How Social Matching works đ
We know that one of the biggest predictors of whether an accepted student becomes an enrolled student is if they already feel like they belong.
If you've been with us for a while, you'll know that the ongoing evolution of Unibuddy Community has always been about fostering belonging and helping students to feel that your institution is the place for them.
Social Matching helps students build meaningful connections before they arrive on campus, by introducing them to other students with similar interests and goals. Each week, every student receives up to three suggested matches, making it easy to start conversations and build friendships naturally throughout the pre-arrival period, and beyond.
What is Social Matching?
Students in your Community receive personalised matches on a rolling basis.
Matches are based on information that students have already shared in their profile, including:
Their hobbies and interests
Their course / area of study
Their country
Students can choose who they'd like to connect with and continue conversations through direct messages. So many students are excited to join their university Community, but starting a chat in a large public hub can feel intimidating. We've covered the rise of the digital 'lurker' in previous resources, and how your Community can best serve all sorts of users - from confident sharers to peripheral participators.
Social Matching supports all users by removing the pressure of introducing yourself in a public space and instead creating smaller, more personal opportunities to connect.
This reflects the messaging habits of today's students, who are increasingly comfortable - and really expect - to move conversations into DM's once they've found people they relate to.
The result is the best of both worlds:
Spaces continue to act as your hubs for courses, accommodation options such as Halls of Residence, and hobbies or societies.
Direct messaging remains the place where students develop genuine friendships and support networks, with Social Matching helping students to find each other.
Even students who prefer to quietly browse your Community can continue benefiting from the information you share publicly in Updates and To-Do's, while still having opportunities to build meaningful peer connections.
What can you do to help students find each other?
Social Matching is available to all students who have joined your Community. If you have invited offer holders who haven't yet accepted their invitation, this is a great time to reach out again.
If you use the Private Invite tool, this quick Loom video explains how to re-invite those who haven't yet joined.
If you send your own comms with the shareable invite URL/QR code, you will likely have your own data on who has joined and who hasn't. You're welcome to use this invite copy to re-invite your students.
For many students, the opportunity to meet people like them before they arrive may be all the encouragement they need to join your Community!
Frequently asked questions
What information is Social Matching based on?
Country, area of study and interests. These are captured in the student profile and used by the matching engine - so the more complete a student's profile, the better their matches.
How often do students get matches, and how are they ranked?
Every 7 days, students are shown up to 3 ranked matches in the Recommended tab within Connect. Matches are ranked by the number of shared attributes - a 3-attribute match ranks above a 2-attribute or 1-attribute match, and where all 3 attributes match, more shared interests increases the ranking. When a student clicks "See my Matches," they'll see that person's name, where they're studying, where they're from, and some of their interests.
What happens when a student selects "Connect"?
A DM opens immediately. The student can send a message, then either continue the conversation or move on to view their next match.
What does "Not for me" do?
It permanently removes that match, so that person won't be suggested to the student again. This gives students full control over who they connect with, which is important from a safeguarding perspective as well as general comfort.
Can students still block or report someone they've matched with?
Yes. The usual Community block and report functionality still applies.
Recommendations
To help students get the most from Social Matching, we recommend:
Encouraging students to complete their Community profile, including their interests, to improve the quality of their matches.
Re-inviting offer holders who haven't yet joined your Community so they can begin making connections before enrolment.
Promoting Community during key moments: including offer acceptance, accommodation communications and pre-arrival emails.
Together Spaces, Social Matching, Updates and To-Do's create a more engaging pre-arrival experience - combining trusted university information with authentic peer connections that help students feel they already belong before they even set foot on your campus.