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Channel Strategy Recommendations

LinkedIn Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and Overview

LinkedIn remains the world’s leading professional networking platform, with more than a billion users expected there in 2025. For Carnegie Mellon and across the university landscape, LinkedIn is essential for building institutional reputation, engaging alumni, attracting prospective students, and showcasing research and thought leadership. Unlike more casual or anonymous platforms, LinkedIn users expect polished, career-focused, and aspirational content, making it a critical channel for higher education communications and branding.

Key Considerations

Community Expectations: To reiterate what you just read in the overview, LinkedIn users look for a specific type of content. Authenticity is valued, but a polished, professional tone is essential. Users expect to see quantifiable achievements, leadership, and expertise in both individual and organizational profiles. Personal branding is important: users notice well-crafted headlines, summaries, and multimedia content.

Nature of Engagement: Â鶹´å has seen success in our LinkedIn strategy, and this has a lot to do with what we share. This includes research breakthroughs, faculty achievements and thought leadership. LinkedIn’s tools (polls, articles, newsletters, events) allow for interactive and multi-format engagement.

Risks: Criticism and negative feedback are possible, but discourse tends to remain professional. Reputation management requires prompt, respectful responses and clear communication.

Audience: Prospective students (especially graduate and professional), alumni, faculty, staff, industry partners, and media. Decision-makers, recruiters, and collaborators who can influence institutional reputation and opportunities.

Best Practices for 2025

Share High-Impact Content: Post 2–4 times per week, balancing institutional news, research, student/alumni stories, and thought leadership. It’s ok to post more or less when needed. Use rich media: videos, infographics, and professional photos increase engagement and reach. Highlight faculty expertise and research with quantifiable outcomes and real-world impact.

Benefits of native content: Every algorithm is different. In 2025, LinkedIn is prioritizing content that keeps people on the platform versus sending them to a website. This is one of the biggest balancing acts in social media: Drive traffic to our own website or push to grow reach on LinkedIn? The answer could (and should) be a combination of both. Consider using LinkedIn’s Articles feature to post the entirety of a story on LinkedIn. You could go a step further and conduct an A/B test by using that feature and then posting the old fashioned way and comparing analytics.

Optimize the Institutional Profile: Use a high-quality logo and banner image that reflects the Â鶹´å brand. Reach out to UCM for help if needed. Craft a compelling headline and “About” section using relevant keywords and a clear value proposition. Regularly update contact information and website links.

Leverage LinkedIn Features: Use the “Featured” section to showcase major achievements, research, and media coverage. Vary your content type when it makes sense. Don’t overthink it, but also don’t underthink it.

Foster Community Engagement: Encourage faculty, alumni, and students to engage with and share university content. Respond promptly to comments and messages, maintaining a professional and helpful tone. Join and participate in relevant LinkedIn Groups and alumni networks where applicable and appropriate.

Monitor and Adapt: Track analytics to understand what content resonates with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly. Stay current with LinkedIn’s evolving features and best practices, optimizing your approach as the platform changes.

Advanced Tips for 2025

Highlight In-Demand Skills: Feature programs and achievements in areas like AI literacy, sustainability, and cross-functional collaboration.

SEO for LinkedIn: Optimize your page and posts with relevant keywords to improve searchability and discoverability.

Summary

LinkedIn is a cornerstone for university communications in 2025. A strategic, consistent presence rooted in professionalism, authenticity, and community engagement will elevate Â鶹´å’s brand, expand reach, and foster valuable connections. Treat your LinkedIn presence as a dynamic showcase for the amazing impact Â鶹´å makes.

Facebook Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and Overview

Facebook remains a foundational platform for universities, and Â鶹´å is no exception. With a multigenerational user base and robust tools for community building, event promotion, and storytelling, Facebook continues to be a primary channel for reaching prospective and current students, parents, alumni, faculty, and the broader community. Its multimedia capabilities and group features make it especially valuable for fostering engagement and maintaining long-term relationships.

Key Considerations

Community Expectations: Users expect a mix of timely news, event updates, student life stories, and engaging visual content. Both formal and informal tones are accepted, but content should always be accurate and aligned with Â鶹´å values. Audiences appreciate behind-the-scenes content, live interactions, and celebrations of community achievements. While your strategy will be unique, know that Â鶹´å’s central Facebook channel has seen great success in promoting athletics, Broadway and alumni.

Nature of Engagement: Facebook is ideal for sharing photos, videos, event promotions, and interactive content such as polls, Q&As, and live streams. Community management is essential: responding to comments, moderating discussions, and fostering a welcoming environment are key to success. Facebook Groups allow for targeted engagement with specific communities (e.g., admitted students, parents, alumni chapters).

Risks: Negative comments or misinformation can spread quickly. Reputation management requires active moderation, clear community guidelines, and a crisis communication plan. If you are going to commit to moderation, you have to go all-in. You can’t respond once and never again. And you can’t respond to one and not the other. Time is going to be a limiting factor, but this is something to work out in your strategy.

Audience: Prospective and current students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, local community members, and supporters.

