TikTok offers higher education institutions a unique opportunity to share trendy, authentic, fast-paced video content with their target audience. As a social media platform, TikTok differs significantly from traditional social media channels like Facebook and LinkedIn, but it has proven to be a powerful resource for engaging alumni, attracting new students, and building meaningful connections with prospective employees and investors. Understanding TikTok’s unique features and its audience is key to developing an effective strategy for higher education.
Crafting a successful education content strategy on TikTok can significantly enhance your university’s reach and engagement level. For instance, this 2023 study discovered that leading universities have an average engagement level of 6.7% on TikTok. It is substantially more compared to the average engagement rate on Instagram (2.43%) in the case of higher education. It is there as an opportunity—now all that is needed is the correct content strategy.
Here, we will explore proven education TikTok concepts, the type of fun content that resonates with real people, and the dos and don’ts of launching education TikTok campaigns that deliver on behalf of your university or college.
6 Educational TikTok Ideas from the Top Universities on TikTok
Creating educational content on TikTok requires understanding what type of content performs best on the platform. Here are proven educational TikTok ideas inspired by the world’s top universities and colleges that you can adapt for your higher education institution’s TikTok strategy.
1. Highlight Academic Programs and Clubs
TikTok is one of the best channels for showcasing your university’s unique programs, courses, and clubs through high-quality video content. A physical prospectus or static website listing can only do so much to engage potential students. TikTok videos, on the other hand, allow you to create educational TikTok content that resonates emotionally with your target audience.
This type of content works exceptionally well because it features real people—actual students and teachers—giving authentic insights into campus life. According to a 2024 study by Wyzowl, 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, making video-based platforms like TikTok ideal for reaching younger audiences at educational institutions. You can share videos about new courses and programs with behind-the-scenes perspectives from tutors and educators. Consider partnering with content creators from different clubs and courses to produce engaging content. Here’s a great example of how Cambridge University uses TikTok to draw attention to its Improv Club:
Videos like these help you highlight how fun, interesting, or powerful your programs and clubs are from a unique perspective. They can help students visualize what it’s like to attend your college. This type of authentic content consistently achieves strong engagement rates because it showcases real people in genuine campus situations.
2. Showcase Your Students
User-generated content featuring real people from your institution is one of the most valuable types of content for any educational facility. In fact, 86% of consumers trust user-generated content. When students create content about your school, you get a sense of realness and relevant material that high-end marketing tools cannot offer. Encourage students to show their genuine experiences to develop content that resonates with your target audience.
You can use a TikTok feed in different ways to showcase your students and establish credibility among your followers. For example, you can record short interviews with students about the things that they like the most when it comes to campus life. You can also get students making videos on TikTok that take users on tours around campus, display the students’ favorite classrooms, or stream such places as the library or the student center.
Another great way that you can get your students in the spotlight is through celebrating their wins. Motivate students to make TikTok videos when they have won awards or competitions. You can also contact alumni students or highlight notable people who have graduated from your school.
Louisiana State used this strategy to draw attention to the graduates from the college that went on to compete in the Super Bowl:
This is a great way to show your potential students and other community members what people who attend your university are capable of achieving. Success stories featuring real people typically generate higher engagement rates than standard promotional content.
3. Advertise Life on Campus with Behind-the-Scenes Videos
Aside from boosting your school’s credibility by highlighting students, behind-the-scenes videos and content offer authentic insights into what life is really like at your campus. This type of content consistently performs well as part of any educational content strategy for TikTok and helps grab attention from prospective students.
Prospective students don’t merely wish they knew they would have access to quality teachers and facilities—they wish they could see that they would love spending time at your school. “Day in the Life” brief videos provide a fuller glimpse into campus experience compared to typical images or blog entries. These short TikTok videos can highlight such things as cozy lounge areas and dorm rooms, as well as dinner offerings and recreational spaces, providing your audience with a realistic glimpse into college life.
Here is a perfect illustration from High Point University, as a student takes the audience through the type of food that they consume every day:
4. Demonstrate What Makes You Different
Whether you’re trying to attract students or new employees to your higher education facility, drawing attention to what makes you different is crucial. Your content strategy for educational TikTok should focus on highlighting your unique selling points that set you apart from other institutions.
We’ve already explored using user-generated content to showcase great food options, campus design, and accommodations. However, you can also create educational content on TikTok that highlights other distinctive aspects of your facility that appeal to your target audience.
For instance, if you have amazing faculty members, use interview-style videos with these teachers to help students get to know the people who are going to be teaching them. These educational TikTok videos serve as a key element of your recruitment strategy and are also great for attracting new educators to your team:
5. Create Educational TikTok Videos
Educational TikTok videos aren’t just for spotlighting your campus and academic programs—they can also serve as a valuable educational resource for prospective and current students. This type of content helps position your institution as helpful and student-focused while naturally attracting your target audience. Empower student content creators and faculty members to produce these informative videos, as content from real people within your institution carries more authenticity and credibility when leveraging TikTok for higher education marketing.
For instance, you could answer questions about:
- Admission processes and deadline dates.
- Average course prices and other educational costs.
- Events happening on campus.
- The graduation process and what it feels like to graduate.
- The types of amenities students will have access to.
