The liked department: Using facebook analytics for strategic communication

Abstract

The rapid diffusion of online social networking sites is changing the very nature of organizational communication. This is particularly true in higher education, where Facebook is increasingly being used as a means to engage with students, faculty, and alumni. Unfortunately, academic departments seeking to adopt such technologies often fail to understand the unique opportunities and challenges that accompany the adoption of social media. This article illuminates recent changes in organizational communication and describes the adoption of Facebook by a political science department at a midwestern state university. The authors develop a typology of Facebook posts to determine which types of information generate the most audience activity. They explain how this information can assist academic departments as they seek to bolster recruitment and retention of students, as well as ongoing investment from faculty and alumni. © 2014 American Political Science Association.