Best Practices for 2025

Optimize Your Page: Use a recognizable profile picture (logo) and a visually compelling cover image. Think about what best represents Â鶹´å. Reach out to UCM for help if needed. Keep the “About” section current with accurate contact info, links, and a concise, engaging description. Pin important posts (e.g., admissions deadlines, major announcements) to the top of your page.

Share a Variety of Content: Post consistently (ideally 5–7 times per week), using a mix of news, events, student stories, faculty highlights, and campus updates. Use high-quality photos and videos to capture attention in crowded feeds. Go live for campus tours, Q&A sessions, and special events to increase real-time engagement. Do not be afraid to experiment within reason.

Foster Community and Interaction: Respond promptly to comments and messages, showing appreciation for positive feedback and addressing concerns constructively. If bandwidth allows, consider utilizing Facebook Groups to build micro-communities (e.g., for incoming students, parents, or alumni in specific regions).

Leverage Facebook Tools: Use Events to promote and manage registrations for campus activities, webinars, and reunions. Create Stories for quick updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and time-sensitive content. Experiment with Facebook Ads to boost key posts or target specific demographics.

Monitor and Moderate: Set clear community guidelines and enforce them consistently to maintain a positive, respectful environment. Use Facebook Insights to track engagement, reach, and audience demographics, and adjust your strategy accordingly. Be prepared to respond quickly to misinformation or negative comments, escalating issues when necessary.

Advanced Tips for 2025

Alumni Engagement: Feature alumni achievements and encourage alumni to share updates and mentor students via Groups or Page posts.

Accessibility: Ensure all videos have captions and images include alt text for accessibility.

Collaboration is the word of the (every) day: Cross-promote and collaborate with student organizations, faculty, and partner institutions to amplify reach and engagement.

Summary

Even if you have heard otherwise, Facebook remains a dynamic, multifaceted platform for communications in 2025. By combining regular, high-quality content with active community management and strategic use of platform features, Â鶹´å can foster strong relationships, enhance reputation, and keep audiences informed and engaged. Treat your Facebook presence as both a digital front door and a vibrant community hub.

Instagram Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and Overview

Instagram is a visually-driven platform with more than two billion active users, making it a central channel for universities such as Â鶹´å that aim to engage Gen Z, millennials, and visually-oriented audiences. Instagram’s blend of photos, videos, Stories, Reels, and interactive features makes it ideal for showcasing campus life, student experiences, and institutional culture in a dynamic, authentic way. Done correctly with strategy top of mind, a presence on Instagram can be an essential social media tool for brand-building, recruitment, and community engagement.

Key Considerations

Community Expectations: Instagram users seek authentic, visually compelling content that tells a story or sparks emotion. Audiences value behind-the-scenes glimpses, student spotlights, and interactive content over polished, corporate messaging. Consistency, creativity, and a relatable voice are critical to building trust and loyalty. If you lack the compelling visual content to engage your audience, you should consider a different platform. This isn’t the kind of place where you try to compensate for what you don’t have.

Nature of Engagement: Instagram thrives on two-way interaction: responding to comments, hosting Q&As, and encouraging user-generated content. Visual storytelling is key, and that means embracing high-quality images, short-form videos, and creative graphics which outperform text-heavy posts. Features like Stories, Reels, and Lives allow for real-time, ephemeral, and interactive engagement.

Risks: Visual missteps or tone-deaf content can be quickly called out and shared widely. Negative comments or misinformation may appear on posts or in DMs; these require timely, tactful responses and clear moderation policies. Always “Anticipate the Response,” meaning ask yourself this question: “Am I posting something that could be taken the wrong way, even by the smallest subset of followers?” If you are, reconsider your content to avoid the heartache of taking a risk.

Audience: Prospective and current students, young alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and university supporters. Instagram’s audience skews younger, making it a prime platform for recruitment and brand affinity.

Best Practices for 2025

Optimize Your Profile: Use a recognizable Â鶹´å logo as your profile photo and a succinct, engaging bio with relevant hashtags and links (e.g., Linktree for multiple destinations). Highlight key information such as admissions, events and campus tours in pinned Stories (Highlights) for easy access. Keep contact info and links up to date, including direct messaging options for quick inquiries.

Curate a Varied Content Mix: Post consistently (ideally 4–7 times per week), balancing campus life, student and faculty spotlights, research highlights, event coverage, and alumni achievements. Use a cohesive visual identity, which includes consistent color palettes, filters, and typography, to reinforce brand recognition. Feature a mix of photos, carousel posts, short-form Reels, and longer videos to appeal to varied consumption habits.

Leverage Instagram’s Interactive Features: Use Stories for daily updates, polls, quizzes, countdowns, and Q&As to foster real-time engagement. Host Instagram Lives for campus tours, student panels, or faculty interviews, allowing for direct audience interaction. Encourage user-generated content with branded hashtags (#TartanProud is the one we use the most) and regular reposts of student and alumni submissions.

