Mobilizing Student Content Creators

If you’re fighting an up-hill battle to consistently produce social media content on a shoestring budget and limited staff, I highly recommend recruiting a team of student content creators to join forces with you.

While the barriers to entry for social media are relatively low with no cost to use the platforms, the truth is that social media marketing that produces results for your enrollment strategy is difficult. 

Prospective students are skeptical of highly polished marketing campaigns that feel too scripted. 

Engagement rates on institutional social media accounts are often lower than expected, leaving marketers wondering if their message is really reaching the right audience. 

On top of that, trends on platforms like TikTok and Instagram move at lightning speed, making it hard to keep up without feeling outdated by the time content goes live.

Budget and staffing constraints only add to the pressure. 

Many marketing departments are working with small teams who are already juggling multiple responsibilities. 

Meanwhile, the demand for fresh, engaging content continues to grow. 

From recruitment campaigns to alumni engagement, the need to tell meaningful stories in real-time has never been more pressing. 

But when your team’s resources are stretched thin, it’s challenging to publish high-quality content consistently.

Beyond these operational hurdles, colleges and universities must also ensure their messaging resonates with Gen Z audiences, who favor authenticity, humor, and content that reflects their values. 

They prefer hearing directly from other students rather than from institutional accounts. 

If your social media feeds are filled only with event flyers and official announcements, it’s likely you’re missing a big opportunity to connect with this next generation of students. 

This is where student content creators can really help. 

They provide the authenticity, agility, and peer-to-peer connection that institutional content often lacks. 

By empowering students to become content creators, colleges and universities can unlock fresh perspectives, extend their reach, and create dynamic social feeds that resonate with prospective students, alumni, and the wider community. 

Your current students are more than an audience! They are a marketing team ready for someone to mobilize them as trusted ambassadors for your brand.

If you want to add an army of student content creators to your team to help you reach your brand goals, here are a few important things to keep in mind.

Allow Them to be Real

One of the biggest challenges for higher ed marketers is achieving authenticity on social media. 

Today’s students are savvy consumers of content, and they can quickly spot when a brand feels inauthentic or forced. 

No one wants to come across as trying too hard, but it’s an easy trap to fall into.

This is where student content creators can make a real difference. 

They bring a level of relatability that’s hard for institutional accounts to achieve, no matter how good the marketing team is. 

Students know the culture, the humor, and the trends that resonate with their peers because they’re living it every day. 

Students also understand the importance of subtlety. 

They know that Gen Z isn’t drawn to overly promotional content but prefers interactions that feel personal and real. 

Instead of formal announcements, student creators can share experiences and stories that reflect the pulse of campus life.

At this point, the marketer in us must let them create the authentic content that you brought them in to do.

Resist the temptation to edit their content too much. 

It’s just a reality that they will not produce content the way that you would—and that’s exactly why we’re bringing them on the team in the first place!

So, do your best to allow them to be real.

Allow Them to Experiment with Fast-Moving Trends

One of the trickiest parts of social media marketing is keeping up with fast-moving trends. 

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts evolve at a breakneck pace, and what’s viral one day might feel stale the next. 

Being effective on social media means becoming a student of the platform. 

It’s a constant learning curve, with trends, sounds, and memes shifting in ways that can feel impossible for institutional teams to track.

Your student content creators are going to be invaluable for this. 

They live on these platforms and have their finger on the pulse of what’s trending right now. 

Students naturally immerse themselves in social media, so they’re much quicker to spot trends and experiment with how those trends might fit the institution’s brand. 

Empowering them to experiment allows universities to stay relevant and agile—without overwhelming full-time marketing staff.

The beauty of student creators is their willingness to take risks. 

A platform like TikTok rewards spontaneity, and students understand this better than anyone. 

You might spend hours crafting the perfect post, only to have it flop—while a 15-second, off-the-cuff video suddenly goes viral. 

This kind of playful experimentation is crucial for success on social platforms. 

Allowing student creators to test new formats, trends, and ideas keeps your social media presence dynamic and fresh. 

Encourage Them to Create a Community

Social media is about more than just promotion—it’s about creating connections and building a sense of belonging. 

While marketing departments naturally focus on branding and recruitment, students are more interested in community and shared experiences. 

Successful content isn’t strictly promotional. Instead, it offers helpful advice, insights into college life, and even humor that speaks to the universal challenges of being a student. 

This approach builds trust and creates a space where students feel welcome, whether or not they plan to apply to the school.

When student creators focus on community-building, they transform a school’s social media presence into a place for conversations rather than just announcements. 

A funny TikTok about dorm room hacks or a Reel about surviving finals week isn’t just content—it’s a way for current and prospective students to engage, comment, and share their own experiences. 

This type of peer-to-peer interaction fosters a sense of belonging and positions the institution as more than just a place to earn a degree. 

It becomes a community where students connect and feel seen.

Encouraging student creators to think beyond promotion allows them to develop content that resonates with a broader audience. 

By empowering student creators to focus on community-building, higher education marketers create a ripple effect of positive engagement. 

Students feel more connected to the institution, and prospective students get an authentic glimpse into what life on campus could be like. 

It’s this sense of community that makes a school stand out, transforming it from just another option on a college list into a place students truly want to be part of.

Embrace the Diversity of Content from Your Student Creators

One of the greatest strengths of student creators is the variety they bring to the table. 

No two students will have the same voice, perspective, or creative style—and that’s exactly the point. 

When institutions embrace the diversity of content their student content creators generate, they reflect the authentic fabric of campus life. 

Some students might create lighthearted, humorous videos that highlight everyday moments, while others might share thoughtful stories about overcoming challenges or navigating college as a first-generation student. 

This blend of content gives prospective students a fuller picture of what life at your school is really like—and helps them see themselves as part of that community.

It’s important to recognize that students bring different cultural backgrounds, humor, and creative energy to their content. 

Gen Z values representation, and having students create content that reflects a variety of identities, experiences, and interests shows that your institution is inclusive and welcoming. 

Whether it’s a video about a campus cultural event or a post about mental health awareness, diverse content helps prospective students feel like they belong before they even step foot on campus.

Let Your Students Lead the Way (with some guidance of course!)

Student content creators are more than just contributors—they are the key to building a dynamic and authentic social media presence. 

By giving students the freedom to create, experiment, and connect, you’ll unlock content that resonates in ways institutional posts alone never could. 

Their agility keeps your brand relevant, their creativity reflects the true spirit of your campus, and their connections build a sense of belonging that draws in prospective students and engages current ones.

Of course, it goes without saying that you’ll need to train your student ambassadors in the do’s and dont’s of your brand guidelines. 

You’ll also have to monitor the content they are creating in order to give feedback, encouragement, and guidance. 

But if you can enable your students to feel empowered to share their unique voices, they can become ambassadors who not only amplify your institution’s message but also shape a vibrant digital community. 

Want to get more out of your social media marketing?

Check out our social media strategy services at Caylor Solutions.

Our team of veteran marketers, graphic designers, copywriters, and strategists will be glad to come alongside your in-house team to help identify what’s working and what’s not, and plot the course towards success.

What to learn more? Contact us today for a free consultation! 

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Featured image by Unai via Adobe Stock