With summer coming to an end and students returning to your campus, it’s time to prepare your social media for back-to-school season. Here are some tips and tricks to build your Instagram following and increase engagement as students start to move back to campus:

Create a Hashtag

Give students a way to tag their posts as the back-to-school images roll in. Whether they’re taking pictures of their new dorm rooms or reuniting with friends, encouraging students to use a hashtag can drive engagement and keep them connected with your school’s social media efforts.

Show Off Your Campus

In the days leading up to move in, show students what they’ve been missing this summer by posting scenic photos of your campus. A building in just the right light, statues, fountains… the list goes on. Stir up the back-to-school hype and keep your campus fresh in students’ minds.

Capture Move-In Day

Document move-in day. Take pictures of students unloading cars and groups helping freshmen carry their accessories into their dorms to capture the atmosphere of the day. This is also a great opportunity to engage with students – ask a few to pose for a photo and tag their profiles in it.

[Tweet “Make Instagram a truly personal experience for students. #highered”]

Include Faculty and Staff

Continue to build this personal connection by including the faculty and staff who help keep the university running. Put faces with the names students will see pop up across campus to help new students (and even potential students) build connections with the university. This can happen before students arrive on campus.

Did you like this post about Instagram? Watch our #FAC on Instagram for Higher Ed.