Foster Community and Engagement: Respond promptly to comments and DMs, demonstrating attentiveness and approachability. Tag students, faculty, and partner organizations to expand reach and build community. Celebrate content that reflects the breadth of experiences on the Â鶹´å campus.

Showcase Authenticity and Student Voice: Share unfiltered moments (think successes, challenges, and everyday campus life) to build credibility and relatability.

Monitor Trends and Analytics: Stay current with Instagram trends, such as new content formats or viral challenges, and adapt them to your brand where it makes sense. Remember that not every viral moment on Instagram is going to be a fit for you or the Â鶹´å brand. When in doubt, reach out to UCM for a gut check. Use Instagram Insights to track engagement, reach, and audience demographics, adjusting your strategy based on data.

Advanced Tips for 2025

Accessibility: Add alt text to images and captions to videos for accessibility.

Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with student influencers, alumni, or faculty who have significant followings to amplify key messages.

Paid Promotion: Use targeted ads and sponsored posts for major campaigns (e.g., admissions, events) to reach specific demographics.

Summary

Instagram is one of several cornerstone channels for strong university communications. It offers unparalleled opportunities for authentic storytelling, community building, and audience engagement. By prioritizing high-quality content and leveraging the platform’s interactive features, you can create a vibrant, relatable presence that resonates with students, alumni, and supporters. Treat Instagram as both a creative showcase and a real-time conversation with Â鶹´å’s most engaged audiences.

X (Twitter) Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and Overview

X (formerly Twitter) remains a real-time, public platform for news, conversation, and community engagement. Despite negative attention due in part to ownership, X continues to be a vital channel for universities including Â鶹´å to share timely updates, amplify research, connect with media, and build relationships with students, alumni, and stakeholders. The fast-paced, open nature of X demands a strategic, agile approach that balances institutional messaging with authentic, responsive interaction.

Key Considerations

Community Expectations: X users expect timely, concise, and relevant content, and that is likely to include news, updates, event coverage, and real-time engagement. The platform values authenticity, wit, and transparency. Branded accounts should maintain a consistent, approachable voice, using “we” to reflect the institution as a whole. Visuals, original graphics, and branded hashtags boost recognition and engagement.

Nature of Engagement: While it’s true that X is a conversation and not a megaphone, the ability to hold conversations on X has become challenging due to the nature of the content. This doesn’t mean you should abandon the idea of responding to mentions or participating in trending topics, however you might identify a better platform for this based on your strategy. If you are going to embrace X, use a mix of original content, retweets, replies, and curated news to maintain a dynamic presence. Hashtags are less popular than they were a few years ago, but they can still be essential for discoverability and participation in wider conversations.

Risks: The public, fast-moving nature of X means mistakes or tone-deaf content can spread quickly. Criticism and negative feedback are common; reputation management requires prompt, professional responses and clear escalation protocols. Platform changes (verification, algorithm, limits) require ongoing adaptation. While UCM can share several reasons to consider maintaining a presence on X, your mileage may vary. As with all of your social media decisions, you need to do what’s right for you.

Audience: Prospective and current students, alumni, faculty, staff, media, and the general public. X is particularly valuable for reaching journalists, thought leaders, and those seeking real-time information.

Caution: Not using X because of a disagreement with ownership or politics is not a strategically sound reason for avoiding the platform. Your audience always comes first when it comes to a social media strategy. If your audience is there and embracing its content, you owe it to your audience to adapt. Failure to do so could cost you valuable social media connections and severely lessen your return on investment.

Best Practices for 2025

Optimize Your Profile: Use a clear, branded handle and profile image; keep your bio concise, informative, and up-to-date with relevant links. Pin important or evergreen tweets (admissions deadlines, major announcements) for visibility.

Note about Pinning Posts: When a user is logged into their X account and views another account, they will see pinned posts at the top. When a user is browsing X without logging in, pinned posts are not shown. Instead, the posts with the most engagement are highlighted. Note that these posts could be positive or negative, so consider that not everyone sees your profile the same way.

Maintain a Robust Content Cadence: Tweet frequently to stay visible in busy feeds. Mix content types: news, research highlights, event reminders, student and alumni stories, visuals, and GIFs. Use multiple posts for deeper storytelling or coverage of complex topics.

Leverage Visual and Interactive Content: Incorporate images, videos, GIFs, and branded graphics to increase engagement. Use polls, Q&As, and live tweeting to foster real-time participation and feedback. Attribute photos and media properly; ensure accessibility with alt text for images.

Engage and Build Community: Respond promptly to mentions, replies, and DMs—acknowledge both praise and criticism professionally. Retweet and engage with faculty, students, alumni, and partner organizations to amplify community voices. Promote and monitor branded hashtags; encourage user-generated content and participation in campaigns.

Monitor, Adapt, and Moderate: Use analytics to track engagement, reach, and follower growth; adjust strategy based on performance. Monitor conversations for sentiment, misinformation, or crises, and have escalation protocols in place. Stay current with X’s evolving features, algorithm changes, and best practices.

