How campus leaders can have a strong social media presence (opinion)

A casual selfie with students, thanking them for stopping by the president’s office to talk. A snapshot of an iconic campus building, accompanied by “Happy first day of classes!” A digital image of the college’s inauguration invitation, with the simple, warm message “All are welcome!” Each of these is a recent social media post by a new campus leader in the early weeks of their presidencies—and all three are small but powerful examples of what even low-key engagement with social media channels can do for someone coming into a visible leadership role.

Presidents who maintain a regular social media presence have an advantage in being able to speak directly to and with their constituents in an active, engaged way. Such a front-facing endeavor can be a daunting prospect to those who have come to the presidency from, say, provost roles, where they might be more accustomed to operating in the administrative background.

But social media doesn’t have to be scary. Whether you are a sitting president or an aspirant to such a role, you will be a more effective leader if social media engagement is an established and enjoyable practice for you. Here are five key steps for finding your social media footing.

1. Start slowly. You don’t have to be on every channel. In fact, too much social media activity can work against you, potentially suggesting misplaced priorities. Rather, take a minute to decide two key factors: On what social platform are your key constituents? And where are you most comfortable? Social media works best if both you and your audience are optimized to engage. Choosing the type of content that you enjoy generating—say, written reflections on LinkedIn or Substack, or images or short videos on Instagram—and pairing that with the most likely engagement platform will increase the potential for a positive feedback loop, particularly as you’re getting started.
2. Be yourself. Social media is personal and direct, an unmediated way to show up for your campus as a fully realized individual rather than a nameless, faceless administrator. Your social media presence should reflect that you are both a dedicated professional and someone with particular passions, concerns and perspectives. At a time when authenticity in leadership is highly valued—and inauthenticity easily exposed—letting your constituents in on what you notice and celebrate in campus life, the academic priorities you care about, and what moves you in the world builds a reservoir of trust and connection. Being human also means being imperfect. Don’t agonize over the perfect angle or shadow in your photos; don’t labor to sound academic. Be open to sharing small moments of beauty and surprise without undue curation.

3. Don’t just broadcast; listen. One of the perils of upper-level leadership is drifting out of touch with those at the core of your mission—your students, staff and faculty members. That can be especially true of presidents and provosts whose day-to-day perspectives on the institution can be disproportionately inflected by where they spend their time—on budget matters, thorny personnel issues and board and committee meetings. For provosts, the faculty and academic staff members in your charge, especially those early in their careers, increasingly conduct their professional, intellectual and nonwork lives online. Following them on social media, with their acknowledgment and approval, adds insight into the academic life of your institution in ways that ordinary days and weeks of administering rarely afford. And noticing concerns or questions faculty members raise can online help you and your teams get ahead of information gaps and address rumors before they gather steam.
4. Share the load. Social media platforms are not solitary islands but vibrant communities, and your work in creating and maintaining social media platforms can be similarly communal. Even as you develop your individual identity on social media, don’t hesitate to engage staff members who can help with the building blocks: grabbing a snapshot of you with visiting students, double-checking name spellings or even scheduling and posting approved content on your behalf. Give yourself room to lean into your strengths by tapping those whose skills match areas of the social world where you’re not as familiar. You can also task staff members with guiding followers who have questions to appropriate campus resources.
5. Ask the experts. Get to know the staff members who manage social media on behalf of your institution. They love to teach. And they stay up-to-date on the frequent changes to social platforms’ privacy settings, algorithms and legal landscapes. They can also be a source for recognizing and optimizing social media trends in the moment. While their responsibilities extend beyond tending individual accounts such as yours, your work and theirs are connected. They need you, too! The content you post may well be of use to them as they seek to maintain a vibrant cadence of activity across all institutional channels.

Being active on social media can often feel like an extra, a “nice to do” that struggles to rise to the top of a long task list. Resisting that mindset is key. Higher ed leaders are increasingly required to be accessible, personally connected to constituents and relatable. An authentic and robust social media presence is not a luxury but a necessity—and, more often than not, a way to stay connected to the joy that drew you to academic communities to begin with.