University Facebook Pages: Engaging the Alumni Community in the Digital Era

Abstract

This study examines how colleges and universities use social media in order to inspire higher levels of identification with the institution and build a sense of community within their alumni networks. Qualitative analysis of interviews with university social media managers is coupled with systematic content analysis of 66 university Facebook pages to propose a new model using four content themes to generate higher levels of engagement on social media: pride points, relevance, unifying imagery and nostalgia.