Final Note about Content: These best practices assume someone still going all in on X. If you find these suggestions work better on a different platform, feel free to adjust as needed.

Advanced Tips for 2025

Crisis Communication: Use X for rapid updates during emergencies, directing followers to official channels for more information.

Accessibility: Limit hashtags to only what’s needed. Avoid emoji overuse. Also, keep tweets concise for clarity and accessibility.

Timing: Research when your audience is most active and schedule tweets accordingly to maximize visibility.

Summary

Despite its shortcomings and negative publicity, X remains a powerful platform for real-time communication, community building, and public engagement. Success depends on agility, authenticity, and a willingness to engage in open dialogue. By maintaining a high-frequency, multimedia content strategy and responding promptly to your audience, you can build trust, amplify achievements, and remain a visible, credible voice in the Â鶹´å landscape. Treat X as both a newswire and a conversation, and also as your institution’s pulse in the digital world.

Bluesky Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and Overview

Bluesky has rapidly emerged as a preferred social media platform for universities, researchers, and the broader scientific community. Built as a decentralized, community-driven network, Bluesky offers a transparent, ad-free, and science-friendly alternative to X (formerly Twitter), attracting tens of thousands of academics and dozens of universities, including Â鶹´å, in recent months. In fact, several schools and offices at Â鶹´å currently have a Bluesky presence, including MCS, SCS and Libraries. Bluesky’s open architecture, customizable feeds, and collaborative moderation have made it a hub for collegial scientific exchange and institutional communication, especially as concerns about misinformation, algorithmic opacity, and toxic discourse have driven many away from X. For Â鶹´å, Bluesky presents both a timely opportunity and a set of unique considerations for building reputation, fostering research networks, and engaging with students, alumni, and the public.

Key Considerations

Community Expectations: Bluesky is renowned for its collegial, less antagonistic environment, especially among scientists and academics. Users expect authentic, transparent, and research-focused content. Self-promotion and institutional news are welcome when paired with open discussion and community engagement. The platform rewards participation in discipline-specific feeds and collaborative conversations, rather than one-way broadcasting. Ad-free and algorithm-optional, Bluesky is perceived as a space for genuine, distraction-free scientific exchange.

Nature of Engagement: Bluesky’s interface is similar to X, making the transition easy for academics and institutions. Customizable feeds allow users to curate their experience, so content must be relevant, timely, and valuable to the intended audience. Community moderation and open-source tools empower users to shape discourse and maintain platform standards. The platform’s current user base is heavily weighted toward the scientific and academic community, with a growing but still limited reach beyond those circles.

Risks: Bluesky’s decentralized model and open data access raise questions about content rights, data protection, and the potential for misuse. You should always assume that everything you do on the Internet is recorded in some fashion. On Bluesky, because of the open source nature, everything is visible. For example, if you chose to block someone because of their interactions that information is visible on your profile. This means decision making needs to be put through a very specific lens. Other platforms have started doing things like this. X, for example, will now allow someone blocked to see content, they just can’t interact with it. This information is broadcast for all to see. 

The platform’s relatively smaller size may limit reach to the general public, policymakers, or media compared to legacy platforms. Some users note the risk of echo chambers or “siloed” academic communities, potentially limiting broader engagement. As Bluesky grows, maintaining its collegial, science-friendly culture may be challenging.

Audience: Primary: Researchers, faculty, graduate students, academic societies, and science communicators. Secondary: Prospective students, alumni, journalists, and the science-interested public. Particularly effective for early-career researchers seeking mentorship, collaboration, and visibility.

Best Practices for 2025

Establish and Optimize Your Institutional Presence: Claim your brand account and ensure faculty, departments, and research centers are aware of Bluesky’s value. Use a recognizable logo, concise bio, and links to institutional resources.

Share High-Value, Research-Driven Content: Post regular updates on research breakthroughs, publications, events, and funding opportunities. Highlight faculty achievements, student research, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Share preprints, open-access articles, and links to datasets or code repositories to promote open science. Bluesky may be the platform where you’re less likely to crosspost content from other platforms, simply because Bluesky’s content type is very specific.

Engage in Community Feeds and Conversations: Join and contribute to discipline-specific feeds (e.g., Science Feed), which are self-moderated by subject matter experts. Participate in trending discussions, research Q&As, and collaborative threads. Encourage faculty and students to use Bluesky for academic networking, conference coverage, and public scholarship.

Foster Collegiality and Mentorship: Promote opportunities for early-career researchers to connect with senior academics and institutions. Support initiatives that build supportive communities, such as mentorship programs or “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) sessions.

Prioritize Transparency, Data Protection, and Open Access: Leverage Bluesky’s open-source, decentralized architecture to model best practices in data privacy and content moderation. Be transparent about data sharing, content rights, and institutional policies. Use the platform to showcase your university’s commitment to academic freedom, diversity, and ethical research communication.

Monitor, Evaluate, and Adapt: Track engagement, follower growth, and the impact of your posts using Bluesky’s analytics tools or third-party solutions. Solicit feedback from faculty and students to refine your content and engagement strategy. Stay informed about platform developments, moderation policies, and community norms.

