A university’s reputation isn’t built overnight. It’s shaped by how it’s seen and experienced by the public.
Strategic communication is key to creating a narrative that resonates and stands out.
But without a clear, intentional strategy, even well-established schools can lose momentum.
Thankfully, with the right PR, you can build trust, attract top talent, and secure the funding your institution needs.
Let’s take a look at nine proven PR strategies that can help improve your university’s reputation and influence.
1. Develop a Compelling Narrative
Your university’s story has the power to build emotional connections with your audience.
A well-crafted narrative shows off your strengths, values, and contributions. And sets you apart from competing institutions.
With a clear, engaging narrative, you can shape public opinion.
But many universities fail to show students the real reasons they should attend. (In fact, 40 percent of students say that more information would have improved their decisions.)
(Image made by the author)
This is why your narrative comes down to more than academic achievements.
You’re painting a picture of how it’d feel to attend your school. This is critical since “student quality of life” is the second most important factor for students choosing a college.
But how do you build an enticing narrative?
Try this:
- Hold stakeholder interviews to find out your key strengths as an institution.
- Consider how these strengths align with your university’s mission and history.
- Build campaigns that show these strengths and values in action.
- Incorporate these stories in student publications and your digital communications.
For example, picture a public university that wants to attract a more diverse student body.
It might highlight the social justice work happening on campus. For example, it could share stories about community outreach programs, student societies, and social justice research with the media.
The narrative shows how both staff and students are working to address societal issues. This message would attract students who value diverse and inclusive spaces.
2. Build Targeted Media Relationships
Consistent positive media coverage strengthens your institution’s credibility. It also allows you to craft a narrative in the public eye.
To do this effectively, you need good relationships with relevant journalists and media outlets.
Don’t be afraid to approach them. (70% of public relations agencies and professionals pitch journalists directly.)
For your media strategy to be effective, you need to:
- Target your pitches. Pitches are most successful when they’re relevant to the journalist.
- Research the journalists you approach. Most PR professionals use media databases to find and research journalists.
- Build relationships. Regular interactions and exclusive insights keep journalists on your side.
- Pitch engaging content. Make sure the stories are insightful, entertaining, or exclusive.
For example, you may want to highlight groundbreaking research or extraordinary student achievements.
Note: You could approach national outlets. But you may have more luck connecting with educational magazines or subject-relevant publications.
3. Create a Thought Leadership Strategy
Thought leadership helps position your university as an authority, which can help attract both academic attention and funding.
PR professionals prioritize thought leadership in their campaigns because it showcases expertise.
To build a strong thought leadership presence, try these tactics:
- Promote faculty research on your social media platforms
- Set up media interviews and speaking opportunities
- Host conferences with your faculty as key speakers
- Have faculty write op-eds and industry pieces
You can also create an SEO strategy that focuses on building topical authority. In this case, you’d publish blog posts on your site about very specific topics and subtopics — and interlink them to create topic clusters.
You could also offer guest posts to relevant, high-authority blogs and ask for do-follow backlinks to your site. This encourages search engines to award your university’s website with a higher domain authority score. As you build more authority with search engines, it’ll be easier to rank for the keywords that your target audience uses.
4. Manage Crisis Communications Effectively
They say all press is good press. But this isn’t always the case — it can actually devastate your reputation.
That’s why crisis management is so important.
In fact, more than a third of PR professionals say crisis communication is their top-requested service.
Without it, you risk losing enrollments and facing higher staff turnover.
A solid crisis plan should include clear protocols and well-trained spokespeople who can respond swiftly and effectively. (During the process of crisis recovery, use social listening tools to keep an eye on media channels. This helps you stay ahead of emerging issues.)
5. Invite Alumni to Be Brand Ambassadors
Almost 40% of students pick colleges based on student outcomes, such as the likelihood of good employment.
Alumni are a powerful resource for showcasing the long-term value of your institution. (Their career achievements serve as a testament to the quality of your education.)
Reach out to alumni to speak about their journeys, share insights, and connect with prospective students. Feature their stories in outreach campaigns — or host events where they can directly interact with future students.
You can also organize networking events where prospective students engage with past students. This is a great way for students to get first-hand insight into how your school helps its learners succeed.
6. Invest in a Social Media Strategy
A strong social media presence lets you control the narrative and connect directly with prospective students.
Share content that highlights student life, campus events, and the achievements of both students and faculty. Show off what makes your institution unique with testimonials that give an inside look at your strengths.
Your social media team can also engage directly with potential students by answering questions and responding to mentions and comments.
Don’t forget to run targeted ads for recruitment.
LinkedIn, for example, is perfect for reaching professionals and attracting talent. In fact, most PR pros say LinkedIn is essential for this purpose.
Take a look at how the University of Colorado uses LinkedIn to engage top talent. It combines posts about campus life with job ads and encourages staff to share ads to reach a broader audience.
7. Leverage Rankings and Awards
Rankings aren’t the only factor that sway students. But they are important.
More than half of all prospective students factor in academic reputation when picking a college. After all, career advancement is the main reason for attending a university!
For example, imagine you’re a prospective student who wants to get a masters in organizational leadership.
While campus life might be important, it wouldn’t be your main deciding factor. Instead, you’d look for a school offering the highest-ranking organizational leadership course.
If you want to attract high achievers, promote your successes. Demonstrate your wide range of academic achievements.
You can do this by:
- Heading up student recruitment campaigns with information about your awards
- Highlighting your achievements on your website and social media accounts
- Issuing press releases about faculty awards, rankings, and accreditations
8. Partner with Celebrities, Influencers, and Industry Leaders
Influencers and well-known figures can reflect and reinforce your university’s values — making them a powerful marketing tool.
That’s why 30% of PR professionals focus on influencer relations when creating PR campaigns.
Take Dartmouth College, for instance.
Last year, Roger Federer delivered his commencement speech there, which focused on the importance of self-belief and individual hard work. The speech aligned with the university’s values of academic excellence and independent thought.
With Federer as a keynote speaker, the college showcased a role model who embodies its values—sending the message that “our community reflects these ideals, and you can be part of it, too.”
9. Develop a Community Engagement Program
Community outreach showcases your university’s social impact and builds valuable connections with potential future students.
Take Washington University, for example.
The college offers a free coding boot camp for local high school students, giving them hands-on experience while contributing to the local community. This initiative helps young learners and attracts future computer science students.
To build successful community programs:
- Encourage student-led outreach as part of graduate programs for extra credit
- Host public events that highlight faculty expertise and student achievements
- Partner with local nonprofits and government agencies to extend your reach
Wrap up
A university’s reputation comes down to more than academic performance.
To build credibility and grow relationships, you need to communicate a well-crafted story that shows off your values and successes.
Investing in the right PR strategies helps you attract high-achieving students, top faculty members, and funding.
The key is proactive communication:
- Build strong relations with the media
- Manage crises responsively
- Leverage alumni
- Engage the local community
But remember, with well-planned PR communications, it won’t feel overwhelming. For a streamlined approach to university PR, explore Agility PR’s AI solutions.
