Navigating the ever-changing world of social media can feel overwhelming, especially for EdTech marketers and educators exploring this space. Social media algorithms change, user behavior evolves, and platforms continue to compete for attention. But amidst these challenges lies an opportunity: With an informed strategy, you can connect authentically with your audience, build consistent engagement, and drive results.
In a recent LinkedIn live session, Elana Leoni, CEO of LCG, and Hillary Trussell, Senior Social Media Manager, shared their insights into the trends shaping social media for EdTech brands. Here are the key takeaways to help you refine your strategy in 2025.
Understanding the Social Media Landscape for EdTech
Organic social media is a "beautiful struggle," as Elana puts it. For EdTech marketers, the goal isn’t just to chase views or likes but to create meaningful engagement with the right audience. This means understanding each platform’s unique dynamics and tailoring your content accordingly.
Whether it’s a teacher saving an Instagram post or a school leader watching a LinkedIn video, the engagement you see isn’t always public. Silent signals, such as dwell time, clicks, saves and shares, are just as valuable—if not more—than visible interactions.
Key Trends Shaping Social Media in 2025
Video Dominance: Platforms across the board are prioritizing video, especially short-form vertical content.
Carousels for Storytelling: Swipeable, digestible content is performing well on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Hashtag Evolution: On Instagram, hashtags are losing prominence as keyword optimization in captions takes center stage.
Call to Outcome: Shift from generic Call to Actions (CTAs) to messaging that highlights tangible benefits for your audience, like “Bring joy back to your classroom” instead of “Join our community.”
Breaking Down Platform Insights
Instagram: The Engagement Powerhouse
Why It Matters: Instagram remains a top platform for engagement, with 84% of social media users actively participating.
Silent Engagement: Hillary highlighted that educators and leaders often save or share posts privately, saying, “It’s a more private way for them to engage with a brand, and it fits their comfort level.”
Content Focus: Prioritize visually appealing posts and keyword-rich captions. Carousels are particularly effective when they offer actionable tips or relatable stories.
Facebook: Groups and Referrals
Dual Strategy: While Facebook’s general newsfeed sees declining engagement, groups remain active hubs for educators to share ideas, resources, and support.
Traffic Driver: Hillary noted, “I do see website traffic referrals from Facebook, which is exciting and what a lot of brands want.” Experiment with link placement (e.g., in comments) and pair organic posts with paid campaigns.
LinkedIn: A Space for Professional Growth
Video on the Rise: Video uploads have grown by 34% year-over-year as executives and educators turn to LinkedIn for thought leadership and professional development.
Newsletters Drive Results: LinkedIn’s newsletter feature is a game-changer, delivering content directly to users' LinkedIn inboxes and personal email addresses. This dual delivery boosts both engagement and reach. Elana shared, “Posts linked to newsletters experience a significant increase in reach and impressions, and the added benefit of reaching users directly through email is invaluable.” For EdTech marketers, this feature is especially valuable, as it ensures continued access to educators and education administrators—who frequently change jobs and email addresses—making it easier to maintain connections and drive engagement.
Personal Profiles vs. Brand Pages: Personal profiles often outperform brand pages in organic reach. A study by Refine Labs found that sharing information through a personal LinkedIn profile drives 2.75 times more impressions and 5 times more engagement compared to a company profile. Additionally, posts published on personal profiles receive up to 561% more interaction than those on company pages. This highlights the power of personal profiles for expanding visibility and engagement. However, it’s essential that personal pages and brand pages work together to elevate each other. Personal profiles excel at building connections and driving engagement, while brand pages offer consistency, authority, and a unique brand narrative. When aligned and supportive, both strengthen your overall strategy, helping your content reach a wider and more engaged audience.
YouTube: The Hidden Gem
Shorts and Cross-Posting: Use YouTube Shorts to repurpose vertical video content for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. YouTube Shorts has seen a significant increase in daily views, growing from 30 billion in 2021 to 90 billion in 2024.
Search Engine Power: As the world’s second-largest search engine, YouTube helps EdTech brands boost visibility and traffic. In the United States alone, YouTube videos appear on search engine results pages (SERPs) for over 791 million search queries, highlighting the platform's significant role in search behavior.
Emerging Platforms: TikTok and Bluesky
TikTok: TikTok: Short-form video remains a valuable tool for brands, particularly those targeting younger or visually-oriented audiences. Elana suggested, “Dip your toe in and see what works. If the views are solid and the audience aligns, it could be worth a bigger investment.” With TikTok’s future uncertain due to regulatory concerns, it may be a good time to test the waters while it’s still trending. If it remains viable, it can offer reach without a lot of extra effort.
Bluesky: Still in its early stages, Bluesky is drawing educators seeking collaboration and connection. Reserve your handle now to stay ahead of the curve. Elana and Hillary noted its high level of engagement on the platform with educators searching for their micro-blogging replacement of X/Twitter.
Practical Tips for EdTech Marketers
Building an effective social media strategy isn’t about doing everything at once; it’s about doing the right things well and consistently over time. Here are some actionable, narrative-driven tips to help you succeed:
Test and Learn: Social media success often starts with curiosity. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new formats, platforms, and strategies. Hillary shared, “Play around and see how it goes. Share your best-performing tweets on Bluesky or cross-post a TikTok to Instagram. It doesn’t have to be overcomplicated.” Let data guide your decisions as you refine your approach.
Stay Consistent: Algorithms reward regular posting, but consistency doesn’t mean overloading yourself. Focus on a sustainable schedule that aligns with your team’s capacity. Elana emphasized, “It’s so hard to pause social media and come back later. The algorithm doesn’t trust you anymore, so stay consistent even if it’s lighter content.”
Humanize Your Brand: Social media is about connections. Highlight the real people behind your brand—whether it’s a teacher using your product or a team member sharing behind-the-scenes moments. Relatable, human-centered content fosters authenticity and makes your brand memorable.
Know Your Audience’s Needs: Dive deep into what your audience truly values. Teachers may appreciate time-saving tips, while school leaders might seek data-informed insights. Hillary advised, “Carousel posts that are helpful and actionable work well, especially when they provide tips educators can apply right away.”
Prioritize Capacity: Social media is resource-intensive, and spreading yourself too thin can lead to burnout. Focus on 1-2 platforms where your audience is most active and where your content performs best. Elana shared, “It’s better to excel on one or two platforms than to struggle across five.”
Leverage Data Wisely: Pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. Use platform analytics to understand your audience’s preferences. For example, if you notice higher engagement on carousels than reels, double down on that format. Let the data guide your decisions rather than relying solely on assumptions or trends.
These tips aren’t just strategies; they’re principles to help you approach social media with purpose, creativity, and focus. With the right balance of experimentation, consistency, and audience awareness, EdTech marketers can turn social media into a powerful tool for engagement and growth.
Building Your Social Media Strategy for 2025
The social media landscape will continue to evolve. As we write this, we’re witnessing the rise of Red Note, the uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future, and a shift in sentiment toward Meta (Facebook and Instagram). Despite the constant change, the core principles of a successful strategy remain unchanged: engage authentically, provide real value, and adapt to your audience’s needs. By staying curious, testing new trends, and experimenting with emerging platforms, EdTech marketers can form deeper connections with educators and decision-makers. The key is to embrace change thoughtfully and make it part of an ongoing strategy that grows with your audience.
