Summer Social Media Post Ideas for Schools

Summer is just around the corner, and for students and educators, it’s a time to unwind, relax and enjoy the warmer weather. But just because school is out of session doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. Social media can be a powerful tool for schools to keep their students engaged and informed during the summer months.

Whether sharing tips for staying active, promoting reading programs, or showcasing summer learning opportunities, social media provides a platform to keep students connected and excited about their education. Keep reading for creative ways that schools can use social media to engage their students and promote learning during the summer!

Summer Social Media Best Practices

Keeping up with summer social media postings can seem daunting, especially if you’re worried about reduced resources or coming up with summer social media content without tons of school activities, day-to-day features or behind-the-scenes content from your school days. By staying organized, being clear with responsibilities, and having a social media plan, you can keep your audience growing and engaged when school isn’t in session.

1. Plan Ahead. One of the most important things schools can do is to plan their social media content in advance. By setting up a social media calendar , schools can ensure that they have a consistent stream of engaging posts throughout the summer. This can include sharing photos and videos of summer activities, promoting local events, or highlighting summer learning programs.
2. Keep it Engaging. During the summer, students and families are looking for fun ideas, summer activities and maybe even a learning opportunity or two. Schools can keep their social media posts interesting by sharing photos and videos of students enjoying the summer break, showcasing the activities and projects they are working on, or offering up easy science experiments, recipes or art projects that can be done at home. By making social media interactive, schools can keep their followers engaged and excited about their education.
3. Utilize Different Social Media Platforms. Different social media platforms offer different advantages, and schools should consider using a mix of social media platforms to reach their audience. For example, Instagram or TikTok is great for sharing photos and videos, while Facebook could be great for events or creating groups with your school’s community. By utilizing different platforms, schools can ensure that they are reaching the widest possible audience and keeping their followers engaged.
4. Plan for mobile. Save the long posts that require a lot of reading, or links that direct to a desktop-based website for the school year! Over 90% of the 3.8 billion worldwide social media users access social media platforms via mobile devices, and this is especially true during the summer months when students and families are on the go. Make your content easily accessible and digestible for your audience to interact with when they have just a few minutes to scroll through their feeds.

Summer Social Media Ideas

As you work to fill in your school’s summer social media calendar, create a balance of educational, fun, inspiring and promotional content. And, be sure to nail your first day of summer social media post! Check out these ideas for social media post inspiration!

1. Highlight summer reading. Share book recommendations or organize a virtual book club for students to discuss their summer reading choices. Ask students to share their favorite summer reads or books they're looking forward to reading.
2. Share summer activities. Encourage students to share their summer adventures by using a school-specific hashtag on Instagram or Twitter. Ask them to tag the school in their posts and share their favorite summer memories.
3. Summer learning resources. Share resources or tips for students to continue learning throughout the summer. This could include resources such as educational podcasts, websites or learning apps.
4. Celebrate summer holidays. Share fun facts and information about holidays like the first day of Summer, Independence Day or National Ice Cream Day , and ask your students and their families to share how they celebrated.
5. Post school news and updates. Share important news and updates about the upcoming school year, such as back-to-school events, school supply lists or new programs.
6. Highlight summer internships or volunteer work. Share stories of students who are spending their summers gaining valuable experience through internships or volunteer work. Encourage students to volunteer with local organizations or community service projects.
7. Promote summer camps. Connect with your community by sharing information about summer camps or programs that are available to students in your area. Be sure to tag the camp or program in your posts for maximum visibility.
8. Share summer safety tips. Keep your students and families safe with helpful tips for staying safe during summer activities, such as swimming or biking. Remind them of the importance of wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated.
9. Show off school spirit. Share pictures of students sporting school gear or attending summer events, such as concerts or sports games. Ask families to submit pictures of their students in school gear while on vacation.
10. Post about summer school programs. Share information about summer school programs or opportunities for students to get ahead in their coursework.

Utilize a Branded School Hashtag

Schools can use a branded school hashtag to increase engagement and build a sense of community among students, staff, and families, no matter what season it is. A branded hashtag could be as simple as #YourSchoolName, or it could incorporate other elements of your school brand like school colors, mascots, or other elements.

According to a recent Hubspot survey , Tweets with hashtags received 100% more engagement compared to those without hashtags included. Instagram posts with at least one hashtag get 12.6% more engagement than those without hashtags. Facebook posts with hashtags receive on average 16.8% more engagement than those without hashtags.

Benefits of developing and using a school hashtag include:

1. Encouraging social media use. Use a branded school hashtag to encourage students, staff, and families to share content on social media, which can help to promote the school and its activities. It also makes it easy for the school to track and monitor social media posts related to the school.
2. Building a sense of community. A branded school hashtag can help to build a sense of community among students, staff, and families by connecting them through social media. This can foster a sense of belonging and pride in the school.
3. Increasing visibility. The school's social media presence can be more easily found by others who are interested in the school, including prospective students, families, donors and alumni when a branded hashtag is in use.
4. Promoting school events. A branded school hashtag can be used to promote school events, such as sports games, performances and fundraisers. This can help to increase attendance and participation.
5. Showcasing school culture. By sharing photos and stories related to the school through your school’s hashtag, the school can showcase its unique culture and identity, which can be helpful for prospective families and students.

Create a Facebook Group for Your School

Facebook groups are a great way to stay connected and foster community within your school. These groups can be public or private, and allow for members to post, engage, ask questions, learn and share. Consider creating a summer facebook group and inviting current students and their families to group all of your school’s content in one place.

By narrowing the reach and distribution with a facebook group, your posts are more likely to be seen by your students and families, instead of the general social-media consuming public. Parents may also feel more confident posting pictures of their activities and of their children if the group is set to private and only those invited can view and engage with the posts.

If you do create a Facebook group specifically for the summer months, be sure to turn off activity at the end of the summer, or monitor the group from time to time. Many parents may turn to any available resource to ask questions or find answers, and you could miss important opportunities to address issues or answer questions if you forget to monitor your summer social media groups.

Also make sure that you maintain your other social media profiles, and don’t focus solely on the Facebook group. While the Facebook group is great for families and students, your alumni, donors and prospective students may still be looking for you on your public social media channels. Keeping up with posting activity 2-3x a week can maintain your audience, and many of the same content ideas can be used both on public profiles and in Facebook groups.

Keep it Fun!

The biggest thing to remember with summer social media posting is to keep it fun! Students, families, and even your staff look forward to the summer months to relax, recharge and make memories outside of your school’s doors. By providing helpful resources, promoting community events and opportunities, and keeping your school community connected, you’ll be ready to kick off the new school year stronger than ever!

If you’re looking for a modern approach to social media for your school, the team at SOLVED can help! We provide assistance with marketing, school websites, school app development, and more to give your school a competitive edge and stand out from the competition.