Alumni members have always been an essential part of every university. They are your biggest and most important supporters. Without them, every university loses some of its most vital volunteers and donors.
That’s why engaging with them and getting them to engage with you is a vital part of your marketing. Achieving this in the 21st century is best done through social media. That’s why we thought we’d give you a couple of vital strategies to use to get more alumni engagement from your social media campaigns.
Using Each Social Media Platform in the Right Way
If you want to get the most out of your social media efforts, it’s vital to understand and use each platform in the right way. Each of the major platforms is unique, and they are continually striving to be different from the rest.
That’s why you need to use them differently, as well. When it comes to alumni engagement, here’s how you should use each of the major social media platforms:
LinkedIn – Use it for promoting learning and networking.
This entire platform is designed to connect business people. Most of your alumni will be on LinkedIn searching for a job after they graduate. In fact, the latest statistics tell us that around 122 million people got at least one interview through LinkedIn.
You can use this to your advantage by creating groups and communities for them. They can connect with each other through them and reach out to businesses.
Instagram – Use it to remind alumni of the great times they had in college
Instagram is for pictures, and the best way to utilize it for your alumni is to show them the great moments they had while they were studying. It’s a way to win them over and get keep them involved.
Twitter – Use it for updates.
The format of Twitter posts is perfect for short statements and updates about what you’re doing. In the case of universities, it’s best to give shoutouts to all alumni who’ve just accomplished something in their life. Also, you can inform them and everyone else about what the university is doing, and they’ll be glad to be in the know.
Tips on How to Increase Alumni Engagement on Social Media
- The golden rule to increasing engagement on social media is to ask people something through your posts. If you want to increase alumni engagement, simply direct those questions to them.
- Your social media teams need to learn to be friendly and not too corporate. Most universities tend to act strictly professionally, and, in today’s world, that’s not the norm – especially not on social media.
- Collect data on your alumni and use it to group them by their similarities. Just like businesses use data to create buyer personas, universities can do the same with their alumni.