How to Master Social Media Marketing for Higher Education

Not long ago, colleges and universities relied on fairs, brochures, and email campaigns to reach prospective students.

Today, those methods carry less weight on their own. To stay visible and competitive, institutions now need a strong presence on social platforms.

As the enrolment cliff approaches and competition for students increases, social media marketing for higher education offers a faster way to connect, share real stories, and shape how colleges and universities are seen and talked about.

But only if it’s done right…

7 strategies to increase social media engagement and impact

From content formats to distribution tactics, these seven actionable strategies show how colleges can turn social media accounts into more engaging and impactful channels.

1. Show more than just college updates

Social media platforms work best when you move beyond static posts on deadlines and formalities. 

Instead, focus on human stories and experiences that reflect the full student journey. Content should target prospective students at different points in their journey – from early awareness to active comparison. 

Use visual content like dorm tours and day-in-the-life videos to show campus life, then add faculty spotlights, research highlights, and academic support content to show the academic experience behind it. Live Q&A sessions on admissions, scholarships, and financial aid can remove uncertainty, while alumni stories, career outcomes, and job data help communicate long-term value.

2. Lean into short form videos

TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts consistently drive more reach and visibility than static posts. For prospective Gen Z students in particular, TikTok has become a key discovery and search tool, influencing how they explore and evaluate education options long before they ever visit an official website.

This shift is why colleges should lean into short-form video: it captures attention quickly and reaches prospective students where they already spend most of their time.

To do it well, a few fundamentals matter.

• Keep videos under 30 seconds and hook viewers within the first 2–3 seconds.
• Prioritize real people (students, faculty, and staff) over polished marketing shots
• Always film vertically for platforms like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.
• Use captions and on-screen text so content works without sound
• Post consistently while doubling down on what performs best.

The Instagram Reel below from Cambridge University is a strong example of what effective short-form content can look like in higher education.

3. Gets students and alumni involved with hashtag campaigns

Hashtag campaigns turn students and alumni into active storytellers, not just followers. Their shared experiences carry more credibility and authenticity than institutional content on its own.

Encourage current students to post using a branded hashtag around everyday campus moments. These posts function as peer-to-peer recommendations and positions students as micro-influencers as they often have strong reach among high school students. 

Alumni hashtags serve a different role: graduates can share career milestones, memories from school, and why they remain connected to their alma mater. These stories can showcase outcomes beyond graduation and inspire applicants.

To extend the impact of hashtag campaigns, bring them beyond social platforms. Embedding your hashtag feed on your website with Juicer.io turns user-generated content into a living showcase that boosts visibility and reinforces community pride across digital channels.

A great example is Georgetown University. They brought together Instagram and X posts tagged with #hoyas2021 and featured them on their website using Juicer.io to celebrate the Class of 2021.

4. Use paid ads to attract prospective students

Paid social campaigns help you get in front of the right people at the right moment – especially for those who may not already follow your channels. Used strategically, paid ads strengthen higher education marketing and social media efforts by filling the top and middle of the funnel.

Focus paid spend on high-impact moments such as open days, campus tours, application deadlines, new academic programs, and scholarships or financial aid opportunities. 

These campaigns work best when they are time-bound, clearly messaged, and designed to prompt a specific next step.

Targeting is where paid social shines. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to reach audiences based on location, interests, behaviors, and life stage, helping you connect with prospective students and parents who are most likely to engage.

Remember to pair every campaign with a focused landing page that matches the message of the ad and guides users through the next stage of the decision-making process.

5. Follow trends – but tastefully

Social media trends can boost visibility, but only when they align with your institution’s values, tone, and reputation. Chasing every viral moment often does more harm than good, especially in higher education, where trust and credibility matter.

Before jumping on a trend, pause and ask a few critical questions:

• Does this align with our brand and values?
• Will this content age well?
• Is the trend tied to controversy or real people’s harm?
• Can we add meaningful campus or student context?
• Will it resonate with prospective students and families?
• Does it fit our visual style and tone?

A useful rule of thumb: if a trend relies on mockery, controversy, or causing harm, it’s not worth the reach. When viral moments stem from public shaming, such as the Coldplay concert cheating scandal, brands that jump in can look opportunistic.

Gen Z values authenticity and strong visuals, and trends like the resurgence of seventies and eighties-inspired design can be adapted thoughtfully. Using vintage color palettes, analog-style content, or retro campus footage allows colleges to participate in trends without losing their voice or values.

6. Design content with saves in mind

On Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms, post saves signal long-term value. Instagram seems to favor saves over likes, because saves show real value. A like is fleeting, but a save signals commitment. 

Prospective students invest years into researching schools. Create useful content in simple graphics or videos that they can save and come back to when they need it.

Examples that tend to generate saves include:

• Admissions and application timelines: Make simple infographics with deadlines, required documents, and key dates. Update and repost them each semester so students can reference the most current information.
• Scholarships and financial aid breakdowns: Funding information is consistently one of the hardest things for students to navigate. Outline available scholarships, eligibility, and application steps.
• Visa and international student guides: For international audiences, posts explaining student visa requirements, timelines, and common mistakes are super helpful.
• Program comparison posts: Side-by-side summaries of majors, career outcomes, or course structures help weigh options without leaving the platform. 

