Organic content over paid

There has been a noticeable shift to these types of authentic and UGC posts. When it comes to social media in student recruitment, the trend is moving away from paid, sponsored posts, and towards organic content, explains Alexander Damev, Senior Learning & Education Consultant at WU Executive Academy: “It’s more word of mouth.”

The Austrian-based institution tailors its content for each social media channel, with each one serving a different purpose. Offering executive programmes in business and law, the institution finds that LinkedIn is its strongest platform where its target audience is the most active, while it uses Instagram and Facebook to share entertaining content and YouTube for longer-form videos such as webinars.

“We encourage students to tag us in their posts so we can reshare their content. We invite our students and alumni to share their promotions and career moves with us, which we feature in our career moves section,” says Damey.

“In the past, we also selected specific students to take over our Instagram account for 24 hours, providing real-life content from classes, international immersions, and more.”

Hult International Business School in the US is another institution jumping on this trend. Faculty frequently collaborate with student ambassadors who create relatable content for TikTok and Instagram.

“The landscape of student recruitment is changing due to rising costs of paid search and social channels, prompting us to invest in a robust strategy to boost organic growth,” explains Ku Chung, Chief Marketing Officer at Hult, which has campuses around the world.

“Although platforms like TikTok have not yet significantly impacted our recruitment strategies, we are seeing a steady growth as well as strong results in our paid efforts. We recognise TikTok’s potential and are planning to enhance our presence through a targeted content strategy and investing more in our video production,” he adds.

Growing demand for video

Since 2020, there has also been a shift towards short-form videos, as seen with the popularity of TikTok posts, Instagram reels and Youtube Shorts. Three-quarters of people in the US watch short-form video content on their phone, according to a new report by Inside Intelligence.

Belgium’s Vlerick Business School has noticed this growing demand for short-form videos amongst potential Master’s students.

“It is evident that the attention span of viewers has changed,” reports Darya Naipak, Marketer and Student Advisor for Master’s programmes at Vlerick Business School. “Despite not posting on TikTok ourselves, we do take into consideration the trend of short video demand for other platforms.”

When it comes to these videos, Naipak says, students expect authentic, high quality but less polished and sterile videos.

To create this type of content, UGC is the way forward. Vlerick works with appointed student brand ambassadors. While these individuals run their own account, the school’s official social media channels frequently reshare and interact with the posts.

Visually compelling content

Porto Business School in Portugal recognises the pivotal role that social media plays in reaching and engaging prospective international students. The European business school shares visually compelling content that highlights student experiences, campus life, the vibrant culture of Porto and student testimonials.

“Visually compelling content is key because it allows potential MBA candidates to acquire powerful insights into what it’s like to study here,” shares Angélique Garci, Head of Admissions at Porto Business School.

In a bid to take student generated content to the next level, Imperial College Business School in the UK runs a popular Student Content Creator scheme that empowers students to share their experiences through a range of mediums—blogs, videos, reels, and stories.

This approach, explains Executive Director Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions Aram Karakashian, enables prospective students to see the business school through the eyes of current students and share genuine personal reflections that resonate with potential students.

The platform is only lightly regulated, providing students with the creative freedom to approach topics in their own way.

A popular feature Imperial uses is student takeovers and AMAs (Ask Me Anything sessions). These initiatives allow its audience to engage directly with students and receive authentic responses.

When receiving student queries, Imperial make it a priority to respond to comments, providing guidance, information, or connections. “It helps ensure we are creating content that is truly helpful to our audience,” remarks Karakashian.

“One challenge we face is ensuring that our social media aligns seamlessly with the Business School's brand, rather than functioning as a stand-alone element. It is crucial that our channels operate as an extension of the brand with a unified voice. If our social media presence is disjointed, it weakens authenticity and creates misaligned perceptions and expectations,” Karakashian adds.

Sheffield Business School (SBS) in the UK uses social media to raise awareness of the impact the school is having within its city or region, both nationally and internationally. This helps potential students match themselves to a school that aligns with their own values.

“Social media supports us to maintain and develop valued connections and networks,” says Sam Giove, Director at SBS, Sheffield Hallam University.

By using online platforms to showcase the business school’s positive impact in the local community, SBS hopes to attract talented students and academics who want to drive transformational change.