Social media marketing is constantly evolving, especially in the higher education space. Whether you’re managing a campus account or overseeing social strategy for an entire university system, it can be difficult to keep up. These 5 focus areas will help you stay grounded, creative, and, most importantly, connected.
1. Understand Your Audience
Before you hit publish on that next post, ask yourself: who am I talking to? A single college or university has many audiences including students, parents, alumni, and the surrounding community. They all show up online for different reasons. Students want to see their experiences (or potential experiences) reflected back to them. That might mean highlighting the promise of what’s to come, or showcasing the everyday of campus life and new friendships. Parents are looking for reassurance and value. Alumni want to feel pride. The local community may be invested in how the institution supports and enriches their shared environment.
Each group brings different expectations to your social channels. Understanding those expectations and delivering content that meets them can turn a good strategy into a great one.
When you’re mapping out your content each month, consider each of the audiences you’re trying to reach, and tailor the key messages directly to their specific interests and needs. This can be as simple as adding a column to your content calendar to specify which audience each post is intended for, to ensure that you have a balanced mix of content each month.
2. Keep an Eye on Emerging Platforms
New platforms are always around the corner, and, while higher ed doesn’t always move as fast as the trends, it’s important to consider which channels are the best fit for your institution. TikTok, for example, has already been in the US for almost 7 years, but continues to be largely underutilized by colleges and universities. All this despite it being one of the most influential platforms for younger generations. Decentralized platforms like Bluesky are still finding their footing, but keeping an eye on these emerging channels will give you a head start if and when they catch on with your target audience.
All this to say—you don’t need to chase every new app. But you should be aware of where your audiences are spending time and be ready to meet them there with intentional content.
Start by dedicating a small amount of time each month to research new trends on current social media platforms (like TikTok and Instagram) and then spend some additional time exploring new ones (like Bluesky) to identify where your target demographic is actively growing. Brainstorm one or two content ideas tailored specifically for each platform. Whether you post them or not, it’s good practice to see what sticks.
3. Love Your Location
Your campus and the surrounding community is one of your greatest assets. For prospective students, the location of a college or university is often a big factor in their decision-making process. In fact, it’s the most important aspect of student life, according to BestColleges.com. Beyond the academic programs and campus amenities, the actual college environment is key in shaping students’ daily lives. A vibrant city campus might appeal to students seeking cultural events and internship opportunities. A more rural environment could attract those prioritizing a close-knit community and a focused atmosphere. Use social media to showcase seasonal beauty, local traditions, hidden gems, and the broader community that makes your location unique.
As an added bonus, try connecting with local businesses that resonate with student interests and plan a series of social media posts that highlight these connections. Whether you focus on food, thrifting, local green spaces, or the best study spots, grounding yourself in specificity allows students to envision the possibility of what it feels like to be on campus.
4. Balance Trends and Truth
Social media trends are constantly changing, and it can be tempting to try and keep up with every new meme, audio clip, or viral dance trend. But staying relevant doesn’t have to mean abandoning your brand voice. The most effective content balances current trends with core truths about your institution.
When you consider which trends to adopt, instead of simply re-creating the content, think about what feels relevant to your institution, and consider how you could change or adapt the trend to make it unique to your brand or brand messaging. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach in higher ed marketing. What works for one school might fall flat for another. That’s why it’s important to take risks and learn what truly connects with your audience.
Consider scheduling a “trend brainstorming” session with your team each month where you identify 4-5 current trends and actively discuss ways you could adapt them to highlight a unique aspect of your university, like a specific program, a campus tradition, or a student success story. Then grab your mini mic and hit the pavement.
5. Listen Closely
Social media wasn’t meant for one-way communication (that’s what TV or banner ads are for). Engagement on social is a two-way street, and the feedback you get through comments, likes, shares, and even silence has SO much value. Social listening is your best tool for staying responsive. It helps you spot issues before they escalate, jump into relevant conversations, and keep a real-time pulse on what your audience cares about most.
To make sure you’re not missing out on timely and important feedback, set aside time in your day to monitor not only your owned social media channels, but also the internet at large for mentions of your institution, relevant keywords (like your school name, hashtags, or program names), and general sentiment. Depending on the size and scope of your engagement, you could consider investing in a social listening tool like a dashboard or media monitoring system that collects the information for you to review.
About VONT Performance Digital Marketing
At VONT, we believe that change is the only constant in the digital world—and that excites us. When tools and environments are constantly changing, new opportunities to help our clients achieve success are constantly arising. Each new advertising technology, social platform, or design approach allows us to improve on the results we achieve for our clients.
We believe in the idea of continual fine-tuning so much that we named our company VONT, which means to achieve exponential improvement in incremental steps. It is our core belief, and the reason why we are not simply a web design company or simply a digital advertising agency, but rather a long-term, single-source partner providing a comprehensive array of web development and digital marketing capabilities.
