Mastering Organic Social Media: The 6M Framework to Engagement & Growth

Higher education marketing is both an art and a science, and organic social media plays a crucial role in helping institutions connect with their audiences.

Unlike paid advertising, organic strategies rely on authenticity, engagement, and strategic planning to build a lasting digital presence.

But without a framework, many institutions struggle to stand out in the crowded social space.

Higher ed institutions often face content saturation, where their posts compete with thousands of others for attention.

Limited resources—small teams, constrained budgets, and competing priorities—can make it difficult to consistently produce high-quality, engaging content.

Additionally, many schools fall into the trap of one-size-fits-all messaging, failing to tailor their content to specific audience segments.

Instead of fostering meaningful engagement, their posts get lost in the algorithm, reaching fewer prospective students, alumni, and stakeholders.

Without a clear strategy, universities risk blending into the background, missing out on opportunities to build community, boost enrollment, and strengthen their brand identity.

That’s where Jenny Li Fowler’s 6M Framework of Social Media Success comes in.

As the Director of Social Media Strategy at MIT and author of Organic Social Media, Jenny has developed a proven framework that separates amateur social media efforts from expert-level strategy.

In this episode of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast, Jenny breaks down the 6M Framework—Mission, Message, Management, Medium, Metrics, and Monitoring—and explains how institutions can use them to elevate their organic social media game.

How Jenny Li Fowler Developed the 6M Framework

Jenny Li Fowler didn’t set out to create a social media framework—she built it out of necessity.

As the Director of Social Media Strategy at MIT, Jenny found herself advising communicators across the institution, many of whom were overwhelmed by the complexity of managing organic social media.

She noticed a recurring problem: social media efforts often lacked structure, consistency, and a clear sense of purpose.

Too often, teams approached social media in a reactionary way—posting for the sake of posting, struggling to measure success, and failing to align their efforts with institutional goals.

Jenny knew that to elevate MIT’s social media strategy, she needed a framework that made it easier for teams to stay focused, organized, and strategic.

That’s when she developed the 6M Framework of Social Media Success—a simple, memorable structure that helps professionals think critically about their social media efforts and make informed, intentional decisions about how to create and manage content.

“It’s just how I think through things. I needed a framework that made social media feel more manageable, and the 6M Framework provided that structure.” – Jenny Li Fowler

Her framework—Mission, Message, Management, Medium, Metrics, and Monitoring—quickly became an essential tool for social media professionals at MIT and beyond.

By following this structured approach, institutions can move beyond the noise, focus on what truly matters, and create a sustainable, high-impact organic social media strategy.

The 6M Framework of Organic Social Media

Jenny’s 6M Framework offers a structured approach to organic social media success.

Each component plays a critical role in crafting a cohesive, audience-driven strategy that maximizes engagement and impact.

1. Mission: Know Your Purpose

Why is your institution on social media?

Too often, higher ed marketers post content without a clear objective.

Jenny emphasizes that every institution needs to define its mission for social media before creating content.

👉 Key Question: What are your institution’s goals for social media? Are you focused on brand awareness, engagement, recruitment, alumni relations, or community-building?

💡 Pro Tip: Clearly define your primary purpose for each platform.

Your Twitter (X) strategy might focus on thought leadership, while Instagram highlights student life.

“If you’re trying to reach everyone, you’re reaching no one. Define your mission first, and let it guide your content strategy.” – Jenny Li Fowler

2. Message: Craft Stories That Resonate

Once you have a mission, your messaging must align with it.

Jenny stresses that institutions should focus on storytelling, authenticity, and audience-first content.

Why do people engage with your posts?

It’s not because you have a perfectly designed graphic—it’s because the content is relevant, emotional, or valuable to them.

👉 Key Question: What are the core themes that define your institution’s brand story?

💡 Pro Tip: Use a mix of informational, inspirational, and interactive content to keep your audience engaged.

“Great content isn’t about what you want to say—it’s about what your audience wants to hear.” – Jenny Li Fowler

3. Management: Build Efficient Workflows

Jenny emphasizes that social media is not just about posting—it’s about having a system in place.

Too often, institutions approach social media with a last-minute, reactive mindset, scrambling to put together content on the fly.

Without a structured approach, posts can feel disconnected from institutional goals, engagement can become inconsistent, and teams can quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content required.

A well-managed social media strategy relies on planning, coordination, and consistency to ensure every post serves a purpose.

Creating an efficient workflow is key to success. Jenny recommends using:

• Content Calendars – Plan and schedule posts in advance to maintain a steady stream of content and prevent gaps in engagement.
• Collaboration Tools – Use platforms like Trello, Asana, or Sprout Social to streamline team communication and keep projects on track.
• Pre-Approved Assets – Maintain a library of approved images, videos, and copy to speed up content creation.
• Crisis Communication Plans – Establish protocols for handling negative feedback or unexpected events to ensure a rapid and appropriate response.

