How 5 Universities are Using UGC to Engage Students, Mark Events and Boost Alumni Giving
User-generated content isn’t just for consumer brands—big names in higher education are getting in on the game, too. Here’s how five universities around the world are aggregating and leveraging social content to support their missions.
Drive student engagement
By placing UGC front and center on their websites, universities can train a spotlight on their accessibility to students and their openness to engaging via social channels.
Georgetown University showcases this strategy on its recently redesigned homepage, which features its latest social posts in a horizontal scrolling widget:
Similarly, Northern Michigan University uses a vertical scrolling widget that aggregates its latest social posts alongside student stories and information about the campus.
Celebrate special events
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Bow Valley College aggregated social content with hashtag #BVC50. The school also used the hub as an opportunity to spread the word about its tuition contest—they incorporated a permanently pinned tile with a link to apply to the program, which required a selfie of the applicant in sunglasses along with a brief statement on how BVC would help them have a bright future.
Western Sydney University — previously known as University of Western Sydney—recently hosted an open day to help launch its new brand. A truck at the event displayed social content on each side, and also included a video in the middle.
Support recruiting and alumni giving
Northeastern University‘s #TrueNortheastern campaign is designed to support recruiting efforts by creating a living history that helps the school learn about and preserve what makes it special. Camera crews are filming students and staff telling their stories on campus. In addition, using hashtag #TrueNortheastern, members of the Northeastern community can share their stories and images via Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tumblr.
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