Social Media vs.

Website Design
Increasing Recruitment Opportunities for The Preface

Prepared for

Mr. Ken Klimek

Faculty Advisor

The Preface

South Bend, IN 46615

Prepared by

CGMarketing

Cassidy Martenson

South Bend, IN 46615

April 11, 2021

CGMarketing
52066 County Road 1
Granger, IN 46530

April 11, 2021

The Preface
Indiana University South Bend
1700 E. Mishawaka Ave.
South Bend, IN 46615
Attn: Ken Klimek

RE: Increasing Recruitment Opportunities for The Preface

Dear Mr. Klimek:

In this document, we have provided the report that you requested in January. We provided key
information about The Preface employee recruitment efforts. In addition, we have completed extensive
research on cost-effective solutions that can help The Preface attract new talented staff writers and
interns.

We have looked at The Preface’s current staff numbers and organizational capabilities and compared
those to other university newspapers with a larger staff. We recommend using social media to share
information about the organization and current employment opportunities.

CGMarketing used several resources to form our analysis. The Preface social media pages, Kate Luce,
Indiana Daily Student, and College Factual were used to research the organization and current
recruitment efforts. Our statistics and information about social media recruitment and website design
came mainly from Sprout Social, Parqa Marketing, and SGE International.

Thank you for choosing CGMarketing to investigate your recruiting enhancement options. If you have
further questions regarding our research or recommendations, please feel free to contact us at (574)
807-2642 or info@cgmarketing.org and we will be happy to answer any questions. We look forward to
assisting you in the future.

Sincerely,

Cassidy Martenson
CGMarketing
 Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal i
Executive Summary iii
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1

Purpose and Scope…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…1

Assumptions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1

Methods……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1

Limitations………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1

Definitions………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……1-2

Background…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….3

Employment Data…………………………………………………………………………………….………………………….……..3

Social Media and Website Data………………………………………………………………………….……………………….3

Success at Indiana University Bloomington………..……………………………………………………………………….3

Solutions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………..3

Social Media Marketing………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….3

Benefits…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..4

Drawbacks…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4-5

Estimated Cost…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..5

Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…5

Website Redesign………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..5

Benefits………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………….…….6

Drawbacks………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………6

Estimated Cost………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..6

Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………6

Conclusion and Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..7

References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………....8-9

List of Illustrations

Figure 1: Social Media Use……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………4

Figure 2: Website Design…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

 Social Media vs. Website Design
Increasing Recruitment Opportunities
Executive Summary
The purpose of this report is to raise awareness about The Preface and attract new staff members to the
organization by investigating two alternative marketing methods that can be used to publicize The
Preface and available roles.

The Preface is Indiana University South Bend (IUSB’s) official student newspaper. The research we have
done for this report indicates that The Preface is understaffed and unable to reach their full potential as
an organization. If the organization fails to improve employment efforts and attract new staff members,
The Preface could cease to exist due to lack of projects and the subsequent lack of funding.

To attract more students, The Preface should increase its social media presence and provide
employment information on social media. This will allow to organization to reach new student
employees and find qualified candidates for open positions.

The ensure successful recruitment through social media, CGMarketing recommends the following:

1. The Preface should designate a staff member to oversee social media. This would involve:
 Educating the staff member about the social media goals.
 Paying the staff member for their social media efforts.
 Ensuring that the social media pages contain easily accessible employment information.
 Monitoring social media interactions and applicants.

2. After 1 year, The Preface should evaluate the effectiveness of social media marketing by:
 Comparing the number of followers, likes, and comments to previous years.
 Analyzing staffing numbers and internship applicants.
 Comparing the number of stories, issues, and projects taken on to previous years.

3. The Preface can increase the effectiveness of this solution by:

 Investing in promoted posts on social media.
 Connecting with other IUSB associated social media accounts.
 1

Introduction

To address The Preface’s limited staff and lack of recruitment, the organization has contracted
CGMarketing to perform an analysis of its’ current recruitment strategies. CGMarketing compared
several options The Preface could choose from to increase interest in the organization, find qualified
candidates for employment, and expand the organization’s potential.

Purpose and Scope

The Preface is Indiana University South Bend (IUSB’s) official and only student newspaper. However,
they have recently struggled to recruit new interns and staff members. This has limited their capabilities
as an organization and limited student access to important information. The Preface is researching ways
to recruit more qualified writers and interns to join the organization and increase potential. The purpose
of this report is to raise awareness about The Preface and attract new staff members to the organization
by investigating two alternative marketing methods that can be used to publicize The Preface and
available roles.