👉 Key Question: How do you plan, create, schedule, and track social media content efficiently?

💡 Pro Tip: Use a content calendar to maintain consistency and streamline approvals.

AI tools can also help by automating scheduling, analyzing trends, and improving engagement tracking.

By implementing a structured system, institutions can reduce stress, improve efficiency, and create a more impactful and engaging social media presence.

4. Medium: Choose the Right Platforms

Not every institution needs to be on every platform.

It’s a common mistake for higher ed marketers to spread themselves too thin, attempting to maintain an active presence on every available social media channel.

This often leads to inconsistent posting, low engagement, and wasted resources on platforms that don’t align with their audience.

Instead of trying to be everywhere, Jenny advises higher ed marketers to be selective about where they invest time and resources.

Each social media platform serves a different purpose and attracts different demographics, so institutions should focus on the ones that align best with their target audience and content strategy.

👉 Key Question: Which platforms align best with your audience and institutional goals?

💡 Pro Tip: Instead of trying to maintain an active presence everywhere, focus on two or three platforms where your content can have the most impact.

Jenny stresses that quality over quantity is key.

It’s better to excel on a few platforms than to struggle to maintain relevance across too many.

By choosing the right platforms, institutions can maximize engagement, build stronger communities, and ensure their social media efforts align with long-term strategic goals.

5. Metrics: Define Success and Track Progress

Social media isn’t just about posting—it’s about tracking results.

Too often, institutions fall into the vanity metric trap, focusing on follower count, likes, and impressions while overlooking the deeper insights that truly measure engagement and impact.

Jenny stresses that higher ed marketers should shift their focus to engagement metrics over vanity metrics—because the real goal of social media isn’t just to be seen, but to create meaningful interactions with your audience.

Instead of asking, “How many followers do we have?”, institutions should ask:

👉 Are people engaging with our content?
👉 Are we building relationships with prospective students, alumni, and faculty?
👉 Are our social media efforts driving real-world actions, like applications, event attendance, or donations?

👉 Key Question: What does success look like for your institution’s social media efforts?

💡 Pro Tip: Set clear, measurable goals for your social media strategy, such as increasing engagement by 20%, boosting website traffic from social platforms, or improving student inquiries from social media channels.

By focusing on metrics that matter, institutions can refine their content strategy, improve engagement, and demonstrate the real impact of social media on institutional goals.

6. Monitoring: Listen and Adapt

Effective social media management goes beyond posting content—it requires actively listening, analyzing, and adapting to audience behavior.

Many institutions treat social media as a one-way broadcast channel, pushing out content without taking the time to listen to their audience or analyze how their content is performing.

Jenny encourages institutions to shift from a “post-it-and-forget-it” approach to an active listening strategy, where engagement isn’t just monitored but also used to refine future content and improve audience relationships.

Key Monitoring Strategies for Higher Ed Marketers

Jenny emphasizes that effective social media monitoring goes beyond simply checking notifications. Institutions need to have a structured approach to tracking conversations, analyzing sentiment, and responding strategically.

🔍 1. Use Social Listening Tools – Platforms like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Brandwatch allow institutions to track mentions, hashtags, and discussions related to their school. This helps identify emerging conversations and gauge audience sentiment.

💬 2. Monitor Direct Messages and Comments – Students and alumni often reach out via social media DMs and post comments with questions, feedback, and concerns. A slow or non-existent response can give the impression that an institution is unresponsive or out of touch.

📊 3. Track Competitor and Industry Trends – What are peer institutions doing well on social media? What trends are shaping student conversations? Monitoring competitor strategies can help institutions stay ahead of the curve.

⚠️ 4. Prepare for Crisis Management – Negative feedback and PR challenges can escalate quickly. Having a crisis response plan in place ensures that institutions can address sensitive issues in a timely and professional manner.

👉 Key Question: How are you actively listening to your audience and adjusting your strategy?

💡 Pro Tip: Set aside dedicated time each week to review engagement metrics, assess sentiment, and refine your strategy based on audience feedback.

By implementing a strong social monitoring strategy, institutions can stay ahead of trends, strengthen relationships with their audience, and continuously refine their social media approach for maximum impact.

Jenny encourages institutions to listen to their audience and refine their strategy based on feedback and engagement trends.

Let’s Take Your Higher Ed Social Media to the Next Level!

Is your institution struggling to create a cohesive, engaging, and effective social media strategy?

At Caylor Solutions, we specialize in social media strategy, planning, and management designed to elevate your institution’s online presence.

Our expert team helps colleges and universities develop and execute data-driven social media strategies that enhance engagement, attract prospective students, and strengthen brand identity.

From crafting compelling content to managing multi-platform campaigns, we provide the expertise and structure needed to make your organic social media efforts impactful and sustainable.

📩 Ready to transform your social media strategy? Let’s connect and build a plan that works for your institution.

🎙️ Listen to the full podcast episode here:

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