? Ok, if you contact us, you’ll also get free cookies from me.

 

PS: Yes, I was home alone in NY and Hartford, but I'll leave that story for another article. See you soon!

 

+1 (786) 321-3247 Mara Destefanis - Marketing

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