UCAS Social Networking

UCAS has also used Facebook and Twitter as ways of advertising, but less so than One Direction had done for the promotion of their tour. The Facebook account is very vague in information they give for events individually but gives a brilliant over view of what UCAS have to offer. For example they give lots of information in deadlines for associated resources such as student finance and they are willing answer as many questions as needed by the potential students of associated universities. But they have little information on individual events that are being held such as different conventions/open days that are being held around the country. They do show encouragement to go to conventions, but more an a whole rather than advertising them singly. When comparing the Facebook pages of One Direction and UCAS it is very obvious that they are both catering for a different target market. On Directions having more photos and other pictures all over if, whereas the UCAS page as a lot of information and question and answer sections.The Twitter page for UCAS however differs from the very vague/non-exsistant description of the conventions. There is a specific page dedicated to 'events' UCAS hold, which include the individual conventions held by them. However they don't give enough detail as to what happens at the conventions and don't promote them enough. They tell them when they are going ahead but don't give them any other information or push anyone to go. They also say it in a block with several other conventions that are being held at different parts of the country and just ask if people are attending. They again are open to any questions that are needed to be asked by the students but don't give enough initial information about the event. The background of the twitter page as demonstrated here, shows the student what the set out of the open day will be like, but again each one could be different and they wouldn't know. When this is compared to the profiles of One Direction, it is very weak and gives more general information about UCAS rather than promotion for the conventions.

Once working my way through the UCAS home website, i found an overview of Manchester Centrals convention which gave details of the opening times, an address  as well as contact details for the organisers. It also had a conventions guide and a visitors booklet (as shown in picture below.) As a whole i don't think the social networking tool of marketing for this event has been used very effectively. As a company they could have advertised the individual conventions a lot better making people more aware of them, rather than it being down to them to find out information about them individually. People in today's society like their information to be 'spoon fed' to them and unless it is, they are less likely to get the information for themselves and therefore less likely to even know about them. The information given here is all the need to know basics for someone to attend the open day, but they could have used more techniques of persuasion through the power of social networking.The websites use of imagery and type of font differs very clearly to that of One Direction, is very formative and simple looking. Not a lot of design on the page and focuses more on the information than any imagery.