“Congratulations! How does it feel to be a college graduate?” This is a question that I have been asked countless times in the past week since I graduated from Iowa State University. To be honest, my answer to this question is that it doesn’t quite feel real yet. I know that many of my peers feel the same way.

We aren’t sure yet what it feels like to know that we won’t be having a “normal” three-month summer vacation followed by reunions with friends at school in the fall. For as long as we can remember, this is the only lifestyle we have known. Right now, many of us are preparing for our first real full time job, others are continuing their education, and some are still trying to figure it all out.

So, what are some ways that our alma maters can keep us engaged at such a transitional time in our lives?

1. Connect with us and be active on social media.

As alumni we are proud of our alma mater and love to feel like we are still part of the action. Being active on multiple forms of social media is a great way for institutions to keep their young alumni informed of what is happening on campus as well as ways to give back. Make sure there are specific posts targeted toward young alumni.

[Tweet “As alumni we are proud of our alma mater and love to still be a part of the action.”]

Not only does this make us feel important, but it also gives current students that follow your institution on social media a bit of insight as to the expectations of an alum. It’s never too late to start transforming current students into engaged alumni!

In addition to frequent social media posts, LinkedIn groups that are targeted toward alumni are a great way to keep us connected not only to our alma mater, but to other alumni as well.

2. Give us something to look forward to.

For many of us, the years we spent in college were some of the greatest years of our lives. Because of this, we would jump at the next chance to get back on campus with our fellow classmates and friends. Nearly every institution has an event that is special to current students and alumni. Whether that event is homecoming, a sporting event, or an annual cookout, making sure alumni are fully informed is key to keeping us connected.

[Tweet “Utilizing social media is a great way to engage with alumni.”]

Utilizing social media is a great way to let alumni know the details of the event and build excitement leading up to the event. Alumni that are excited about the event are more likely to get their friends excited to attend the event as well. The more alumni that are coming back to campus, the better!

3. Encourage us to join alumni groups in our area.

After graduation, many alumni move to areas that are new to us. When institutions let us know of alumni groups in our area and encourage us to join them, we automatically have a network of people that we can begin to build relationships with. Being connected to other alumni in our area gives us the opportunity to stay connected to our alma mater from far away. Reminiscing about special events at our alma mater is a way that we can feel easily connected to the people that we meet in our local alumni group. These are the people we might even plan a trip back to campus with!

It is important to keep in mind that if we aren’t engaged right away, it will be much harder to engage us down the road. Keep the conversation going. The stronger the relationship you have with your alumni right away, the more likely it is that they will give back to their institution over time. The more connected we feel, the more likely we are to give back to keep improving programs and current student experiences.

[Tweet “If alumni aren’t engaged right away, it will be harder to engage them later.”]

For more information about engaging alumni, download our white paper on Alumni Donor Motivation.