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Digital Engagement: Leveraging Social Media and the Web

Learn how the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid is leveraging social media and the web to provide superior service and information to students and borrowers. Discover their objectives, strategies, and future enhancements to simplify the customer experience and drive awareness and completion of the FAFSA.

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Digital Engagement: Leveraging Social Media and the Web

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  1. Digital Engagement: Leveraging Social Media and the Web Susan Thares Mindy Chiat U.S. Department of Education

  2. Federal Student Aid’s Focus on Digital Engagement

  3. FSA Objectives • Strategic Goal: Provide superior service and information to students and borrowers • Customer Service Value: Know what our customers want and ensure we meet their expectations

  4. Customer Experience Office • Created in 2010 to focus on: • Students and Borrowers • Ombudsman • Customer Analytics • Awareness and Outreach • School Experience • Consumer Protection

  5. We Asked Ourselves.. • How are we currently serving students and borrowers? • How can we improve that experience? • What do our customers need from us? • What new delivery mechanisms do we need to add?

  6. Simplifying the Customer Experience

  7. Consolidating Websites FSA Gateway College.gov Student Aid on the Web Ombudsman.ed.gov Students.gov

  8. Integrated Student Experience • Federal Student Aid launched the ISE initiative to establish an integrated, customer-focused web experience for students, parents, and borrowers to facilitate decision-making about funding a postsecondary education • Simplifies and streamlines FSA’s web presence by consolidating FSA’s websites • Launches properties on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter; Accessible on mobile devices and tablets

  9. Timely Drivers • ED’s signature  initiative for Executive Order 13571 on Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service • Plain Language Act, the White House Campaign to Cut Waste and Open Government Plans • Presidential Memorandum to improve repayment options and improve services issued June 7

  10. Leveraging the Web To Drive Aid Awareness and FAFSA Completion

  11. Integrated Solution: StudentAid.gov • Will update after launch.

  12. Details • Based on customer feedback • Provides information covering the entire federal student aid process, written in plain language • Serves audiences from middle school and parents to adults, applicants, and borrowers • Available in English and Spanish

  13. Content Areas • Prepare for College • Types of Aid • Who Gets Aid • FAFSA: Apply for Aid • Repay Your Loans

  14. Site Menu Will update after launch.

  15. Prepare for College

  16. Content: Apply for Aid

  17. Key Features • Comprehensive Information • Links to FSA’s • other key sites for • applications/ transactions • • Mobile-optimized • • New Income-Based • Repayment calculator Mobile / Tablets IBR Calculator

  18. Key Features • New videos, graphics • Timely announcements and event calendar

  19. Customer Input • Approach based on focus groups and online surveys • Researched best practices • Listened to customer wants and needs • Will conduct usability testing and monitor feedback

  20. Strategy and Results • We turned to Federal Student Aid’s employees for their unique skill sets to bring this to life • Over $1.5 million in cost savings • Improved customer experience and financial literacy • Will serve approximately 30 million annual visitors

  21. Future Enhancements • Phase II: Add transactional capabilities across the student aid lifecycle • Phase III: ?

  22. Leveraging Social Media To Drive Aid Awareness and FAFSA Completion

  23. We share 415 pieces of content on Facebook ------ Spend an average of 23 minutes a day on Twitter, tweeting a total of around 15,795 tweets ------ ------ 4 out of 5 internet users visit social networks and blogs ------ Upload 196 hours of video on YouTube By the end of 2011 social networking had increased from 36% of Internet users to 59% managing their profile on a monthly basis ------ Projected User Stats for 2012

  24. New Media Strategy • Online Listening • Content Development • Content & Engagement Strategy • Product Launches • Metrics/Measurement

  25. ONLINE Listening How We Listen And What We Listen To Effects How We Strategize And Respond To Our Customers Identifying Key Customer Issues Radian 6 Listening To Our Customers Sprout Social HootSuite Social Mention Creating Content Towards Customer Engagement

  26. HOOTSUITE

  27. FAQs

  28. @FAFSA Office Hours on Twitter Guest Hosts: Graduates currently in repayment

  29. JUNE 2012: MONTHLY SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT Retweets- How far is our tweet being spread across the internet? Mentions - We’re talking, but is anyone listening? Are they talking back? Links- What types of information is our audience engaging with?

  30. Aggregated Number of Followers that have been exposed to a message. • Indicates how many people have had the opportunity to view your post IMPRESSIONS

  31. Building External Online Partnerships & Networks Creating Toolkits for partner use Tweets & Facebook Posts Articles & Blog Links Visual Engagement Content Department Print Materials Awareness & Outreach Info

  32. What’s Emerging More Social Media Platforms Visual Engagement Mobile Description The Rapid Evolution Of Technology Impacts Mass Communication. Change Is A Constant Occurrence In Social Media. The Three Key Areas Listed Above is Where The FSA New Media Team Is Looking To Build For The Future.

  33. Connect With Us! PHOTO PHOTO PHOTO FACEBOOK Federal Student Aid www.facebook.com/FederalStudentAid YOUTUBE Federal Student Aid www.youtube.com/FederalStudentAid TWITTER @FAFSA www.twitter.com/FAFSA

  34. Contact us: Mindy Chiat Mindy.chiat@ed.gov 202-377-3118 Susan Thares Susan.thares@ed.gov 202-377-4307

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