Social Media Planning for a Corporate Alumni Program 

Keeping the members of an alumni program engaged and making sure they understand the benefits of maintaining an active relationship with the organization is a constant part of a corporate alumni program. Social media is an easy, cost-effective way to do that – without clogging up members’ email inboxes. Additionally, prospective members are likely to check out the social media accounts when deciding whether to register for the network. Active sites that are chock full of meaningful information will help seal the deal.

Employees and alumni (hopefully) already follow the main social media accounts of the organization to stay up to date on company news. For a large company, however, it’s a good idea to create a separate account specific to the alumni network. Adopt the social media handle of the organization and add “_alumni” to the name (e.g., - @peoplepath_alumni). The content on the main accounts and the alumni account can complement each other to encourage more interaction all around. For example, the main accounts can help get more RSVPs to alumni events, and the alumni accounts can help spread positive news about company growth/news.

Make it easy for members to “like” the social media accounts by including links to the sites on the alumni portal and in every communication you send. It’s also a good idea to ask members what type of information they want to receive via social media and which sites they visit (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.). Use this feedback to tailor a content calendar.

A study by Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor Relations (ILR) School in partnership with PeoplePath found that alumni who access company news are more likely to recommend the products and services of the organization.

In general, alumni benefit from news updates in four categories:

• Career Development
  • Job opportunities
  • Knowledge exchange
  • Learning opportunities

• Alumni Stories
  • Career changes
  • General news

• Industry News
  • Reports
  • Thought leadership

• Company News
  • Announcements
  • Notes from leadership
  • Events
  • Discounts/perks

High participation in your alumni program is consistently associated with increasing returns to your organization. In other words, as alumni use more of the offerings provided by the corporate network, they are more likely to provide recommendations that are beneficial for the organization overall. A vibrant social media presence is a key aspect of keeping alumni informed and engaged and is a win-win for company goals as well alumni program goals.