It’s time for an additional version of the Publish Efficiency Report (PPR), a collection the place we showcase social media posts and campaigns inspiring us, and discover what makes them so genius. We unpack how your model can use these examples to spark your individual scroll-stopping concepts—whereas maximizing your price range and doing extra with much less.
Again-to-school season is within the air. You possibly can hear it as college students, academics and their dad and mom get again within the rhythm of the educational 12 months. You possibly can see it in promoting campaigns, with companies providing reductions on provides, meals and clothes. However there’s nowhere the back-to-school feeling is as robust as college campuses.
On social, the return to varsity life is marked by move-in day montages and new pupil rites of passages. Capturing these moments just isn’t solely pivotal for rallying present college students, but additionally for drumming up pleasure for future college students and alumni.
Right here’s our lineup of upper training establishments curating the proper stability of faculty spirit, leisure and educational alternative on social throughout the back-to-school season.
Vanderbilt College: A heat welcome to the “Athens of the South”
Vanderbilt is a prestigious analysis college in Nashville, Tennessee. The establishment is over 150 years previous with a wealthy, celebrated historical past that’s on full show at first of a brand new time period. Vanderbilt’s social media group weaves the school’s previous into their fashionable strategy to pupil engagement and recruitment.
Like throughout move-in week this 12 months. The college shared a spotlight reel of freshman and first-time college students arriving on campus and being greeted by the Vanderbilt Transfer-in Crew. The video exudes a welcoming spirit—the form of power that makes nervous new college students really feel relaxed on a brand new campus. With on-site interviews of fogeys and college students, B-roll, drone footage and uplifting music, the manufacturing high quality is particularly spectacular and illustrates the campus’ magnificence.
Vanderbilt additionally creates pleasure for his or her conventional Founders Stroll occasion, the celebration of first-time college students formally becoming a member of their neighborhood. On this Instagram Reel, you possibly can see somebody behind the digicam waving a wand and remodeling Alumni Garden right into a magical scene, full with twinkling lights adorning the college’s historical elm and oak timber. The remark part was flooded with nostalgic alumni and exuberant new college students.
The Vanderbilt social group rounded out their Welcome Week technique with trendspotting activations and lo-fi collection. Just like the Instagram Reel the place the Class of 2028 jumped on the “Scorching to Go” development throughout their class picture. Or their collection following freshman as they get settled in on campus.
Vanderbilt’s back-to-school methods are already extensively celebrated. Their Welcome Week 2023 marketing campaign was nominated for the Collaborative Social Media Communications award by PR Each day. Their strategy to social is an extension of different advertising and recruitment efforts which have resulted within the faculty being named the subsequent “it faculty.”
The play: From the attractive pictures of their campus to their 100-year-old traditions, Vanderbilt’s dreamy content material is steeped in custom. However additionally they complement the top quality manufacturing footage with lo-fi POVs from their college students.
Take a cue from Vanderbilt by mixing high-brow manufacturing with genuine movies captured on smartphones. The ensuing mixture permits your facilities to shine, whereas leaving viewers with a heat and fuzzy feeling.
Arizona State College: Giving college students their time within the solar
Located within the Phoenix metropolitan space, Arizona State College (ASU) is likely one of the largest public universities within the US. On social, the college leans into pupil life-led posts—particularly throughout back-to-school season.
Like this carousel evaluating college students’ packing necessities with that of their dad and mom. The juxtaposition of what college students deem “important” in comparison with their dad and mom is humorous and endearing. The submit serves as a chance for ASU to introduce their new class of incoming college students, whereas acknowledging the work their dad and mom have accomplished to assist them get to varsity. Commenters congratulated dad and mom and college students alike, noting how relatable the submit feels.
ASU additionally creates informational guides throughout Welcome Week, like this roundup of signature occasions and a complete record of move-in non-negotiables. As college students more and more flock to college social media channels for need-to-know intel, ASU demonstrates tips on how to meet your college students and prospects the place they’re at.
Throughout Welcome Week, ASU additionally shouted out their college students representing their nations on the Video games. Which is a style of the regular drumbeat of content material the college publishes celebrating their college students’ achievements all 12 months spherical.
ASU’s Welcome Week activations on social assist increase and preserve the college’s public picture. Based on Sprout Social Listening information on X throughout move-in week (Aug 15-21, 2024), mentions of ASU and #ASUWelcome have been 89% constructive.
The play: Constructing an enriched campus life requires partaking your college students. By centering the scholars of their Welcome Week content material, ASU helps potential college students visualize what they may accomplish and what their expertise shall be like on the college.
College of Oxford: Scholar-generated content material brings the academia aesthetic to life
Again to highschool at Oxford comes months later than different US colleges on this roundup. The analysis college positioned in Oxford, England, begins the autumn time period in early October. However that doesn’t imply the globally-renowned establishment isn’t lively on social throughout the summer time months.
They just lately participated within the “no one will keep in mind” development, and gave it their very own cheeky spin—poking enjoyable at how a lot older their not-so-new faculty is in comparison with the US.
