Social Media Best Practices for Higher Education

We recently had the opportunity to lead two “Social Media in Higher Education” sessions for staff at City University of New York as part of their annual All Staff Day in Manhattan.

In collaboration with their Director of Organizational Development, we distributed a pre-workshop survey to assess the most common challenges. That feedback helped shape every aspect of the session. In this post, we’re sharing some of the biggest takeaways.

What’s Holding Social Media Back in Higher Ed?

Survey results revealed several familiar themes. Participants wanted time-saving strategies, better content ideas, and advice on turning surface-level metrics into meaningful engagement. They also faced the challenge of creating consistent content with limited staff and resources.

Save Time With Smarter Strategy

Without a dedicated marketing team, efficiency becomes everything. Focus first on what success looks like. Want to grow awareness of your programs? Drive more event registrations? Engage current and prospective students?

From there, align your content efforts around those goals. If you’re not moving toward a measurable outcome, it’s time to reassess.

Leverage internal talent. Students can be invaluable for content creation, channel insights, and boosting reach. Involve them as social media contributors or ambassadors. Think: “Follow @CUNYStudent for a look at campus life from a real student perspective.”

Make social media management part of your weekly rhythm. Even 15 to 30 minutes a day makes a difference. A dormant profile can hurt more than help.

Create a shared calendar or working group across departments to keep communication flowing and avoid duplicated efforts.

Content Creation and Repurposing That Actually Works

Capturing attention is tough. You’re competing not just with other universities, but with memes, influencers, and endless scrolls of entertainment. That means your content must be meaningful and relevant.

Start with story themes for the academic year. What topics will matter to your audience? What are students proud of or curious about? What will inspire alumni to share?

Visuals matter. Posts with real photos—students in action, behind-the-scenes moments, or campus events—consistently perform better than stock images or templated graphics.

Repurpose wherever possible. A blog post can become a newsletter feature, a Twitter thread, and a quote graphic for Instagram. One student spotlight can yield five different posts.

You don’t always need new content. Reposting timely or seasonal content from the previous year with a small update can be just as effective.

Bridge the Gap Between Social and Your Website

Your website is often the final stop after a social click. Make sure it reinforces the message and guides users to take action. That could mean applying to a program, registering for an event, or simply learning more.

Audit your top-visited pages. Are they clear, mobile-friendly, and built around what your audience actually needs? What’s the next step you want them to take? Is that clear?

Even small changes—like adding a relevant testimonial, a clean call-to-action, or better imagery—can have a big impact.

Keep Listening and Improving

Use platform analytics to review performance monthly or quarterly. What’s gaining traction? What’s falling flat? Why?

Talk to students, faculty, or alumni about what kind of content they find valuable or interesting. Don’t guess. Ask.

Create useful, shareable content. That means prioritizing value over self-promotion. Show your community. Celebrate wins. Provide answers.

Looking for more help? Let’s talk about how Deep Varnish can support your team with strategy, content, and training that helps higher ed institutions connect more meaningfully on social.