{"id":33807,"date":"2023-10-03T19:02:19","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T19:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/?p=33807"},"modified":"2023-10-03T20:27:14","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T20:27:14","slug":"best-colleges-on-instagram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/best-colleges-on-instagram\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Colleges on Instagram and What Made Them Stand Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each year, Rival IQ breaks down how the world of colleges and universities is doing on social media, and this year\u2019s Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report<\/a> is a real doozy. For the first time ever, we\u2019ve combined both D1 and D2 colleges into one massive report filled with findings that you can take away to spruce up your own social media.<\/p>\n

Higher education is consistently one of the top industries in terms of social media performance, according to our annual Social Media Industry Benchmark Report<\/a>. But where higher education institutions really shine is on Instagram. Higher education scored a whopping 2.58% for their average engagement rate for 2023. That\u2019s 5.5x the median engagement rate of all industries in this report and nearly twice the average engagement rate of the second-highest-performing industry, sports teams.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear that college social media managers are making magic for their schools. But what can other social media managers take away for their own social media spellbooks? We\u2019ve broken down the top takeaways from D1 and D2 colleges.<\/p>\n

The Top 3 D1 Colleges on Instagram<\/h2>\n

James Madison University<\/h3>\n

What makes them stand out:<\/b> Engaging with a greater conversation<\/p>\n

When we talk about social media, we often talk about engaging with your community. In the case of higher education, your community usually means your own students, parents of students, faculty, and alumni. But James Madison University (JMU)<\/a> used their social media presence to show that community doesn\u2019t have to end with your own school.<\/p>\n

On November 13, 2022, three people were killed and two others injured in a mass shooting on the campus of the University of Virginia (UVA). In such a sorrowful time, JMU came together to send their support to UVA, both in person and over social media.<\/p>\n

JMU\u2019s top three posts from between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023, shared condolences to those affected by the shooting at their fellow Virginia school. The top post was a picture of JMU\u2019s Wilson Hall illuminated in UVA\u2019s colors, orange and navy blue, with the caption: \u201cSending love and care to our friends and colleagues across the mountain. #DukeSupportsHoos.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Top<\/p>\n

The post garnered an engagement rate of 32%, 68x the median engagement rate for higher education during this time period. The comment section was filled with people sharing words of support for UVA. This turnout of community goes to show that it\u2019s essential to engage in meaningful conversations on social media platforms, even if the topic or event didn\u2019t originate on your own campus.<\/p>\n

It can be tempting to talk about only light topics when posting on social media. But JMU demonstrated that people appreciate when you talk about subject matters that deeply affect their community. They want to know that JMU cares about what matters to them.<\/p>\n

Georgia Institute of Technology<\/h3>\n

What makes them stand out:<\/b> Student engagement<\/p>\n

While talking about greater conversations beyond the borders of your campus is important, many schools also found success on Instagram by talking about what\u2019s happening with their own students, staff, and alumni. One such school was the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In their top Instagram posts for this time period, you\u2019ll find students winning big and making records on shows like \u201cWheel of Fortune\u201d and \u201cSurvivor.\u201d You\u2019ll also find a celebration of alumni accomplishments, like Harrison Butker, a former Georgia Tech student, winning the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

But Georgia Tech goes further than just talking about students and alumni. Instead, they include them in the posts themselves. The school\u2019s top post for this time period was a Reel that had an interviewer going around to ask students what they were listening to. It\u2019s a format that you often see on Instagram Reels and its competitor, TikTok. The Reel earned an engagement rate of 21.1%, about 45x the median engagement rate of higher education during the same time period.<\/p>\n

\"Georgia<\/p>\n

Getting the students involved in making the school\u2019s Instagram content is a perfect opportunity to boost engagement. The Georgia Tech students seem to enjoy seeing their friends on their school\u2019s social media, making them more likely to engage with the post. The content choice is also relatable, with many social media users taking to the comments to talk about their own music choices and which student\u2019s music matched up best with their own playlist.<\/p>\n

\n Dig deeper: \n<\/strong>Discover the best time to post Reels on Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Northern Arizona University<\/h3>\n

What makes them stand out:<\/b> Repurposing content<\/p>\n

As you scroll through the Instagram of Northern Arizona University (NAU)<\/a>, you might notice a trend. There are many beautiful shots of the school\u2019s campus and even Arizona in general. But those pictures aren\u2019t because NAU has a particularly impressive photographer on their staff. Instead, they seem to have a very savvy social media manager who understands the benefit of using repurposed content.<\/p>\n

Of the top 12 posts for NAU from this time period, 10 contained images repurposed from the Instagram accounts of NAU students and Arizona-based photographers. Using user-generated content (UGC) can help you in many ways, starting with saving you time and money. You can skip hiring a photographer and scheduling photoshoots to use UGC instead.<\/p>\n

\"Rival<\/p>\n

According to our higher education report, D1 colleges posted just over four times per week. To score amongst the top D1 schools, NAU needed to develop a consistent posting schedule. They actually posted much more than the average, with 10 posts per week. All this content would have been much more challenging to get if NAU didn\u2019t rely on the help of UGC.<\/p>\n

UGC can also help your Instagram look more authentic, and authenticity creates trust and engagement. According to a survey by Stackla<\/a>, only 19% of consumers view brand-created content as authentic. Influencer-generated content and stock images rank even lower. In contrast, nearly 60% of respondents reported UGC to be the most authentic.<\/p>\n

This type of content can help students visualize themselves on campus. One of the school\u2019s top posts of this time period showed a carousel of UGC images from students having fun building igloos on the NAU campus.<\/p>\n

\"Carousel<\/p>\n

Such a post helps potential students see the school from current students\u2019 perspective, allowing them to get an idea of campus life from those actually living on campus. But the comments go to show that these types of posts can also engage other demographics. Comments include parents celebrating that their kids are enjoying life at NAU, alumni reminiscing about their own time at NAU, and soon-to-be students who have already decided they\u2019re going to NAU and are getting all the more excited thanks to the post.<\/p>\n

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