Social media as a communication strategy in a selected university in Cape Town

Abstract

This study investigates the role of social media as a communication strategy in a selected university in Cape Town, South Africa. It critically examines first year marketing students’ and staff’s practices and experiences towards the use of social media within the department of marketing and communication at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in the Western Cape. The study is guided by the fact that most students make use of these platforms to communicate with their peers and staff to engage with one another. Furthermore, some staff members make use of social media to connect with students and keep them updated on departmental and university information. Social media is interpreted as web-based service which is set on the conceptual and technological base of Web 2.0 (Kaplan & Haentein, 2010; O’Reilly, 2005). Moreover, social media is an effective tool that helps in delivering information. Hence, various types of social media play different roles with the main purpose of sharing information with a wide range of people. Universities have been using social media as a tool for communication where students can adapt to university life by interacting online with their peers and faculty members Yu et al. (2010). The study also makes use of the qualitative research method, case study design that is positioned within the interpretive paradigm. The data collected was analysed using critical dissertation analysis. Based on the findings from the study, the department can improve their way of communicating through social media platforms. Some of these suggestions have a written strategy which is followed by staff members, who update their information more often on social media platforms and making these social media platforms accessible. The study concludes that the use of social media can enhance and attract students to engage and participate communication process with the institution, different department and among themselves. Strategizing the use of social media also gives an opportunity to the university to be known outside.