Advanced Tips for 2025

Cross-Platform Integration: Use Bluesky to complement your presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, driving traffic to in-depth content and institutional news. Remember: cross-platform integration is not the same as cross-posting.

Influencer Collaboration: Identify and engage with science “influencers” and thought leaders on Bluesky to amplify key messages and research.

Open Science Advocacy: Leverage Bluesky’s transparency to promote open data, reproducibility, and collaborative research initiatives.

Crisis Communication: Use Bluesky’s real-time, ad-free environment for transparent updates during crises, research controversies, or institutional announcements.

Community Building: Organize and promote virtual events, journal clubs, or themed discussion weeks to foster engagement and knowledge sharing.

Summary

Bluesky is quickly establishing itself as the digital home for the scientific and academic community, offering universities a transparent, collegial, and customizable platform for research communication and engagement. By prioritizing authentic, research-driven content, active participation in community feeds, and a commitment to open discourse, Â鶹´å as a whole can build reputation, foster collaboration, and support the next generation of scholars. As Bluesky grows, universities that lead with transparency, collegiality, and scientific integrity will be best positioned to shape the evolving landscape of academic social media.

YouTube Shorts Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and Overview

YouTube Shorts, YouTube’s answer to the short-form video revolution, has become a powerful platform for universities to reach Gen Z, millennials, and a broad spectrum of prospective students, parents, and alumni. Â鶹´å has had a Shorts strategy in place since the fall of 2024, and we’ve already measurable success. With up to 15 billion daily views and deep integration into the main YouTube ecosystem, Shorts offers a unique opportunity to capture attention, showcase campus life, and amplify academic strengths in a format tailored for today’s fast-scrolling, mobile-first audiences. While YouTube’s long-form content remains essential for in-depth storytelling and evergreen resources, Shorts delivers immediacy, discoverability, and a new layer of engagement that complements and enhances an overall YouTube presence.

Key Considerations

Community Expectations: Audiences expect authentic, relatable, and visually engaging content. That means polished commercials are less effective than real, unfiltered moments. Gen Z, in particular, values “realness”: behind-the-scenes glimpses, student voices, and campus traditions resonate more than scripted promotional videos. Shorts should be concise, creative, and provide a clear takeaway or emotional impact within seconds. Shorts is a lot more like Instagram and TikTok than other platforms when it comes to that authenticity.

Nature of Engagement: Shorts are designed for quick consumption: videos up to 60 seconds, vertical format, and optimized for mobile viewing. Recently, YouTube changed the maximum length to 3 minutes, however shorter may still prove the best route to take. The best Shorts tell a story, answer a question, or deliver a “knowledge bomb” in a single, memorable burst. Engagement is driven by strong visuals, dynamic editing, captions, and direct calls-to-action (CTAs) that guide viewers to deeper content or next steps.

Risks: Inauthentic or overly commercial content is quickly ignored or dismissed by younger viewers. Shorts move fast, so missteps, misinformation, or negative feedback can spread rapidly. Accessibility is critical: many users watch with sound off, so captions and visual cues are essential.

Audience: Prospective and current students, parents, alumni, faculty, and the broader public. Particularly effective for reaching Gen Z and mobile-first audiences who may not engage with longer videos.

Best Practices for 2025

Optimize Your Channel and Shorts Experience: Create a dedicated Shorts section within a YouTube channel for easy discovery. Use compelling thumbnails and keyword-rich titles/descriptions for every Short, as these improve click-through rates and search visibility. Integrate Shorts with your main YouTube strategy: use Shorts to tease, repurpose, or amplify long-form content. 

Embrace Authenticity and Student Voice: Feature current students sharing quick tips, testimonials, or “day in the life” moments (peer-to-peer content is highly persuasive). Showcase quirky campus traditions, behind-the-scenes tours, and real reactions to campus events. Encourage user-generated content: invite students to submit their own Shorts or participate in themed challenges.

Deliver Educational Value Fast: Use Shorts for mini-lessons, research highlights, or myth-busting facts about your programs. Address FAQs about admissions, financial aid, or campus resources in quick, digestible bursts. Highlight faculty expertise with “knowledge nuggets” or quick demonstrations.

Maximize Engagement with Visuals and CTAs: Use quick cuts, dynamic captions, and eye-catching graphics to grab and hold attention. Always include a clear CTA, even in a 15-second video, such as “Subscribe for more,” “Visit our website,” or “Check out the full tour.” Optimize for silent viewing: use large, clear captions and visual storytelling to ensure accessibility.

Analyze, Adapt, and Iterate: Use YouTube Analytics to track watch time, engagement, and audience demographics. Then, refine your content based on what resonates most. Experiment with different formats, topics, and posting times; let performance data guide your evolving Shorts strategy. Monitor comments and feedback to identify trends, questions, or concerns from your audience.

