The top colleges and universities on Twitter have proven that a variety of content types, consistent branding, and plenty of school pride are just a few elements that go into a strong Twitter presence.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking to refresh your university\u2019s Twitter strategy for the new school year, take note of what the top colleges and universities are doing to stand out and drive engagement on the platform.<\/p>\n
Top 10 Colleges and Universities on Twitter<\/h2>\n
We\u2019re always impressed by higher education institutions on social media as they often outperform many industries across all platforms<\/a>. And this year\u2019s top performers on Twitter are no less impressive.<\/p>\n Here are the top 10 colleges and universities on Twitter in 2022:<\/p>\n Let’s look at strategies from some of the top performers.<\/p>\n According to our 2022 Higher Education Social Media Benchmark Report<\/a>, the median engagement rate for universities on Twitter is 0.096%. When it comes to posting frequency, schools tweeted about 8.8 times per week, a little more than once per day.<\/p>\n Now that we have a benchmark rate to compare, let\u2019s dive into a few examples from some of the top colleges to identify what they\u2019re doing to generate engagement rates above the rest.<\/p>\n Coming in at the top of our list is Texas Southern University (TSU)<\/a>. One of the country\u2019s largest historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), TSU outperformed its fellow educational institutions on Twitter this year thanks to a couple of star-studded posts.<\/p>\n Scrolling through the university\u2019s tweets, it\u2019s clear that TSU aims to show off the achievements of its students and staff in an effort to showcase why prospective students should consider attending. And one of the biggest recruitment tools TSU had on its side this year? Getting to claim a major celebrity as one of its own.<\/p>\n Megan Thee Stallion graduated from TSU back in December 2021 and a tweet sharing the news was the school\u2019s top-performing post on Twitter.<\/p>\n TSU\u2019s average engagement rate on Twitter is 1.29%, but this tweet earned a whopping 477% engagement rate which was an engagement rate lift of over 2K \u2014 or about 2,000 times better than the average tweet for TSU or any of the top ten school\u2019s on this list.<\/p>\n Having a celebrity graduate from your school is obviously something to shout from the rooftops, but TSU shared the news in a very organic way. The school posted a quick snap from the ceremony and even included branded hashtags like #TSUProud and #tsugrad21 to maintain the overall graduation theme, just as it would with any other student.<\/p>\n As if Megan Thee Stallion donning a TSU cap and gown wasn\u2019t momentous enough, TSU had another Hollywood moment this year that helped propel the school into notable Twitter engagement levels yet again.<\/p>\n Drake named a song after the school (the song is literally called \u201cTSU\u201d) and the university shared this GIF of the rapper to acknowledge the moment.<\/p>\n Simply put, TSU caught the attention of multiple high-profile people and the school\u2019s social team took full advantage.<\/p>\n While you can\u2019t predict whether or not your school will make headlines or be name-dropped by a celebrity, TSU makes the case for actively keeping tabs on current events and conversations and adjusting the social strategy as needed.<\/p>\n At its roots, Twitter is a reactive platform. Even if you\u2019re proactive and plan most of your school\u2019s content ahead of time, leave room for unplanned moments and be prepared to create relevant tweets on the fly.<\/p>\n Another top-performing school on Twitter is Alabama A&M University<\/a>.<\/p>\n AAMU\u2019s Twitter feed is a hub for all things university-related, from campus updates to athletic game announcements to notable achievements from both current and former students.<\/p>\n Plus, the main account frequently retweets content from other AAMU-run accounts or tweets from people who mention the school \u2014 even if the school isn\u2019t directly tagged, which is some impressive social listening<\/a> and monitoring in action. It\u2019s clear that the school uses a mix of content types to reach a variety of relevant audiences through this channel.<\/p>\n What\u2019s also notable about this top university on Twitter is how frequently it tweets.<\/p>\n AAMU tweets about 20 times per week, which is well above the average of eight times per week from the other schools we analyzed.<\/p>\n With an average engagement rate of 0.52%, AAMU\u2019s posting frequency could factor into that impressive rate. Posting often can increase the opportunities for the school to reach more people, engage with other accounts, and consistently get in front of current and potential students.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, one of AAMU\u2019s top-performing tweets stood out in the feed for being a little different from the school\u2019s usual updates and announcements.<\/p>\n While campus glamour shots are a popular content type for schools and universities, it\u2019s not typically a go-to for AAMU. But this snowy campus photo resulted in one of its best-performing tweets with an engagement rate of 8.89%. This post was different from the usual school updates and retweets in AAMU\u2019s feed, but the experiment certainly paid off.<\/p>\n There are many lessons to learn from AAMU\u2019s Twitter strategy. From experimenting with an increased posting frequency to trying out content that differs from the usual, AAMU makes the case for actively putting effort into one of its most engaging channels.<\/p>\n\n
Engagement rate for colleges and universities on Twitter<\/h3>\n
\n
Engaging Examples from the Top Universities on Twitter<\/h2>\n
Texas Southern University: Making room for reactive content<\/h3>\n
![\"One](\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Texas-Southern-University-Twitter-700x421.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Another](\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TSU-Drake-Twitter-700x375.png\")
<\/p>\nAlabama A&M University: Staying active and engaged<\/h3>\n
![\"Another](\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AAMU-Twitter-feed.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Campus](\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Alabama-AM-Twitter-snow-700x366.png\")
<\/p>\n