Oxford additionally posts idyllic photos of their campus. Just like the magic of previous cobblestone buildings illuminated by moonlight and the tranquil heat of an early morning dawn reflecting off their Gothic rooftops—descriptions of a college that will come straight out of a novel.
Oxford has a social collection the place their college students take viewers on digital campus excursions. The stops on the excursions embrace “quintessential Oxford issues” like attractive libraries, big chess units and an incredible corridor crammed with classic portraits.
We look ahead to following Oxford intently throughout “Freshers’ Week 2024,” a welcoming celebration for freshmen college students that features a truthful, dinner, orientation and extra.
The play: When consuming Oxford’s social content material, the parallels the college makes between academia core—the web aesthetic—and their very own pupil expertise are apparent. It really works as a result of it feels true to the college’s legacy because the second-oldest in steady operation.
What makes your college distinctive? Whether or not it’s your structure, well-known landmarks or traditions, these must be on the heart of your social technique.
NYU: Taking a chew out of the Huge Apple
When you consider New York College (NYU), phrases like expertise, ambition and concrete setting come to thoughts. These are apt descriptions—the college makes use of that terminology by itself admissions web page. On social, this NYU ethos involves life.
All summer time lengthy, NYU has showcased the spectacular accomplishments of their college students in numerous intern packages. Like this Reel of a pupil intern on the American Tune Archives. The documentary type of the video makes it really feel elevated {and professional}, and provides the intern an opportunity as an example his preservation experience and the fascinating work he accomplished. The collection demonstrates the numerous attainable internship alternatives and profession paths obtainable to NYU college students.
Because the countdown to Welcome Week drew nearer, the college revealed every day countdown posts hyping up spots in NYC and round campus. In addition they revealed a Summer time Stroll collection, the place their group took viewers on scenic excursions of the most effective walkable spots close to NYU. This collection incorporates a number of the most well-known buildings on this planet together with charming native spots—one thing most “faculty cities” can’t provide.
When move-in day lastly arrived, the college shared a video of scholars asking their dad and mom for his or her last phrases of recommendation. Whereas the video was lighthearted, it additionally conveyed the immense love and pleasure these dad and mom really feel towards their kids, and the way a lot they need them to benefit from their time on the prestigious faculty and in NYC.
NYU has remained within the prime 10 of the Goals Colleges record revealed by Princeton Evaluate for the previous three years. The record compiles pupil and mum or dad picks—proof that the college is rising in esteem. The excitement surrounding NYU on social helps elevate total sentiment.
The play: When life offers you a Huge Apple, you possibly can’t sleep on it (that’s the saying, proper?). As NYU proves, leaning into the distinctive benefits of the setting your college is a part of delivers an X-factor that’s troublesome to compete with.
#RushTok Highlight: College of Oklahoma’s Kappa Kappa Gamma
Maybe one of the chronically-online back-to-school traditions is RushTok, the nook of the web devoted to Greek life rush week. Throughout rush week, sorority and fraternity hopefuls take part in a collection of occasions like home visits and philanthropy occasions, in hopes of being chosen and initiated right into a brotherhood or sisterhood.
RushTok is well-known for OOTD movies dissected by commentators like NFL performs and over-the-top, nicely orchestrated dances meant to entice individuals to affix a sure sorority. Throughout each content material varieties, the task is obvious: Look polished, match your fellow sisters and have an unmistakeable rush aesthetic.
Which is why the College of Oklahoma’s Kappa Kappa Gamma theme of “blue” took the web by storm. Of their video, the large and wild interpretation of the theme left commenters shocked. “I’m equally terrified and proud,” commented one consumer. One other added, “The Avatar took me.”
However most of all of the sentiment was constructive and supportive, with many saying they might think about speeding the sorority sooner or later.
The play: Why mix in when you possibly can stand out? Simply because there’s a formulation for increased ed establishments, golf equipment and societies, doesn’t imply it will possibly’t be rewritten.
A+ recruitment methods should embrace social
That concludes this month’s installment of the PPR. Keep tuned for subsequent month’s version, the place we’ll characteristic our lineup of our favourite vacation campaigns. Within the meantime, keep in mind these key takeaways:
Publish Efficiency Report Takeaways
- Stability high-quality manufacturing with genuine content material. Skilled-quality manufacturing and lo-fi movies spotlight best-in-class services and create connections grounded in relatability.
- Interact your viewers by centering their experiences. You create a way of neighborhood lengthy earlier than somebody steps foot on campus while you make college students the heroes of your content material.
- Leverage your distinctive id and setting. Emphasize what makes your establishment and model distinctive to create compelling content material that attracts in and excites your viewers.
Searching for actionable recommendation to construct an engaged neighborhood, foster relationships with present and potential college students and unify your college’s voice and model throughout departments? Try our interview with Gettysburg School.
And should you see a social submit or marketing campaign that deserves to be highlighted, tag us @sproutsocial and use #PostPerformanceReport to have your concept included in a future article.
