Your goal is to make your Community the first stop for your incoming students - the place where they can connect, find answers, and start building their new life at your institution.
This example strategy is by no means the be all and end all - take what you need and leave the rest! This is really here to inspire some ideas, and hopefully provide you with some quick wins to complement your Community promotion and engagement efforts.
📅 Phase 1: Build Awareness (First month of your Community)
Objective: Ensure every student knows that the Community exists, and understands its value.
How to Promote:
Welcome emails: Add a bold CTA: “Join your Class of 20XX Community.”
Admissions pack / offer letter: Include a QR code with “Scan to meet your classmates before you arrive.”
Social media: Feature reels/stories of current students saying: “I met my first college/uni friends here. You can too.”, or similar.
Student ambassadors → Post short personal selfie videos inviting students and explaining what to expect.
Engagement Triggers:
Kick off an “Introduce Yourself” thread.
Interactive Polls (e.g., “Which on-campus food are you most excited to try?”).
Reward early joiners with access to an exclusive discount code to use on campus, for Community Founding Members.
📅 Phase 2: Spark Excitement (Second month of your Community)
Objective: Create buzz and show students that the Community is a vibrant and valuable place to be.
How to Promote:
Weekly spotlight email: Highlight popular questions, tips, or conversations from the Community.
Social proof: Share posts like: “Over 500 of your classmates are already connecting - don’t miss out!”
Ambassador AMAs: Current students can host “Ask Me Anything” sessions on topics from finding housing to balancing studies with part-time work.
Engagement Triggers:
“Find your roommate” or “Who’s in my dorm?” discussions.
Live AMA with academic staff - allowing your offer holders to get closer to the academics who will be teaching them (You can promote this in your Updates tab and To-Do list, and signpost to it in key groups).
Collaborative “Class of 20XX Bucket List” - have incoming students vote on Polls for the experiences and events they're most excited about.
📅 Phase 3: Orientation Countdown (Third month of your Community)
Objective: Position the Community as the go-to resource for move-in and orientation/welcome week.
How to Promote:
Email reminders
“Get move-in tips from your new classmates in your Community.”
“Orientation survival guide → only in your Community.”
Orientation app & program/subject guides: Prominently feature either the Community invite URL, or information on how to receive an invite.
Social challenges: Invite students to post “packing day” photos.
Engagement Triggers:
Provide an exclusive downloadable PDF Move-In Checklist.
Post daily icebreakers as Welcome Week approaches.
Gamify with awards for photos around a theme, or the best "Found a Friend" story (i.e. met on Community, have booked the same flight to move to university together) - give out vouchers, SU gig tickets, merchandise, or invites to exclusive events.
✨ After Orientation: Would you like to keep your Community going as students arrive and orient themselves on campus?
Review the members of your Community - check against enrolment records and delete students from your Members tab who haven't joined you on campus.
Repurpose Groups - instead of "Moving to the UK" for example, you could re-name to "International Student Forum".
Refresh Ambassadors - can they still commit time to Community as term starts? What insights, photos, and tips should they be sharing for new starters?
Shift messaging from “meet your classmates” to “stay connected for study groups, events, and insider tips.”