This report will cover information on two possible solutions for improving The Preface’s recruitment
efforts: marketing through social media and redesigning the current webpage. This report will not
investigate other forms of marketing and recruitment such as flyers and job search websites. The
research will also not include interviews with candidates or students seeking employment.

Assumptions

The recommendations that we make are based on the assumption that The Preface will continue to
operate many years into the future. As the organization continues to operate, we assume that social
media and websites will still be utilized. We are also assuming that the demographics of IUSB will remain
the same. Furthermore, we assume that the organization will be willing to allocate funding towards
improved marketing and recruitment strategies.

Methods

The information in our report comes from online sources and a personal interview with Kate Luce, co-
editor for The Preface. We found several credible sources such as College Factual, Indiana Daily Student,
The Preface social media pages, Sprout Social, Parqa Marketing, and SGE International. These resources
provided useful information on which we have based our recommendations.
 2

Limitations

The information in the report is limited to what we received from our sources. We were not able to
interview IUSB students and faculty, observe the hiring process, or quantify the maximum number of
staff members permitted. We were unable to speak with previous staff members that experienced a
more prosperous organization. We were also limited by time constraints in that we were only given five
weeks to complete research for this report. Much of our information was limited to web-based sources
which limits the diversity of our research.

Definitions

CGMarketing uses the following terms throughout the report that are important to define:
 Facebook: A social networking website where users create custom profiles, share information,
and engage with other users.
 Follower: A social media user who subscribes to another users post.
 Instagram: A social networking website where people communicate and engage through photos,
brief captions, and comments.
 IUSB: Indiana University South Bend.
 Post: A published message or image on social media.
 Promoted posts: Any post that the organization pays to have targeted at a specific audience.
 Social media: Websites and applications that connect users through online profiles and allow
them to interact with one another.
 Twitter: A social networking website where people communicate and engage with short
messages called “tweets.”
 Views: The number of times a post is viewed by users on the social networking website.
 3

Background

Employment Data

The Preface is Indiana University South Bend (IUSB’s) official student newspaper. It has been operating
for 62 years and is published online and on paper. The Preface currently employs 16 staffers including
writers, editors, social media coordinators, and designers. In previous years, The Preface has hosted
events and podcasts. Now, all efforts are devoted to the production of the weekly newspaper. With only
16 people on staff and an average of three interns per semester, The Preface has a limited number of
projects it can undertake. (K. Luce, personal communication, March 24, 2021). The organization releases
new editions only three times per month, and they rarely host events or undertake new projects. The
Preface currently finds new hires through word of mouth and classroom visits.

Social Media and Website Data

The Preface is active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and has an average of 735 followers per
platform. Facebook has the most followers with a total of 1,158 (K. Luce, personal communication,
March 24, 2021). These platforms are very active and new posts are published multiple times per week
on all social media accounts. In one week, The Preface Facebook page has approximately 20 views
depending on the types of stories and content published. The Preface also has their own webpage that
contains the news stories and features that are published in the print edition. Social media accounts and
the website are not used to recruit candidates or find new staff members.

Success at Indiana University Bloomington

Indiana University Bloomington has a student newspaper called the Indiana Daily Student. This is a very
successful organization that can release a new paper every day and publish breaking news stories. They
are present on social media and have over 42 thousand followers on Twitter, and 6,503 followers on
Instagram. They post content everyday with relevant links to their website and resources. They
effectively use their website to publish stories, breaking news, and employment opportunities (Indiana
Daily Student, n.d.).
 4

IUSB is a regional campus of Indiana University Bloomington. However, the two universities have similar
age demographics and opportunities. The Preface can utilize the methods of Indiana Daily Student to
enhance their recruitment efforts through social media and web presence.

Social Media Marketing

Sharing information about The Preface on social media platforms is a way to generate interest in the
organization. According to Experian Simmons, 98% of college students use social media daily (Brockport,
2019). The Preface’s target audience are students at IUSB. College students can easily connect with the
organization through social media.

Figure 1: Social Media Use

(Source: Smart Insights, 2021)

Figure 1 above shows that social media usage is continuing to trend upward. Recruitment through social
media will continue to be used in the future, making it a valuable investment for the organization.

Benefits

Social media impacts employment choices. 59% of employees say a company’s social media presence
was part of the reason they chose their workplace (BetterTeam, n.d.). By effectively utilizing social
media, The Preface can impact the employment choices of students.

