Accounting for over 48.7 million users, in just three years, Pinterest has grown to be the third largest social media network on the planet. With an active userbase between the ages of 25-34, advancement offices have a huge opportunity to engage with younger alumni on this platform.
Several colleges and universities are doing a great job of actively engaging their students with boards covering a broad range of topics from local food, creative DIY dorm decorating ideas, and school sporting events. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how schools are using this platform to reach and engage their alumni.
Here are five ways you can use Pinterest to engage alumni from schools who are already doing it:
1. Showcase notable alumni
Create a visual pin-board to showcase some of your school’s most accomplished alumni. Oberlin College and Conservatory has a Pinterest board titled “Oberachievements” with 58 pins featuring alumni that have been up to truly great things since graduations. Each pin links to an article where you can read more about these noteworthy graduates.
2. Capture highlights from your class reunion
Recap awesome events from a passed reunion by dedicating a Pinterest board to showcasing highlights and picturing enthusiastic alumni that were back on campus. This will get the next reunion class excited to make the trip! Check out how Cornell University Photography used Pinterest to capture the activities and events of their 2012 reunion.
3. Ask alumni to share how they show alumni pride at work
Do you have a favorite coffee mug at work with your alma mater’s logo? Or a school banner hanging on your office wall? Here at EverTrue, university and college swag decorating our workspace is to be expected. Ask your alumni to share how they’re demonstrating alumni pride at work by creating a board like this one where Baylor University alumni show their green and gold at work.
4. Offer career advice
Perhaps the most practical way to use Pinterest as an alumni engagement tool is to offer career advice. The University of Pennsylvania Career Services has an impressive Pinterest page dedicated to a range of career related topics. From tips and resources for building a professional online presence, to what to wear on an interview, this is a valuable resource for alumni.
5. Ask alumni what sparks their school pride
Encourage alumni to reflect on what makes them a proud member of your community. Drake University asks alum to do just that on their “Drake Alumni: Pin Your Pride” board. Many of the pins on this board feature Drake’s Mascot, the bulldog—an adorable reminder of days spent on campus for several alumni.
How is your institution using Pinterest today? Learn how Pinterest can fit into your greater social strategy in our past webinar “The Social Media Playbook.”