Post Performance Report: Higher ed institutions raising the bar on social

It’s time for another edition of the Post Performance Report (PPR), a series where we showcase social media posts and campaigns inspiring us, and explore what makes them so genius. We unpack how your brand can use these examples to spark your own scroll-stopping ideas—while maximizing your budget and doing more with less.

Back-to-school season is in the air. You can hear it as students, teachers and their parents get back in the rhythm of the academic year. You can see it in advertising campaigns, with businesses offering discounts on supplies, meals and clothing. But there’s nowhere the back-to-school feeling is as strong as university campuses.

On social, the return to college life is marked by move-in day montages and new student rites of passages. Capturing these moments is not only pivotal for rallying current students, but also for drumming up excitement for future students and alumni.

Here’s our lineup of higher education institutions curating the perfect balance of school spirit, entertainment and academic opportunity on social during the back-to-school season.

Vanderbilt University: A warm welcome to the “Athens of the South”

Vanderbilt is a prestigious research university in Nashville, Tennessee. The institution is over 150 years old with a rich, celebrated history that is on full display at the beginning of a new term. Vanderbilt’s social media team weaves the college’s past into their modern approach to student engagement and recruitment.

Like during move-in week this year. The university shared a highlight reel of freshman and first-time students arriving on campus and being greeted by the Vanderbilt Move-in Crew. The video exudes a welcoming spirit—the kind of energy that makes nervous new students feel at ease on a new campus. With on-site interviews of parents and students, B-roll, drone footage and uplifting music, the production quality is especially impressive and illustrates the campus’ beauty.

Vanderbilt also creates excitement for their traditional Founders Walk event, the celebration of first-time students officially joining their community. In this Instagram Reel, you can see someone behind the camera waving a wand and transforming Alumni Lawn into a magical scene, complete with twinkling lights adorning the university’s ancient elm and oak trees. The comment section was flooded with nostalgic alumni and exuberant new students.

The Vanderbilt social team rounded out their Welcome Week strategy with trendspotting activations and lo-fi series. Like the Instagram Reel where the Class of 2028 jumped on the “Hot to Go” trend during their class photo. Or their series following freshman as they get settled in on campus.

Vanderbilt’s back-to-school strategies are already widely celebrated. Their Welcome Week 2023 campaign was nominated for the Collaborative Social Media Communications award by PR Daily. Their approach to social is an extension of other marketing and recruitment efforts that have resulted in the school being named the next “it college.”

The play: From the gorgeous shots of their campus to their 100-year-old traditions, Vanderbilt’s dreamy content is steeped in tradition. But they also complement the high quality production footage with lo-fi POVs from their students.

Take a cue from Vanderbilt by mixing high-brow production with authentic videos captured on smartphones. The resulting combination allows your amenities to shine, while leaving viewers with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Arizona State University: Giving students their time in the sun

Situated in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona State University (ASU) is one of the largest public universities in the US. On social, the school leans into student life-led posts—especially during back-to-school season.

Like this carousel comparing students’ packing essentials with that of their parents. The juxtaposition of what students deem “essential” compared to their parents is funny and endearing. The post serves as an opportunity for ASU to introduce their new class of incoming students, while acknowledging the work their parents have done to help them get to college. Commenters congratulated parents and students alike, noting how relatable the post feels.

ASU also creates informational guides during Welcome Week, like this roundup of signature events and a comprehensive list of move-in non-negotiables. As students increasingly flock to university social media channels for need-to-know intel, ASU demonstrates how to meet your students and prospects where they’re at.

During Welcome Week, ASU also shouted out their students representing their countries at the Games. Which is a taste of the steady drumbeat of content the university publishes celebrating their students’ achievements all year round.

ASU’s Welcome Week activations on social help boost and maintain the university’s public image. According to Sprout Social Listening data on X during move-in week (Aug 15-21, 2024), mentions of ASU and #ASUWelcome were 89% positive.

The play: Building an enriched campus life requires engaging your students. By centering the students in their Welcome Week content, ASU helps prospective students visualize what they could accomplish and what their experience will be like at the university.

University of Oxford: Student-generated content brings the academia aesthetic to life

Back to school at Oxford comes months later than other US schools in this roundup. The research university located in Oxford, England, begins the autumn term in early October. But that doesn’t mean the globally-renowned institution isn’t active on social during the summer months.

