In calculating the rating, 5 indicators were taken – the number of subscribers, engagement, average engagement per post, as well as the percentage of subscribers and involved per the number of students of the corresponding university. For each indicator, a table is displayed, and the amount of occupied places in the tables is summed up and the final indicator is displayed. We call these numbers penalty points – the smaller they are, the higher the place in the table. That is, the sports principle is used. This is just for understanding and calculating.

The rating was attended by 33 pages of universities in the social networks Instagram and Facebook, as the most popular in Kazakhstan. A number of universities have not pages, but profiles of individuals, as well as groups, which speaks of a low level of understanding of SMM in general. In addition, a number of Instagram pages are also accounts of individuals, and business pages. To get into the rating, those responsible for SMM employees need to take these points into account.

1. Number of subscribers

In terms of the number of subscribers, the absolute leader is Instagram of the Asfendiyarov Medical University. The second place belongs to the Instagram of Satpayev University, and the third is the same page of the Gumilyov ENU. Note that the leaders are Instagram pages rather than Facebook, which speaks of the popularity of the social network among young people.

Below is a table of TOP-10 pages by the number of subscribers.

2. Percentage of subscribers from the number of students

Such an indicator as the percentage of subscribers from the number of students taught, in our opinion, is important from the point of view of the potential of each particular university. That is, the number of subscribers can be not only students studying now, but also graduates and future students of the university. And so that there are more subscribers than students, a large and painstaking work of the university’s communication staff is needed. Of course, if the university offers high-quality and affordable products.

The leader in this indicator is the Instagram page of Pavlodar Pedagogical University – the number of subscribers is almost 4 times more than students.

Another small university has a high indicator – the Instagram of the Rudny Industrial Institute. Third position for Satpayev University.

Only 10 universities have an indicator of more than 100%, and a third of universities did not score even 50%. This suggests that, among the subscribers of the university page, only half or less of the students studying today. Apparently, the work on these pages is being done in a slipshod manner.

3. Engagement
   Engagement is the main indicator of the relevance and quality of the message on the official page. The leader in this indicator is the Instagram of the Asfendiyarov Medical University – 22808. The Instagram of the Toraigyrov University and ENU have good indicators. Several pages have an engagement rate of less than 1000. It is not difficult to understand the quality of the materials on these pages.

4. Percentage of engagement from the number of studentsThis indicator is important, since different universities have different histories and different numbers of students. Large universities have the opportunity to outstrip their “smaller brothers” due to large absolute figures. Therefore, it is important to have a higher engagement rate. And for this, again, high-quality content is needed.

   KSIU is the leader in this indicator – more than 430%. The first 14 universities have an indicator of more than 100%, and a third of universities have less than 40%.
   

5. Average engagement per postWe do not use this indicator “Number of posts”. The reason is banal – lately, the heads of various organizations and government agencies, in pursuit of quantity, are ready to throw hundreds of low-quality posts on social networks. The number of posts is not a performance indicator!

The indicator is relevance, interesting format, presentation and quality of materials! The more interesting the content, the higher the engagement on it – this is a well-known fact since the advent of SMM.

And here the leader of the Instagram of the Asfendiyarov Medical University – more than 300 reactions per post. Toraigyrov. Half of the pages participating in the rating have this indicator less than 100.

SUMMARY TABLE

Thus, according to the results of 5 indicators, the page of the Asfendiyarov Medical University became the absolute leader in March 2021 – 11 penalty points. The second place went to the Instagram of Satpayev University, the third – to the Instagram page of the Toraigyrov University.

A number of large universities did not even make it to the TOP-10 or even the TOP-15. This suggests that information and communication work is not delivered up to the mark. And leaders need to take dramatic action as soon as possible to improve this work.

You can read the original published article on the information and analytical portal Matritca.kz (section “Education”) at the following link: http://www.matritca.kz/news/90702-vuzy-v-socsetyah-almatinskie-mediki-absolyutnye- lidery.html