The Preface’s target audience is likely to find their next job through social media. 73% of 18–34-year-
olds found their last job through social media (Solar, 2019). Students at IU South Bend are likely to
discover their future positions using their social media profiles. According to College Factual, 52.4% of
students at IU South Bend are in the age 18 to 21 bracket (College Factual, n.d.). By exposing the
 5

audience to information about the organization and the employment options, The Preface can draw in
more applicants.

Social media allows The Preface to reach applicants that would not typically apply. SGE International
states “80% of employers report that social recruiting helps them to find passive candidates, because as
much as 75% of potential recruits aren’t actively searching for a new job.” By posting job opportunities
to social media, The Preface will be able to reach an untapped market of staffers.

The Preface will be able to find the most qualified candidates through social media. According to Sprout
Social (2019) over half of recruiters’ state that social media is the best source for high quality employees
(Solar, 2019). This will increase the number of staff for The Preface while simultaneously enhancing the
quality of the organization.

Drawbacks

Attracting candidates through social media will require an expanded network. Currently, The Preface
Twitter account has 717 followers, and the Instagram account has 345 followers. To reach an expanded
network, these accounts will have to connect with other IU South Bend associated social media
accounts. For example, the IU South Bend Instagram page has 2,573 followers. The Preface would need
to connect with these larger accounts to reach the passive and active candidates on campus.

The Preface will be associated with the personal accounts of current staffers. Any inappropriate or
negative social media behavior could reflect onto The Preface as an organization. According to Sprout
Social, 98% of professionals are active on one form of social media and 50% of those professionals
actively post about their company (Solar, 2019). If The Preface staff post negatively about the
organization, this could cause qualified candidates to not apply for positions.

Estimated Cost

Standard social media platforms are free to use. However, The Preface would need to pay their staff
members to post and monitor social media daily. The Preface pays staffers $10.15 per hour (K. Luce,
personal communication, March 24, 2021). Many professional organizations spend 10 hours per week
developing their social media presence (Dekoning, 2020). The Preface is a smaller organization that may
not have the time or resources for 10 hours weekly. Realistically, the organization could expect to spend
6-8 hours of social media per week. This would cost $60.90 to $81.20 per week. These numbers are
flexible and can easily be minimized by limiting the social media presence.

Summary

An increase in social media presence and recruitment posting would benefit the organization and
increase the number of staff members. CGMarketing recommends this solution instead of website
redesign. CGMarketing reached this conclusion by comparing the benefits, drawbacks, and costs of
the two solutions. Our research shows that the benefits and possibilities of increased social media
efforts outweigh the costs and drawbacks.
 6

Website Redesign

Modifying The Preface website could increase interest in the organization and maximize recruitment.
The website is the first thing that people searching will see. According to Adobe, 38% of people will stop
engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive (Eide, 2018). By redesigning The Preface
website, the organization could highlight its employment opportunities and keep the attention of
potential hires.

Figure 2: Website Design

(Source: Clutch 2018)

Figure 2 above shows the website qualities that prompt users to return. As shown in the graph, content
is the most important factor alongside ease of navigation.

Benefits

By creating a website that highlights employment opportunities at The Preface, the organization is more
likely to find qualified candidates. According to Zety, 77% of job seekers look for employment on
company websites (Zety, 2021). When IUSB students are interested in careers in journalism, they are
likely to navigate to The Preface website. By allowing students to apply and inquire through the website,
the organization could hire more passionate candidates.

A well-designed website also creates credibility for The Preface. According to research by Stanford,
judgements on a company’s credibility is 75% based on their website design (Eide, 2018). Potential
employees want the organization they work for to be credible. According to Talent Economy 2018, 64%
of millennials will not take a job if the potential employer does not have strong organizational
responsibility (Eide, 2018). A well-designed website will have a positive influence on the potential
employee’s decision to join the organization.

Drawbacks

A total redesign of The Preface website will take time and resources. The Preface could assign the
website design process to current staffers, but it takes expertise to effectively create a website. Hiring a
 7

new staff member that can manage and design the website would be optimal. However, The Preface
would need to pay them the standard rate, $10.15 per hour (K. Luce, personal communication, March
24, 2021) for their work. This would be in addition to the current payments to other staffers.