Advanced Tips for 2025

Cross-Promote: Use Shorts to drive viewers to your long-form YouTube videos, website, or other social channels. Shorts can serve as “trailers” or highlights for deeper content

Leverage Trends: Participate in popular challenges, sounds, or memes when relevant to campus life or academic themes.

Storytelling: Even in 30 seconds, use narrative techniques such as setup, conflict and resolution to make your Shorts memorable and shareable.

Accessibility: Always use captions and consider color contrast for visual elements.

SEO: Optimize descriptions, tags, and titles with keywords that prospective students are searching for, increasing the discoverability of your Shorts in both YouTube and Google search results.

Summary

YouTube Shorts is a dynamic, high-impact platform, bridging the gap between fleeting social trends and evergreen academic content. By prioritizing authenticity, student voices, and concise storytelling, Â鶹´å can capture attention, boost discoverability, and drive deeper engagement across the YouTube ecosystem. Integrate Shorts with your broader video strategy, stay agile with trends and analytics, and always keep content real, accessible, and actionable for the next generation of learners and supporters.

Threads (Meta) Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and Overview

Threads, launched by Meta in 2023, has rapidly evolved into a major short-form, text-centric social platform, boasting over 320 million monthly active users globally as of early 2025. Positioned as a hybrid between X (Twitter) and Instagram, Threads emphasizes real-time, conversational engagement and community building, particularly among Gen Z and millennials. For universities such as Â鶹´å, Threads offers a unique opportunity to foster authentic dialogue, drive brand discovery, and engage audiences in a less “noisy,” more casual environment than legacy platforms.

Key Considerations

Community Expectations: Threads users expect a casual, witty, and conversational tone. This means overly polished or corporate messaging is discouraged. The platform thrives on text-first content, but images, memes, and short videos (up to 5 minutes) are increasingly important for capturing attention. Engagement is driven by open-ended questions, playful prompts, and real-time replies; heavy-handed promotion or “hard selling” is frowned upon. This means sharing a link without any further context would not be recommended on Threads.

Nature of Engagement: Threads is designed for dynamic, ongoing conversations, with posts and replies creating a sense of presence and immediacy, much like a group chat. Community building is central: authentic, two-way interactions and rapid responses foster loyalty and trust. Brand banter, memes, and humor perform especially well, helping humanize the institution and increase shareability.

Risks: The informal tone can make it easy to misstep; off-brand humor or tone-deaf content can quickly backfire. As with any fast-moving platform, negative feedback or misinformation can spread rapidly and requires prompt moderation. Threads is still evolving, with features and algorithms subject to rapid change.

Audience: Core users are Gen Z (18–24) and young millennials (25–34), with a slight male majority. The platform is ideal for reaching digitally native, mobile-first audiences who value authenticity and quick, interactive exchanges.

Best Practices for 2025

Optimize Your Threads Profile: Integrate your Instagram bio and profile image for consistency, or customize them for a unique Threads identity. Use a succinct, approachable bio with a touch of personality and relevant hashtags or keywords. Link to key university resources or landing pages, using tools like Linktree if needed.

Craft Engaging, Text-First Content: Prioritize concise, witty, and relevant text posts — think conversation starters, not announcements. Use memes, timely jokes, and pop culture references to connect with the Threads community. Incorporate images and short videos to break up text and boost engagement, but keep visuals informal and relatable.

Foster Real-Time Conversation: Post open-ended questions, polls, and prompts to spark discussion and invite replies. Respond quickly to comments and mentions, creating a sense of live, ongoing dialogue. Encourage user-generated content by reposting or replying to student, alumni, and faculty contributions.

Build Community and Brand Affinity: Use branded hashtags and participate in trending topics to increase discoverability and relevance. Highlight student voices, campus life and authentic moments, and avoid overly curated or “perfect” content. Experiment with playful “brand banter” and collaborations with student influencers or campus organizations. Compared with other platforms, this may take you outside of your comfort zone.

Maintain Consistency and Adaptability: Post regularly to stay visible and foster habitual engagement. Monitor platform trends, new features, and algorithm changes, adapting your strategy as needed. Use analytics to track engagement, follower growth, and content performance, refining your approach based on data.

Advanced Tips for 2025

SMART Goals: Set specific, measurable objectives (e.g., engagement rate, follower growth, community participation) and review progress regularly.

Cross-Platform Synergy: Promote Threads content on Instagram and vice versa, leveraging Meta’s ecosystem for broader reach. You can apply this to Facebook as well (another Meta platform).

Accessibility: Use alt text for images and clear, concise language.

Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with student leaders or alumni who have a strong Threads presence to amplify key messages. You can apply this to many platforms, not just Threads.

Crisis Readiness: Develop rapid response protocols for handling negative feedback or viral misinformation.

Summary

Threads is a fast-growing, text-first platform where authenticity, wit, and real-time engagement are paramount. For universities such as Â鶹´å, success on Threads means embracing a conversational, community-focused approach, prioritizing open dialogue, playful content, and rapid interaction over traditional, polished messaging. It’s worth reiterating that Threads should not be treated like other platforms, and failure to adhere to best practices will likely result in failure. By leveraging the platform’s unique culture and features, Â鶹´å can build brand affinity, foster vibrant communities, and connect with the next generation of students and supporters in a space that rewards genuine participation and creativity.

