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How Alumni Relations teams use Instagram, Youtube, and LinkedIn
As Alumni Relations teams look for effective ways to reach young alumni, social networks offer promising engagement opportunities. While Facebook and Twitter remain popular, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn present distinct advantages for connecting with recent graduates.
Instagram usage among higher education institutions has grown from 54% in 2015 to 65% in 2016. As a primarily visual platform, quality images and videos are essential, though captions enhance messaging effectiveness. Hashtags serve dual purposes: amplifying campaign reach and building community identity.
Creative Applications:
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Video campaigns: Oxford Alumni promoted their #threelittlewords campaign through videos, incentivizing participation with giveaway gifts.
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Competitions: SOAS University increased engagement by asking alumni to name their office mascot, with prizes motivating involvement.
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Custom hashtags: Rutgers Alumni used branded hashtags to encourage event attendance and community building.
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Extended captions: Columbia University shared career advice in longer-form posts, combining practical guidance with motivational messaging.
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Nostalgic engagement: Maryland Alumni leveraged emotional appeal and creative prompts to drive participation.
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Event previews: University of Manchester announced a graduation treasure hunt, creating anticipation and community excitement.
YouTube
As the world’s second largest search engine, YouTube enables storytelling through video. Young audiences prefer brief, authentic content that captures attention quickly.
Platform-suitable content includes:
- Success stories
- University news and updates
- Campus life documentation
- Alumni events
- Professional development tips
Implementation Examples:
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Campaign involvement: Cambridge University’s “Dear World… Yours, Cambridge” video asked alumni about their university experiences, measuring institutional impact.
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Community motivation: TCU’s “FrogFocus: Share your spirit” encouraged alumni participation and content sharing.
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Fundraising integration: SOAS Alumni Network used video to promote the Sanctuary Scholarship Appeal, concluding with direct calls-to-action directing viewers toward donation pages.
LinkedIn serves professional networking and community development for alumni. Universities leverage LinkedIn Pages and Groups to maintain connections and highlight networking opportunities.
Group Examples:
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University of Essex created a cross-community group welcoming alumni, current students, and staff to strengthen professional connections.
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Kingston University’s Alumni Association operates an approval-based group emphasizing networking and institutional connection maintenance.
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University of Nottingham established a group facilitating professional and social networking discovery among its alumni base.