You could even answer questions about college traditions. For instance, check out this video from Oxford University shating advice from graduates for first year students:
6. Share Meaningful Moments
Finally, one of the most effective ways to create emotional connections with your target audience is to share meaningful moments through video content. These TikTok videos can highlight major events, celebrate achievements, or showcase special traditions that make your institution unique. For instance, the University of Southern California posted a video sharing a powerful moment from a commencement speech by Oprah Winfrey in 2018.
Alternatively, you might just highlight unique events that take place on campus. For instance, the University of Kentucky shares videos about its annual ping pong ball drop event – one of the school’s most famous traditions. When capturing these moments, focus on producing high-quality video content that authentically represents the energy and excitement of your institution and helps create engaging content that resonates with a wider audience.
Tips for Your Higher Education TikTok Strategy
We’ve covered the top educational TikTok ideas for your TikTok strategy, and now let’s explore practical tips to maximize the ROI of your TikTok campaigns and create educational content that truly resonates with TikTok users and your target audience.
Extend Your TikTok Reach Beyond the Platform
Remember that you can quickly amplify the reach of your TikTok content and turn marketing spend into a higher ROI by embedding a TikTok video feed on your site. By utilizing a social media aggregator such as Juicer, you can embed TikTok videos on a site to drive engagement level and get more ways to inform, motivate, and delight future students.
Many of the top universities on TikTok already feature their social media feed on their institutional websites, using it as powerful social proof and an effective way to capture the attention of prospective students and employees. By embedding your TikTok content across your digital properties and integrating it with your broader social media marketing strategy, you create a cohesive content strategy that amplifies your message across all platforms and increases the lifespan of each piece of video content.
The majority of the top university TikTok accounts already showcase their social media feed on their institutional websites as persuasive social proof and a helpful attention grabber among prospective students and staff. By embedding your TikTok content on your sites and connecting it with your broader social campaign, you create a cohesive campaign that reinforces your message across all sites and extends the lifespan of the video content.
Develop a Consistent Content Strategy
Creating successful TikTok campaigns for higher education requires more than just posting randomly. You need a well-planned TikTok strategy that balances different types of content and maintains a consistent posting schedule to build your presence on this social platform.
Here’s how to build an effective TikTok content calendar:
- Plan your content mix – Include a variety of educational TikToks, behind-the-scenes footage, students sharing their stories, and participation in hashtag challenges
- Establish a posting schedule – Aim for 2-3 times per week minimum to maintain audience engagement and stay visible to the TikTok algorithm
- Align with key dates – Schedule content around important dates like application deadlines, orientation, campus events, and graduation
- Create themed series – Develop recurring content series that content creators can produce over time, building anticipation and viewer loyalty. Consider adding trending music or upbeat music to make your videos more engaging
Consistency helps you build a loyal following and signals to the TikTok algorithm that you’re an active, valuable content creator on the platform. Regular posting also helps your school reach more TikTok users and expand your social media presence.
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Best Practices for Creating High Quality Educational Content
Here are proven best practices to boost your chances of success with your TikTok strategy for higher education:
- Focus on authentic, human content: TikTok isn’t the best channel for stuffy, corporate content. This is a social media platform where your brand personality should shine through in every post. Create content on TikTok that features real people—students, teachers, and alumni—sharing genuine experiences. High-quality content doesn’t mean overly polished or corporate; rather, it means authentic, well-lit, and clear videos that showcase real people in genuine situations. This authentic approach consistently achieves higher engagement rates than traditional marketing materials and helps grab attention from your target audience.
- Work with content creators and influencers: Consider partnering with student content creators, educational influencers, or successful alumni to draw more attention to your university. Collaborating with thought leaders and social figures who resonate with your target audience will significantly boost the reach of your TikTok campaigns. Student-created content, in particular, tends to feel more authentic and relatable to prospective students browsing their TikTok account.
- Connect with your followers: Engagement is crucial on TikTok. Don’t just post new content—actively respond to comments potential students leave and engage in conversations with your community. Encourage interaction by asking questions and responding to feedback. This two-way communication helps you build more powerful relationships with alumni, prospective students, and potential employees while also signaling to the TikTok algorithm that your content is valuable.
- Track and measure your engagement rate: Monitor your TikTok analytics to understand which type of content performs best with your target audience. Pay attention to metrics like views, likes, shares, comments, and watch time. Use these insights to refine your content strategy and create more of what resonates with real people in your community.
Additionally, keep track of the latest TikTok trends and trending hashtags. While not every trend will align with your institution’s values, strategically participating in hashtag challenges and using trending music in your TikTok content can dramatically boost your chances of reaching new followers and increasing your overall engagement rate across this social media platform.
Unlock the Benefits of TikTok for Your University with These Educational TikTok Ideas
The right educational content strategy for TikTok and smart distribution tactics can be powerful for higher education facilities. By creating videos that feature real people—students, teachers, faculty, and alumni—sharing authentic experiences, you can dramatically improve your engagement rate and attract new talent or partnership opportunities to your school.
Your institution’s success on social media, particularly on TikTok, depends on consistently producing content that resonates with your audience. Empower your community of content creators, leverage TikTok’s unique features, and don’t forget to extend your reach by embedding your best TikTok videos across your website and other digital channels to create a comprehensive social media strategy for your higher education institution.
Discover how you can use Juicer to upgrade your digital marketing strategy and make your educational facility stand out in today’s competitive industry. Sign up for free today.