Reddit Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and overall synopsis

Reddit is a unique social platform, distinct from LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X or Bluesky. Its culture is built around anonymity, peer-driven moderation, and a strong preference for authenticity. When considering an official, communications-department-run presence, there are both opportunities and significant challenges.

Key Considerations

Reddit is not the kind of platform you just decide to have a presence on. It would be seen as inauthentic to treat it like any other platform. Here are some specific thoughts.

Community Expectations: Reddit users are highly sensitive to inauthentic or purely promotional content. Accounts that only post links or push an agenda without genuine engagement are often ignored, downvoted, or even banned from subreddits. The platform rewards helpfulness, transparency, and authentic interaction. Being downvoted for being inauthentic as a brand is something that would likely spread across Reddit and onto social media blogs, creating a spectacle. For as long as brands and companies have been on social media, they’ve been called out for being where users don’t think they belong.

Nature of Engagement: The most successful university presences on Reddit are those that answer questions, participate in discussions, and provide value — think AMAs (Ask Me Anything), sharing research, or offering direct support to prospective and current students.

Risks: Reddit can be unpredictable. The open, anonymous nature of the platform means that conversations can quickly become critical or off-topic. Official accounts must be prepared for both positive and negative feedback, and should have a clear moderation and crisis response plan.

Audience: Reddit is especially popular with Gen Z and younger millennials, who value peer-to-peer information and authenticity. Many prospective students use Reddit to research schools, ask questions, and get unfiltered opinions from current students and alumni. Unfiltered is the key. Someone of this age wouldn’t go to Reddit expecting to find Â鶹´å the brand, it would look for Â鶹´å as a presence. These are two very different things.

Examples of university presence on Reddit

Most university-related subreddits (e.g., r/Â鶹´å, r/Cornell, r/UPenn) are run by students or alumni, not by official communications departments. However, some universities have experimented with official engagement, particularly through:

AMAs (Ask Me Anything): Universities or departments occasionally host AMAs with admissions officers, faculty, or notable alumni. These are often well-received if the hosts are transparent and willing to answer tough questions. Depending on the need, you could consider working with the admin of the r/cmu subreddit to ask about hosting a subreddit. That would be the proper etiquette versus launching a new presence.

Official Accounts: There are very few examples of universities running their own official subreddit or account for ongoing communications. The most common approach is to participate in existing subreddits, often in a limited or event-based capacity (e.g., during admissions season).

Content Sharing: Some universities share research highlights or faculty achievements, but this is most effective when paired with active engagement and not just link-dumping. (i.e. if you post a link, someone is going to respond with “why is this here?” You need to know the why, or face Reddit’s wrath).

Community management vs. broadcast approach

Reddit is fundamentally a community-driven platform. A broadcast-only approach — simply posting links without interaction — will almost certainly fail. The platform's users expect two-way communication and are quick to call out or ignore accounts that don't engage authentically. Reddit users can easily spot when a company is trying to push an agenda.

Recommendations

• If you only plan to post links and not interact: Do not pursue an official Reddit presence. This approach is likely to be ignored or even damage the school's reputation among Reddit users.
• If you are willing to engage authentically and sustain the presence: Consider participating in relevant subreddits, hosting AMAs, and answering questions. Assign staff who understand Reddit culture and are empowered to respond transparently and helpfully.
• While there are negative things said about our brand, Reddit is also a place for honesty. People will defend Â鶹´å when there’s an authentic need to do so. Popping into another subreddit to advocate for the brand as a brand representative would be seen in an inauthentic way.

Are there official university-run Reddit accounts?

There are very few, if any, examples of university communications departments running their own ongoing, official Reddit accounts or subreddits. Most university-related subreddits are student- or alumni-run, with official involvement limited to special events like AMAs or occasional posts.

Summary and final thoughts

Reddit can be a powerful tool but only if approached with a community management mindset — prioritizing authentic, two-way engagement over one-way broadcasting. If you’re not prepared for this level of interaction, it’s better to focus efforts elsewhere. Do your research: Ask yourself who you are trying to reach and why, and then make an informed decision based on that research.

TikTok Strategy Recommendation 2025

Intro and Overview

TikTok has rapidly transformed from a youth-driven novelty into a cornerstone of digital marketing and student engagement for higher education. However, there are inherent concerns not associated with other platforms. So before jumping into TikTok because everyone is on TikTok, be mindful of the landscape.

TikTok’s short-form, algorithm-driven video content delivers organic reach and engagement rates far exceeding other platforms, making it a critical channel for universities aiming to reach Gen Z and younger millennials. However, TikTok has a unique ownership structure; its parent company ByteDance is based in China. This has led to mounting data privacy, national security, and content moderation concerns, prompting some U.S. universities and states to restrict or ban its use on campus networks. These complexities require a nuanced, risk-aware approach for any institution considering or maintaining a TikTok presence.

