In higher education, organic social media often serves as the front door of your institution’s brand. It’s the place where prospective and current students, parents, alumni, and donors first get a sense of your institution’s culture, values, and voice.
Standing out in today’s saturated social media feeds requires more than just frequent posting. It’s about understanding what makes social media “social” and using it to connect with your audience in engaging ways.
Below, we’ll explore best practices for higher education institutions looking to elevate their organic social media. With these tips, you can foster genuine engagement, all while infusing your brand’s unique personality in each post.
What is Organic Social Media?
Organic social media refers to the unpaid content your institution shares on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Rather than running targeted, paid campaigns with these posts, organic social media relies on building and maintaining relationships with users who follow your institution’s accounts or come across your posts via recommendations made by platform algorithms.
Organic social is where your audience experiences the heart of your institution: the people, stories, and everyday moments that bring your campus community to life. It’s not about flashy production or ad-level polish; it’s about connection, authenticity, and storytelling.
Organic Social Media Best Practices for Higher Ed
Keep these tips in mind as you work on your institution’s organic social media strategy:
Keep It Casual (and Native)
Users scroll quickly, and they know when something feels too polished or out of place. Today’s audiences crave authenticity, not perfection. In fact, 90% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands to support (Adweek), and 63% of people say they’d engage more with brands that share content that feels real and unfiltered (Visual Contenting).
Embrace lo-fi, native-style content that blends naturally into their feeds. Phone-filmed videos, trending audio, and spontaneous moments often outperform professional shoots on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The ultimate goal is relatability.
Show Real People
Faces stop the scroll. Featuring students, faculty, and staff helps humanize your brand and creates content the algorithm favors. Showcase day-in-the-life clips, student takeovers, or behind-the-scenes glimpses to build trust and relatability.
Be Trend-Aware (But True to You)
Trend participation can boost visibility, but don’t jump on every viral moment. Choose trends that align with your school’s voice and mission, then add your institution’s own creative spin. That’s what makes content memorable.
Don’t Be Overly Salesy
Organic social media isn’t the place to push “Apply Now” or “Learn More” in every post. Instead, focus on cultivating community, telling authentic stories, and providing value. When your audience feels connected, conversions follow naturally through awareness and affinity.
Respond to Comments
Engagement is a two-way street. Replying to comments, answering questions, and even reacting with humor show that your brand listens and cares. It also signals to platform algorithms that your account fosters consistent, genuine interaction.
Post Video Content Consistently
Video drives higher engagement and reach across platforms. Buffer reports that Instagram Reels earn 1.36× more reach than carousels and 2.25× more reach than single-photo posts, and LinkedIn video views have grown 36% year over year. Posting video content regularly—whether short clips, student features, or event highlights—helps your institution connect more dynamically and reach audiences where they’re most engaged.
Show Your Institution’s Personality
Every college or university has a unique voice and culture, so let it shine. Whether it’s pride, humor, or heartwarming stories, your organic social media’s tone and storytelling style should reflect what makes your community distinct. A consistent voice builds familiarity and recognition.
Listen to Your Audience
Use your comments, DMs, mentions, forum-based platforms like Reddit, and organic social listening tools as insight. What are students asking about? What content types spark the most discussion? Social listening allows you to adjust your strategy and create content they want to see.
Hone in on 3–5 Content Pillars
Avoid the temptation to post anything and everything. Identify 3–5 key themes that represent your institution (e.g., student life, academics, athletics, alumni success, community impact) and stick to them. This keeps your feed consistent and recognizable.
Take Note of Top-Performing Content
Regularly analyze what’s working through platform audits. Look at engagement metrics and qualitative feedback to identify trends in format, tone, or topic. Use those insights to refine your future content strategy, without having to reinvent the wheel each time.
Sharpen Your Organic Social Media
Organic social media is your institution’s opportunity to connect, not just communicate. By showing up authentically, highlighting real people, and leaning into your school’s unique personality, you can transform your platforms into vibrant communities that reflect campus life and values.
If your higher ed institution is ready to take the next step in its social media strategy—whether that means creating a strong organic social strategy, developing and posting content, performing a social listening analysis, or conducting a full social audit, Carnegie can help. Start a conversation with us today.