With the higher education market becoming increasingly competitive, students now tend to have an abundance of universities to choose from and are using a wide variety of digital channels to inform their career decisions. 83% of students now rely on social channels to help them choose their college. On the other hand, for universities, whether the aim is to reach prospective students, current students, alumni, or families, social media continues to play a key role in how they engage with their audiences and attract new communities.
Savvy marketing professionals at universities are tapping into this opportunity and using social channels to create buzz and share their university’s unique culture, history and more. They often include current students in the creation of their story, by encouraging student generated content and increased interaction on social channels.
Below, we’ve gathered up a list of five universities in Europe that are winning at social media. We’d like to continue growing this list so if you know other universities that should be included we’d love to hear! Tag us on Twitter or Instagram (@psforbrands) and let us know.
Bocconi University, Italy
When you scroll through the posts on Bocconi University’s Instagram account, it’s clear to see how video content is being used creatively to showcase the university’s programmes and merchandise, and also to promote its values in a relatable way. Bocconi uses PhotoShelter for Brands to organise and share their content. They create videos that put students at the centre of the university’s story, giving prospective students a feel for what life is like when you study there.
University of Stirling, Scotland
Student generated content is one of the key types of content University of Stirling uses to engage with prospective students. Located in the Central Belt of Scotland, the university’s social media posts often show photographs taken by students of the idyllic places in the surrounding areas of the university. It helps set the tone of life on campus, promoting and representing the kind of culture prospective students would like to be part of.
University of Manchester, England
Highly respected across the globe as a centre of teaching excellence and research innovation and discovery, University of Manchester’s social media team does a great job of showcasing the rich programming and variety of resources and facilities the university offers. Their cross-platform social media campaigns feature content that is engaging and fun, ranging from alumni profiles to move-in day stories, where students share tips and candid behind the scenes content to help new students settle into university life.
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
As a public research university in the city of Zürich, Switzerland, ETH Zurich’s mission is to educate engineers and scientists, as they focus primarily on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They want to encourage independent thinking and to offer students a climate which inspires top performance while also having fun – something that clearly comes across on social media posts like this:
University College Cork, Ireland
The vibrant and fresh brand identity of University College Cork is something that’s clearly promoted across all their digital channels. From their website to their social media channels, we get to see bright colours, fun imagery and graphics with some traditional touches. They’re proud of their roots and do an amazing job with the use of video content on social channels to promote their Irish heritage.
At PhotoShelter we’re very proud to work with some of the top universities around the world, supporting their creative workflows across all their digital channels so they can share their stories. If you’d like to learn more, follow us on @psforbrands or join our PSB Creative Slack community.
