It’s sorority recruitment season, which means matching sets and lettered tanks are taking over our feeds, brand partnerships are popping up everywhere, and PNMs are running home all over the country. Whether your campus is still in the thick of recruitment or you’ve already had your bid day, there’s a whole lot happening on social media as chapters find creative ways to show off their members’ personalities and bring recruitment to life online.
And while it might look effortless on your For You page, there’s usually a social media chair, VP of marketing, or other 20-year-old mastermind behind the scenes making sure the right trend gets posted at the right time, the lighting is just so, and an entire chapter somehow manages to hit the same dance move at once. During recruitment, when potential new members are inevitably stalking chapter accounts before making some pretty major decisions, that scroll-stopping content can be more than just a cute video — it can be a chapter’s first impression on a PNM.
But what separates a chapter from putting out good content and truly going viral? Her Campus spoke with the women behind these sororities’ social media accounts to find out their best tips, tricks, and strategies for creating recruitment content that gets people watching.
Show what your chapter is really like.
“Virality comes from the wow factor, but also transparency. There are two sides to posts that succeed: one being seeing something different, creative, and incredibly fun/impressive, and the other side being visibility into the chapter, our girls, and what being in that chapter is really like.” — Immie Dee, vice president of marketing at Alpha Delta Pi, Gamma Omicron chapter at Susquehanna University
Make it feel like something you’d post on your own socials.
“I think following trends that people would do on their own main/personal accounts tends to lead to higher engagement.” — Haley Keegan, director of social media at Delta Gamma, Gamma Kappa chapter at UC Santa Barbara
Get in on the shareable trends.
“Using trends such as ‘Kinda Chic’ and ‘Recruitment Texts’ are the biggest examples of ways to get more views and likes on posts. They’re easy to make, fun for members to share/repost, and because they are trending they have a higher chance of showing up on a potential new member’s feed.” — Ava Thurk, vice president of communication at Zeta Tau Alpha, Kappa Lambda chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Stay current, but stay true to your chapter.
“It is important to stay up to date on current trends and trending sounds, especially when it comes to TikTok, since there are new trends every day. Some rules we swear by are making sure we produce content that is trendy and good quality while also staying authentic to our chapter values by showcasing our strong and diverse sisterhood.” — Grace*, vice president of public relations and marketing at Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Psi chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles
Make people feel something.
“[Our most viral video] was actually a really simple Reel featuring a few photos of us together. I think it performed so well because of the emotion behind it.” — Rebecca Bieber, online media director at Kappa Alpha Theta, Gamma Epsilon chapter at Western University
Don’t be afraid to dance
“Definitely RushTok dances! Everyone coming together, whether you are a dancer, tumbler, stunter, or just cheering on in the back, is super fun!” — Larissa Soeun, director of social media at Alpha Gamma Delta, Sigma chapter at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Make your content feel cohesive.
“When people looking to go through recruitment look at social media of different chapters, I think what’s most important is that the content all follows a similar vibe/aesthetic. That makes them see themselves in the chapter before even coming to the house.” — Haley
Use trending sounds.
“I believe [our most viral video] went viral because of the trending sound that was used that mentioned our sorority name. Our girls also looked so, so cute in their matching Alpha Chi T-shirts, which I think helps draw attention to the video.” — Grace
Be relatable.
“The biggest thing is that potential new members are looking at all the sorority pages at the school they are attending in order to try and see what Greek life really looks like, so having relatable content makes recruiting look less intimidating.” — Ava
Let your sisters have a say.
“I often ask girls what sounds they like or match the vibe of our chapter. I try my best to use their suggestions and what will match the post the best.” — Rebecca
Know what your goals are.
“Being viral with your own campus vs. nationally are two different things. With your own campus, this is beneficial for recruitment numbers and visibility, whereas going viral nationally can be beneficial for the sorority name but also help with brand connections and opportunities for you as a marketing chair in the future, both in your position and professionally! — Immie
Remember why you’re posting.
“While going viral definitely gives off the impression that your chapter is super active and up to trend, I think the quality of what you’re posting is most important to creating the outcome that you want: potential members feeling really drawn to your chapter.” — Haley
*Last name has been omitted for privacy.