Posting job information to The Preface website could attract unqualified candidates for the position.
Since anyone would be able to access the website, there would be no way to ensure it is only qualified
students applying. Hiring an unqualified staffer could have negative effects on the organization.
According to Entrepreneur (2015), supervisors spend 17% of their time managing poorly performing
employees (DeLeon, 2015). As a small student run organization, The Preface cannot afford to waste
time.

Estimated Cost

According to Web FX (2021), web design for a small business costs $2,000 to $9,000 and annual
maintenance costs ranges from $400 to $1,200 (WebFX, 2021). Maintenance is especially important for
The Preface because they want to ensure that the vital information is being distributed effectively. This
cost would be in addition to the payment to the student staffer designing the website and performing
the maintenance. The website may take as little as 2 hours to design through a website software
according to Hook Agency (Brown, 2019). However, annual maintenance would need to be factored into
the employee payment as well.

Summary

While a change to The Preface website would expand the potential for hiring, CGMarketing
eliminated this alternative from consideration in favor of social media marketing. CGMarketing
reached this conclusion by comparing strengths, weaknesses, and costs of the two solutions. Our
research shows that the drawbacks and estimated cost of a redesigned website outweigh the
benefits.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The Preface should increase its social media presence and provide employment information on social
media to attract more students to open positions. This will allow to organization to find qualified
candidates for the open positions and increase campus awareness about the organization.

The ensure successful recruitment through social media, CGMarketing recommends the following:

1. The Preface should designate a staff member to oversee social media. This would involve:
 Educating the staff member about the social media goals.
 Paying the staff member for their social media efforts.
 Ensuring that the social media pages contain easily accessible employment information.
 Monitoring social media interactions and applicants.
 8

2. After 1 year, The Preface should evaluate the effectiveness of social media marketing by:
 Comparing the number of followers, likes, and comments to previous years.
 Analyzing staffing numbers and internship applicants
 Comparing the number of stories, issues, and projects taken on to previous years.

3. The Preface can increase the effectiveness of this solution by:

 Investing in promoted posts on social media.
 Connecting with other IUSB associated social media accounts.

References

Brown, T. (2019, June 9). How Long Does it Take to Build a Website? Hook Agency.
https://hookagency.com/long-take-build-website/.

DeKoning, B. (2020, November 18). How Much Time on Social Media For Business? Raka.
https://www.rakacreative.com/blog/social-media-marketing/how-much-time-should-you-spend-
on-social-media-for-business/#:~:text=Once%20you%20have%20the%20content,social%20media
%2C%20that's%20probably%20realistic.

DeLeon, M. (2015, April 9). What Really Happens When You Hire the Wrong Candidate. Entrepreneur.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244730.

Eide, T. (2018, November 20). 9 Stats That Prove the Importance of Website Design. PARQA.
https://parqamarketing.com/blog/why-your-websites-design-is-important-stats-that-prove-it/.

Employment. Indiana Daily Student. (n.d.). https://www.idsnews.com/page/employment.

 9

How Diverse is Indiana University - South Bend? College Factual. (n.d.).

https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/indiana-university-south-bend/student-
life/diversity/#:~:text=The%20typical%20student%20is%20between,nation%20for%20student
%20age%20diversity.

How Much Should a Website Cost in 2021? WebFX. (2021). https://www.webfx.com/How-much-should-

web-site-cost.html

Pelosi, P. (2018, February 20). Millennials Want Workplaces With Social Purpose. How Does Your
Company Measure Up? Chief Learning Officer - CLO Media.
https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2018/02/20/millennials-want-workplaces-social-purpose-
company-measure/.

The Preface at IUSB. The Official Student Newspaper of Indiana University South Bend. (n.d.).
https://iusbpreface.net/author/prefaceiusb/.

Social Recruiting Tips. Betterteam. (n.d.). https://www.betterteam.com/social-recruiting-tips.

Social Recruitment: The Pros & Cons of Passive Candidates. SGEi. (2020, February 20).
https://sgeinternational.com/social-recruitment-the-pros-cons-of-passive-candidates/.

Solar, A. (2019, September 23). The ultimate guide to social recruiting. Sprout Social.
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-recruiting-guide/.

Turczynski, B. (2021, February 19). 2021 HR Statistics: Job Search, Hiring, Recruiting & Interviews. Zety.
https://zety.com/blog/hr-statistics.

Images

Chaffey, D. (2021, March 11). Global social media statistics research summary. Smart Insights.
https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-
media-research/.

Myrie, R (2019). Social Media: How is it Affecting College Students? Posters@Research Events. 29.
https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/research_posters/29