NOTE: Â鶹´å does not currently have a TikTok account because of the concerns outlined above. While we’re cognizant of the need to reach audiences where they are and where they expect us to be, this does not outweigh other concerns. This is why developing a strategy using less-controversial platforms is a must.

Key Considerations

Community Expectations: TikTok users expect authentic, creative, and trend-driven content. Highly produced or overtly promotional videos underperform compared to relatable, humorous, or emotionally resonant clips. The platform thrives on participation in viral trends, challenges, and meme formats, often rewarding institutions that can adapt quickly and show personality. Gen Z’s expectation for transparency and social consciousness means that tone-deaf or insincere content can backfire rapidly. Content that backfires could be ignored in TikTok’s powerful algorithm, basically rendering your content ineffective. Having a strategy for any social media platform is a must, but having a strategy specifically for TikTok is required — and it’s different than anything you’ve experimented with so far.

Nature of Engagement: TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes content that sparks high engagement (likes, shares, comments, rewatches) within the first hours of posting, making timing and trend awareness critical. The platform rewards those that empower student creators, showcase real campus life, and highlight unique traditions or moments. Unlike other platforms, TikTok’s “For You Page” enables content to go viral regardless of follower count, but also means negative or controversial content can spread quickly.

Risks Related to Data Privacy & National Security: TikTok’s Chinese ownership has led to federal, state, and institutional bans, particularly over concerns about data access and algorithmic manipulation by foreign actors. Even with U.S.-based data storage, concerns persist about potential Chinese government influence and the platform’s ability to shape or suppress narratives.

Content Moderation & Censorship: Studies have shown TikTok may suppress content critical of the Chinese government or sensitive topics, raising academic freedom and free speech concerns for universities.

Cybersecurity: Like all social platforms, TikTok collects extensive user data and has been cited as a cyber threat by U.S. military branches and cybersecurity experts.

Child Safety & Privacy: Default public profiles and past geolocation features have raised concerns about student safety, especially for minors.

Regulatory Uncertainty: The platform’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, with possible forced divestment, further restrictions, or outright bans possible in the near term.

Audience: TikTok’s core demographic is 16–29, with two-thirds of 18–19-year-olds and more than half of 20–29-year-olds using the platform. The audience is highly mobile, trend-driven, and expects rapid, visually engaging content.

Best Practices for 2025

Assess Institutional Risk and Compliance: You should speak with your supervisor or dean before considering a TikTok presence under the Â鶹´å brand. Please reach out to UCM for consult if necessary. Monitor evolving federal, state, and campus policies regarding TikTok use and data privacy. 

Build a Distinct, Authentic Voice: Empower student ambassadors and creators to produce content, as peer-to-peer storytelling is far more effective than top-down messaging. Participate in trends, challenges, and popular audio memes, but ensure content aligns with institutional values. Highlight high-engagement content such as campus traditions, mascot reveals, and “day in the life” snapshots.

Prioritize Safety, Privacy, and Accessibility: Avoid posting personally identifiable information (PII) or sensitive student data. Obtain explicit consent for all featured individuals. Add captions to ensure accessibility.

Maximize Impact with Strategic Content: Post consistently, but focus on quality and relevance over quantity. Top-performing universities often post just once per week. Repurpose evergreen content from other platforms, adapting it to TikTok’s fast-paced, vertical video style. Use analytics to monitor engagement, audience growth, and content performance, adjusting strategy as trends and algorithms evolve.

Prepare for Crisis and Reputation Management: Develop a rapid response protocol for negative comments, misinformation, or viral controversies. Be transparent about data privacy and institutional policies in public-facing bios or FAQ content. Monitor for content suppression or moderation issues, and be prepared to communicate with stakeholders about academic freedom concerns.

Advanced Tips for 2025

Cross-Platform Integration: Consider using TikTok to drive traffic to YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or university landing pages.

Trend Surfing: Assign a team member to monitor trending sounds, hashtags, and formats daily. Speed is crucial to capitalize on viral moments. Layers of approval will likely not work for an effective TikTok strategy.

Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with student influencers or alumni creators to expand reach and build credibility.

Scenario Planning: Prepare alternative outreach plans in the event of a sudden ban or regulatory change, ensuring continuity of digital engagement. Do not repurpose the same content from TikTok to Instagram or YouTube shorts, however you can consider a version for other platforms.

Transparency: Clearly communicate to your community about how data is handled and what steps are taken to protect privacy, especially if concerns about foreign influence arise.

Summary

TikTok offers unmatched potential for organic engagement, brand discovery, and authentic storytelling in higher education — Â鶹´å included — but it also presents unique risks tied to data privacy, national security, and regulatory uncertainty. Universities have been grappling with weighing these factors carefully, balancing the platform’s marketing power with institutional values, compliance requirements, and the evolving legal landscape. By prioritizing authenticity, student voice, and safety, while maintaining vigilant risk management and transparency, Â鶹´å has the potential to be able to harness TikTok’s strengths while navigating its challenges in 2025 and beyond.