Having observed over a hundred schools successfully bring attention to their alumni events and reunions via social media, we have sufficient evidence that it is one of the most powerful mediums to promote your alumni reunion successfully. A little creativity and event marketing can go a long way in making sure that the maximum amount of alumni notice and engage with your upcoming reunions.

With that being said, here are 7 tested approaches to promote alumni reunions on social media:

1. Showcase alumni experiences at past year reunions

Sharing photos and videos of previous years reunions on your social media page is one of the best ways to attract attention to your alumni reunion event. While alumni may love hearing about wonderful stories about your previous reunions, these stories become all the more engaging when they hear it from their friends or peers. Encouraging alumni to share their own experiences from previous years reunions, has proven to be highly rewarding for reunion success.

2. Ask your faculty to share their experiences

If a large amount of your alumni base is still in touch with your faculty or staff, asking faculty members to share updates about upcoming reunions or their experiences at past year reunions is a best practice you should follow.

3. Encourage alumni to take action

Another way to encourage alumni engagement and participation is by creating opportunities for alumni to take some action on your post. Here’s an example: create a simple graphic post with the tagline - “Just three days to go!! Tag 3 people you are looking forward to meeting at the reunion.”

Here’s how William Peace University drew the attention of its alumni and got them talking about their upcoming reunion.

4. Create something similar to the ‘10-Year Challenge’ on Facebook

It's generally a good idea to see which alumni event ideas are gaining traction. Take for example the widely popular 10-Year Challenge on Facebook where you can request alumni to simply post two photos, side-by-side, taken at least ten years apart. Alternatively, you can use photos from yearbooks and current profiles of alumni to create ‘10-year challenge’ posts. However, in the case of this approach, consent needs to be established before using an alum’s personal photos.

5. Evoke nostalgia with yearbook, graduation photos, and countdown posts

Instead of promoting your alumni event the traditional way, capture the attention of your alumni by constantly staying in their social media feed and reminding them of the wonderful memories they’ve had over their time spent at their school. Here’s how McCarthy Alumni Association gets this right.

6. Share Alumni Testimonials on Social Media

Create a campaign asking alumni to respond to “What's something you loved about your Class of 10 Yr Reunion?”. Share the positive feedback you receive from the campaign and from past year reunions on your social media pages, tagging those alumni who’ve provided feedback, thus ensuring a wider reach for your campaign.

7. Keep your alumni hooked with ‘Guess who is coming?’ posters

Pick images of 3-5 alumni, combine them to create a collage with question marks on top of each image, and then post it as a challenge for alumni to guess the names of the people mentioned in the post. To make it more interesting, provide hints. For example, if one of the names to be guessed is "Sarah", you can drop the letters ‘S’, ‘R’, and ‘H’ as a clue. Such campaigns not only get you visibility but also encourage your alumni to take action by responding to the challenge you’ve thrown at them.

Best social media platforms to promote alumni reunions

To effectively promote alumni reunions, institutions today have a good variety of social media platforms, each offering distinct advantages for outreach and engagement.

• LinkedIn: This platform is ideal for professional networking and reaching alumni in various career stages. Universities can create dedicated alumni groups, share professional development opportunities, and post event details directly within a professional context.
• Facebook: With its broad user base, Facebook remains a strong choice for fostering community and nostalgia. Creating private alumni groups, sharing throwback photos, and utilizing event features can drive registration and engagement.
• Instagram: For visually compelling promotion, Instagram excels. Universities can use high-quality photos and videos of past reunions, campus scenes, and alumni spotlights to evoke nostalgia and showcase the event's atmosphere.
• TikTok: To engage younger alumni, TikTok offers a dynamic platform for short, creative videos. Universities can leverage trends, showcase campus life in a fun way, and highlight reasons to attend the reunion through engaging video content.
• YouTube: For longer-form content, such as highlight reels from past reunions or interviews with alumni, YouTube is a valuable platform. Videos can be shared across other social media channels to provide a more in-depth look at the reunion experience.

Social media tips for driving alumni engagement

• Create Dedicated Alumni Groups: Establish private groups on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. These provide a focused space for alumni to connect, share updates, and network with peers.
• Share Compelling, Nostalgic Content: Post throwback photos, videos, and stories that evoke fond memories of campus life. Encourage alumni to share their own experiences using relevant hashtags.
• Highlight Alumni Success Stories: Regularly feature accomplishments of your alumni in various fields. This inspires pride and demonstrates the value of their alma mater.
• Host Virtual Events and Live Sessions: Offer webinars, online networking mixers, or Q&A sessions with notable alumni. Live streams can bring the campus experience to alumni globally
• Utilize User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage alumni to share their current endeavors, campus visits, or reunion experiences. UGC fosters authenticity and broadens reach.
• Offer Value and Resources: Share content relevant to alumni's professional and personal lives, such as career development tips, job opportunities, or industry insights.
• Promote Events with Clear CTAs: Use engaging visuals and direct calls-to-action for reunion promotions, mentorship programs, or fundraising campaigns.
• Personalize Communication: Segment your alumni audience and tailor content to their interests, class years, or geographical locations for more relevant engagement.
• Engage with Comments and Messages: Respond to alumni interactions promptly and thoughtfully to foster a sense of community and show appreciation.
• Leverage Interactive Features: Use polls, quizzes, and Q&A stickers on platforms like Instagram and Facebook Stories to encourage direct participation.
• Consistent Posting Schedule: Maintain a regular posting cadence to keep your alumni community informed and engaged.
• Analyze Performance: Use social media analytics to understand what content resonates most with your alumni and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Conclusion

When it comes to promoting your alumni reunions, there’s no limit to all that you can do. Here’s a list of techniques for increasing alumni participation to your reunions that have brought success to over a hundred institutions.