CASE STUDY: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Abstract

The increasing role of social media increating/consuming information has been recognized as amarketing tool to promote a specific need. The BiometricStandards, Performance and Assurance (BSPA) Laboratoryat Purdue University implemented social networking sites asa way to promote their research activities and attractprospective students and biometric industry professionals.With that in mind, they have created accounts on and startedusing Twitter, LinkedIn and SlideShare. Data about sitereferrals to the BSPA Laboratory homepage, gathered usingGoogle Analytics, will be used to analyze the effects (if any)social networking sites have in promotional activities andincrease interaction with the BSPA Laboratory home page( http://www.bspalabs.org/). Gathered data will show thedifferences in unique visitors before and after becomingactive in social networks and will show data linking specificsocial networks with an effect.Index Terms ⎯ Social Media, Viral Marketing, EngagementStrategy, Biometrics.