It's no secret that social media is a game-changer when it comes to connecting with your students, alumni and prospects. But with so many platforms to choose from, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and lost in the crowd. Fear not! In this blog post I'll share some tips and tricks to help you create top-notch social media channels for your university.
Tip 1: Showcase Your University's Unique Personality
One of the most important things you can do to differentiate your university's social media channels is show your unique personality. Every university has a distinct culture, values, and brand, and your social media channels should reflect this.
For example, if your university is known for its innovative research, you could showcase some of the latest findings or feature interviews with researchers. If your university is located in a beautiful part of the country, you could highlight the natural beauty of the area.
What makes your university unique?
Tip 2: Create a Content Calendar
Consistency is key when it comes to social media, and creating a content calendar is an excellent way to ensure that your channels are regularly updated with fresh and relevant content.
Start by identifying key themes or events that are relevant to your audience, such as exam season, graduation, or freshers week. Then, by creating a schedule you’ll be able to maintain that consistency (and help you jump off the treadmill of ad hoc, scattergun posting).
Need a content calendar template? We would recommend trying Hootsuite.
Tip 3: Engage Your Audience
Social media is a two-way conversation, and it's essential to engage with your audience to build relationships and create a sense of community. Respond promptly to comments and messages, and consider featuring user-generated content on your channels.
For example, you could encourage students to share photos of campus life using a specific hashtag, and then feature the best submissions on your channels. If 448 was a university, examples could be:
# 448CampusLife # ADayInTheLifeAt448 # StudentsOf448
Tip 4: Leverage Video
Video is the most powerful way to tell stories and connect with your audience (did you know users will retain 95% of a message watched on video as opposed to only 10% read in text?). Consider creating short videos that showcase your university's values, culture, and achievements.
This might be feature interviews with faculty members, giving a behind-the-scenes look at a research project, or showcase a student organisation.
Tip 5: Measure Your Results and Adjust Your Strategy
Finally, it's essential to regularly measure your social media metrics to see what's working and what's not. Use this data to refine your content strategy, adjust your posting schedule, and experiment with new tactics to improve your results over time.
These analytics help you see which types of posts get the most engagement, or which platforms are driving the most website traffic, which means next month you are informed and able to create an even better social media schedule.
Creating best-in-class social media channels for your university takes time, effort, and a deep understanding of your audience and university, but with strategy in place, you can do that.
If you would like to talk about your social media strategy, get in touch! We’d love to talk.