After graduation, most of your students leave campus and move back home to be near family or embark to a new city to pursue a job opportunity. No longer does the college campus physically unify these former students. But alumni don’t have to disconnect from their college and former classmates just because of distance. Social media platforms, digital tools and mobile devices enable alumni to stay connected with each other as well as with current and prospective students. Here are five ways you can help your alumni boost engagement for a college.

LinkedIn Group

Alumni are like the big brother or big sister of the current college undergraduates and even prospective college students. Equipped with “been-in-your-shoes” experience, alumni are in a position to offer real career advice and help recent college grads find their way in the job market.

Creating a unique space on LinkedIn can corral your graduates from all over who want to connect and exchange information. Ohio University Alumni Association’s Ohio Alumni group has more than 26,390 members who meet on this virtual space to ask about job inquiries, discuss trending topics, share accolades and ask for help or advice. As Ohio graduates leave behind the comfort of campus life, they can still maintain that cozy connection with fellow alums from any city, any town, on any type of digital device.

Instagram Hashtags

Alumni connection doesn’t have to be all business and no fun. Alumni, students and administration can show school spirit by engaging in the photo-sharing app Instagram. Instagram is a social media platform for creative storytelling. Proud alums who want to stay involved in the university can follow their school’s alumni account and even use hashtags on their own pictures to join the college network.

The Michigan State University Instagram page encourages MSU Insta-alumni and MSU Insta-fans to use #Spartans to connect. MSU alumni can also tag @MSUALUMNI to direct followers to the school’s photo collection and also showcase their own pictures on the school’s tagged space. Michigan State fans, students and alumni can Insta-cheer on their school even more by posting hashtags such as #MSUhomecoming, #MSU, #GoGreen, #B1g and #MSUPride

Twitter Chat

A school’s Twitter page is a casual and informative virtual space where alumni, faculty, undergraduates, students, family and friends can receive the latest college news, updates and stories. Your school can also use Twitter as a marketing recruitment and relationship-building tool where prospective students, high school grads and parents can join conversations with others, create dialogue with the school and learn more about campus life.

For example, Boston College (@BCAlumni) reaches out to the alumni community via Twitter and post tweets promoting registration for an alumni reunion reception and featuring outstanding alumni. Alumni from across the nation and globe can respond to tweets and create interesting social content that markets and supports the school.

Mobile Reunions

Princeton University built a mobile website as a way to easily provide information about its alumni reunion. Princeton alumni don’t have to rely solely on printed or Web information to find out about transportation or the schedule for each day. Instead, alumni can count on their smartphone as an on-the-go resource. The mobile-friendly Princeton Reunions site provides alumni with info on how to get around, events, entertainment, the P-rade and things you need to know. Mobilizing a website simplifies the information-gathering process as alumni can easily access and share the reunion’s details with a single swipe and tap.

Google Maps

Google Maps is more than just an app to help geographically challenged drivers. Google Maps is a social tool for showing the strong global presence of alumni and students around the world. State University of New York Empire State College encourages alumni and students to “map yourself” on its Alumni Student Map, showcasing the college’s global reach. SUNY Empire State College uses the global map as a way to “show the world where we are and our accomplishments.” Alumni can then use this Google Map as a resource to connect with nearby alums who live in the same city.