They recently participated in the “nobody will remember” trend, and gave it their own cheeky spin—poking fun at how much older their not-so-new college is compared to the US.

Oxford also posts idyllic images of their campus. Like the magic of old cobblestone buildings illuminated by moonlight and the tranquil warmth of an early morning sunrise reflecting off their Gothic rooftops—descriptions of a university that would come straight out of a novel.

Oxford has a social series where their students take viewers on virtual campus tours. The stops on the tours include “quintessential Oxford things” like gorgeous libraries, giant chess sets and a great hall filled with vintage portraits.

We look forward to following Oxford closely during “Freshers’ Week 2024,” a welcoming celebration for freshmen students that includes a fair, dinner, orientation and more.

The play: When consuming Oxford’s social content, the parallels the school makes between academia core—the internet aesthetic—and their own student experience are obvious. It works because it feels true to the university’s legacy as the second-oldest in continuous operation.

What makes your university unique? Whether it’s your architecture, famous landmarks or traditions, those should be at the center of your social strategy.

NYU: Taking a bite out of the Big Apple

When you think about New York University (NYU), words like talent, ambition and urban environment come to mind. Those are apt descriptions—the university uses that terminology on its own admissions page. On social, this NYU ethos comes to life.

All summer long, NYU has showcased the impressive accomplishments of their students in various intern programs. Like this Reel of a student intern at the American Song Archives. The documentary style of the video makes it feel elevated and professional, and gives the intern a chance to illustrate his preservation expertise and the interesting work he completed. The series demonstrates the many possible internship opportunities and career paths available to NYU students.

As the countdown to Welcome Week drew nearer, the university published daily countdown posts hyping up spots in NYC and around campus. They also published a Summer Walk series, where their team took viewers on scenic tours of the best walkable spots near NYU. This series incorporates some of the most famous buildings in the world along with charming local spots—something most “college towns” can’t offer.

When move-in day finally arrived, the school shared a video of students asking their parents for their final words of advice. While the video was lighthearted, it also conveyed the immense love and pride these parents feel toward their children, and how much they want them to make the most of their time at the prestigious school and in NYC.

NYU has remained in the top 10 of the Dreams Schools list published by Princeton Review for the past three years. The list compiles student and parent picks—proof that the school is growing in esteem. The buzz surrounding NYU on social is helping lift overall sentiment.

The play: When life gives you a Big Apple, you can’t sleep on it (that’s the saying, right?). As NYU proves, leaning into the unique advantages of the environment your university is part of delivers an X-factor that’s difficult to compete with.

#RushTok Spotlight: University of Oklahoma’s Kappa Kappa Gamma

Perhaps one of the most chronically-online back-to-school traditions is RushTok, the corner of the internet dedicated to Greek life rush week. During rush week, sorority and fraternity hopefuls participate in a series of events like house visits and philanthropy events, in hopes of being chosen and initiated into a brotherhood or sisterhood.

RushTok is well known for OOTD videos dissected by commentators like NFL plays and over-the-top, well orchestrated dances meant to entice people to join a certain sorority. Across both content types, the assignment is clear: Look polished, match your fellow sisters and have an unmistakeable rush aesthetic.

Which is why the University of Oklahoma’s Kappa Kappa Gamma theme of “blue” took the internet by storm. In their video, the wide and wild interpretation of the theme left commenters shocked. “I’m equally terrified and proud,” commented one user. Another added, “The Avatar took me.”

But most of all the sentiment was positive and supportive, with many saying they would consider rushing the sorority in the future.

The play: Why blend in when you can stand out? Just because there’s a formula for higher ed institutions, clubs and societies, doesn’t mean it can’t be rewritten.

A+ recruitment strategies must include social

That concludes this month’s installment of the PPR. Stay tuned for next month’s edition, where we’ll feature our lineup of our favorite holiday campaigns. In the meantime, remember these key takeaways:

 

Looking for actionable advice to build an engaged community, foster relationships with current and prospective students and unify your university’s voice and brand across departments? Check out our interview with Gettysburg College.

And if you see a social post or campaign that deserves to be highlighted, tag us @sproutsocial and use #PostPerformanceReport to have your idea included in a future article.