10 Easy Wins for Higher Education Social Media Managers As Students Return to Campus
You’re a social media manager for a college or university, prepping your content calendar for the return-to-campus push. Drawing a blank this year? Here are 10 easy wins you can add to your schedule.
1. Simple Campus Tour
No need to film lots of B-roll and edit a roaming video (unless that’s your thing—we expect that would perform really well!). Showcase the ins and outs of your campus with a lighter touch by posting pictures of popular campus spots with fun “behind-the-scenes” captions. Rather than “here’s the library” (which is easy to find using a campus map), think more along the lines of: here’s the most-coveted study room in the library with the best views.
2. Highlight Campus Groups
New and returning students are guaranteed to be thinking about the activities they’ll join this year. You likely have content you’ve already written or posted about some of the popular campus groups, like a planning board, campus newspaper, or student government. Repackage your content into a new post to get students excited about the opportunities.
3. Campus Beauty
End of summer into the early fall on many college campuses is when that collegiate beauty really shines through. Take advantage of sunny afternoons, blooming flowers, and those special sights that make your campus stand out.
4. College Traditions
They’re unique to your school, and they unite the student body. Publish the fall Athletics schedule. Teach unique chants. Share the stats on your campus mascot. Share what meal is most popular in the dining hall—nugget night? Post any little tidbit you can think of that will help new students feel in-the-know, and remind the entire student body of the things that bring them together.
5. Throwback Pictures
Flip through old yearbooks for pictures of students moving in from years past. The fashion and hair are sure to generate engagement in the comments! It’s likely that the move-in and enrollment process has changed over the years, and it’s fun for alumni to reminisce about things like registering for classes on index cards or the clubs and teams that the school used to have.
6. Student Takeover
If you have a student intern working with you for the summer, or if there are orientation leaders or RAs on campus early, invite them to answer questions on the institution’s account. They could post a question box and answer questions with text slides, or if they’re comfortable, film a few short videos with tips and advice for making move-in as smooth as possible. You could also plan a student takeover during the first few days of classes, day-in-the-life style.
7. User-Generated Content
A surefire way to get everyone involved is to open up the comments. Schedule a few posts asking returning students or even alumni for their tips and advice for new students:
- Comment a welcome message to our new freshmen!
- Alumni: what’s one piece of advice as students start their journey here?
- What’s the top campus resource students might not know about that they should take advantage of?
8. Move-In Day Recap
A few days into the semester, a photo or video collection from move-in day is always a popular post. Parents and alumni alike love to think back on this time fondly. It’s reassuring to know that returning students are there welcoming the newest class.
9. Tease Homecoming or Parents Weekend
This one is for the parents. They’ll be feeling emotional about dropping their student off for the very first time, and learning about the next time they can come to visit helps alleviate some stress. Depending on the timing of your school’s event, they may even be able to start registering for your fall weekend right now.
10. Logistics
It’s not always the most fun post, but it’s an important one! Move-in details, housing assignments, anything that students and parents need to know before they come to campus that first time. Even if it’s listed on the school’s website, most people are searching on social first for that information. Do everyone a favor by making it easy to find on your social accounts.
It’s that time of year when things feel fresh, everyone is ready for a positive start, and your social accounts should reflect that. We hope these ideas spark some inspiration for your fall content calendar!
5 Horizons has been a leader in the higher education industry for 12+ years, working with clients from community colleges to the Ivy League. Reach out if you’re ready for a strategic partner who understands your audience and how to reach them.
