Instagram is a fantastic way for colleges to connect with students, prospective applicants, and alumni. Using hashtags is a key way to get noticed. They help your posts reach a wider audience, build your school’s brand, and give a peek into campus life.
The Power of Hashtags
Hashtags do more than just boost likes. They help schools:
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- Increase Visibility: Hashtags put your school’s name in front of prospective students and parents, showcasing your programs and culture.
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- Showcase Campus Life: Hashtags highlight your school’s unique events and achievements, giving prospective students a glimpse of daily life.
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- Engage Alumni: Custom hashtags let you reconnect with alumni and encourage them to share their experiences and stay involved.
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- Promote Events: Use hashtags to boost attendance at events, track conversations, and get the word out.
How to Use Hashtags
Adding hashtags is easy, but doing it right takes some strategy. Here are a few tips to make your school’s hashtag game strong.
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- Mix Popular and Niche Hashtags: Popular hashtags reach more people, but niche ones help you stand out in smaller, focused communities.
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- Create a Branded Hashtag: Choose a custom hashtag that reflects your school’s identity and values. Use it for events, student projects, and campaigns. Pro tip: Encourage your community to use it, too. Spread the wealth!
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- Be Specific and Relevant: Use hashtags that match your content. This helps the right people find your posts without the clutter.
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- Keep It Simple: Instagram lets you use up to 30 hashtags, but too many can feel spammy. Stick to 5-15 relevant hashtags per post to keep it clean and effective.
Here’s a great example from Middle Tennessee State University. They use Instagram — along with a few key hashtags — to celebrate one of their own football players becoming a Super Bowl Champion.
Benefits of Hashtags
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- Wider Reach: Help more people discover your posts with hashtags, even if they don’t follow your school’s account.
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- Increased Engagement: They help build community by connecting students, faculty, and alumni, encouraging meaningful conversations and shared pride in your school.
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- Tracking Trends: Hashtags let you monitor trends and public sentiment around events or topics, like a new initiative or sports win, helping you gauge how people feel.
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- Alumni Engagement: Hashtags let alumni share their stories and milestones, keeping them connected to the university and building lifelong relationships.
Hashtags are a great way for colleges to promote their identity, attract students, showcase campus life, and engage with alumni. It’s not just about reaching more people—it’s about connecting with the right audience and highlighting what makes your school unique. So get creative, track what works, and have fun showing off what makes your campus special!
If you’d like to learn more about how Social News Desk can help streamline your Instagram workflow — or ifyou’d like to try SND for free — get in touch at: sales@socialnewsdesk.com.