7. Use your website to extend the reach of social media posts 

A social media wall isn’t just a pretty feature – it’s a dynamic hub that elevates your social media marketing strategy. 

When you aggregate posts from all your channels into one live feed, you turn scattered content into a central communication asset that informs, inspires, and persuades both current and prospective students.

Social walls increase website engagement by displaying real social content right on your website. Schools with embedded social walls have seen boosts in return visits and average time on site, because authentic student voices and real-time updates are more compelling than static text or stock photos.

A tool like Juicer.io makes this easy. With Juicer.io you can:

• Aggregate social posts from 15+ platforms — Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more — into one customizable feed.
• Moderate and curate content with filters so only relevant, on-brand posts appear.
• Customize your wall’s look to match your institution’s colors, fonts, and visual identity for seamless website integration.

Harvard University (real example below), Yale University, Brown University, and many others trust Juicer.io to power their social walls.

Common mistakes colleges and universities make…and how to avoid them

No strategy is perfect, but knowing where higher ed. social media strategies often go wrong makes it much easier to stay on track.

Doing everything manually

Many colleges and universities still create social media posts the way they did a decade ago: manually ideating, designing, and writing every post. This approach slows teams down and often results in inconsistent messaging.

Every stage of your social media workflow can be optimized with AI without compromising quality or authenticity. LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude can handle strategy, content ideas, and drafting captions for free. 

Here’s a simple way to start: feed ChatGPT details about your school, your social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.), and upcoming events. Ask it to generate a 60- or 90-day content calendar with post ideas, copy, and a timeline. This gives your team room to refine content and focus on student engagement.

Failing to keep branding consistent

Branding goes beyond visual design. Inconsistent tone of voice, messaging, or content style can weaken trust and make your university appear unprofessional. 

A branding document is essential. Beyond storing logos, colors, and fonts, include guidelines for tone, style, and engagement like when to use humor, how to showcase achievements, and how to respond to negative comments. This keeps everyone – internal teams, student ambassadors, or external partners – aligned and ensures every post reflects the school’s values and voice.

Sticking with the social media strategy you created months (or even years) ago

Social media is anything but static – algorithms change, trends evolve, budgets shift, and your marketing goals grow. Sticking to a strategy you created months or years ago can quickly lead to wasted effort and underwhelming results.

Start out by developing a clear content strategy with platform-specific goals – but make sure to schedule regular strategy reviews, at least quarterly. 

Use performance data to guide your decisions: which posts drive engagement? What types of content fall flat? Experiment with new trends and interactive features while staying true to your brand voice. 

Track meaningful indicators such as click-throughs to admissions pages, event sign-ups, or responses to student inquiries. Combine this with audience personas (prospective students, first-generation students, parents, alumni, donors) so you can create content that speaks directly to each group.

Setting clear outcomes gives your team a roadmap and purpose that you social media strategy can be aligned with accordingly.

Educational institutions excelling at social media marketing

Some institutions are doing social media exceptionally well. Their strategies offer clear examples of what works and why.

New York University (NYU)

NYU shines on Instagram – but this specific post is really heartwarming and genuine. They combined user-generated reels into one video featuring students capturing their reaction when opening their acceptance emails, celebrating with family, and sharing their joy. 

The content is overwhelmingly positive, inclusive of a wide range of students, and cleverly ties to NYC’s iconic messaging “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT places a huge emphasis on their research and innovation. By embedding their X (formerly Twitter) profile on their website using Juicer.io, they’re able to showcase cutting-edge achievements in real time. 

Instead of just long-form news articles or blog posts, MIT’s social content delivers timely updates with visible engagement, spotlighting innovation and keeping followers in the loop on breakthroughs.

University of Leeds

Leeds keeps it personal and community-focused. A short campus tour video (under three minutes) gives viewers a student-led perspective on campus life, local amenities, and the surrounding city.

Interviews, action shots, and cityscapes create a sense of livability and community, making prospective students feel instantly connected without a heavy-handed production.

Yale University

Yale’s Instagram, embedded on their website with Juicer.io, highlights campus life beyond academics. From exhibits and sports updates to campus shots, the feed captures the human side of an institution known for opinion leadership. 

This approach balances prestige with relatability, letting visitors experience Yale’s culture in a dynamic, visual way.

Monash University

@monash_uni Celebrating our latest women PhD grads who are changing the game! 🎓💡📈 #MonashUni #PhD #PhDstudent #graduation #doctorate ♬ original sound – Monash University

Monash nails authenticity on TikTok. This short video features on-the-spot interviews with female PhD graduates in hard sciences. 

Ceremonial gowns, caps, and even a timely cat meme make the content approachable and fun, giving viewers a true sense of life at the school and the achievements they can aspire to.

Where to go from here?

Strong social media for higher education comes down to consistency, relevance, and smart distribution – not doing more work. Start by auditing your current strategy, fix the gaps, and double down on content that drives real engagement. 

Then make that content easier to manage and showcase with a tool like Juicer.io, which helps universities collect, curate, and display social media in one place so your best posts keep working for you long-term. Create a free account today!

FAQs about social media marketing for higher education institutions