| Before the Internet existed, university marketing personnel spent their days faxing press releases or sending press releases with their accompanying photos via "snail mail" to media outlets. The Internet changed everything. Now, administrators are responsible for "tweeting" to constituents and "Facebooking" with fans. This transition made communication with constituents more immediate and interactive, and it became more important than ever that universities live up to the promises made to their constituents. The use of social media has been linked to improved communication, brand loyalty and customer engagement, but the social media environment makes mistakes more likely and more visible. A university's reputation is as valuable as ever, but because of the ubiquitous nature of social media, that reputation may be much more vulnerable.;The basis for this case study with cross-case analysis is a 2011 study of the use social media in higher education marketing by Dr. Adrenna Alkhas. In this modified replication, a survey was administered to social media administrators working in four institutions within the University of Texas System to determine similarities and differences in policies and procedures pertaining to social media use. The findings show how universities are appropriating valuable resources to social media and developing standards to use when evaluating the performance of social media managers, the gatekeeepers who serve on the frontline guarding the university's reputation. |
