“We need more engagement!”
“Why do our competitor’s posts do so much better than ours?”
“We need to make this go viral!”
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The quest to become a social media super-hero can feel like a frustrating journey where you’re wading through an ever-changing quagmire of platforms, algorithms, and experimentation. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
I recently spoke on this topic at the CASE Social Media & Community Conference in Los Angeles, along with John Clark, CEO of Rival IQ. (Here’s the post I wrote to recap some of the key takeaways from the conference.) What are some simple ways you can boost audience engagement in higher education social media? Here are a few of the themes we talked through in our presentation, including some tactics you can experiment with right away.
Showcase the seasons
What’s one of the first topics you turn to for “small talk?” The weather. As it turns out, this go-to theme is almost unfailingly engaging on social media—even more so than at your typical cocktail party. We found that posts celebrating simple things like the beautiful leaves of fall, that “first day of spring” feeling, and snow days are huge hits on social media. Get out of the office and show off that campus as it changes during the year. (And if you’re lucky enough to be in Southern California, I wouldn’t hold it against you if you posted a “wish you were here!” sun-and-palm-trees shot in the middle of a Midwestern snowstorm.)
Celebrate community
Another consistent theme in highly engaging posts is a focus on achievements, traditions, and special experiences. Talk about what makes your school unique. When students and faculty achieve something--big or small--highlight it! Did a popular shop or restaurant in your college town just win a contest or award? Sing its praises. And if at all possible, have an alum win an Oscar. (That last one is a little tongue-in-cheek, but you get the idea.)
Small changes can lead to big improvements
If you can’t hire five more people or add 50% to your budget right now, that’s okay! You don’t have to. We’ve seen small changes make a big difference. For instance, research shows that using images with tweets and embedding videos directly instead of using YouTube links drives up social media engagement. And remembering that the content we create is for our audiences, not for us, can lead to small daily successes that add up in a big way over time. Either way, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to see significant improvements in social media engagement metrics.
In the fast-paced world of higher ed social media, it’s always good to have a few extra tools in your back pocket to grow and engage your audience. We’d love to hear your success stories! Drop me a line and share fun and effective ways you’re connecting with your social media community.
Jeremiah Barba is the Digital Marketing Manager at Up&Up, a higher ed marketing agency in Greenville, South Carolina.
