The world of digital marketing is constantly evolving, and for those of us in the education and learning sector, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Our recent BESA training event highlighted some significant shifts, particularly concerning social media, influencer marketing, and the rapidly changing realm of AI-driven search. How can you optimise your strategies to thrive in this dynamic environment?

The Evolving Social Media Landscape in 2025

The social media landscape is more fragmented than ever before. Gone are the days when Twitter (now X) was the sole go-to platform for teachers. While social media use among teachers for work-related purposes has seen a general decline since a spike during Covid (65% now compared to 83% in 2022), their time is now split across various platforms.

Teacher Tapp’s Seven Types of Teacher on Social Media report offers invaluable insights:

• Most Popular Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are most popular for personal use, shifting to Facebook, YouTube and X for work purposes.
• TikTok on the Rise: 28% of teachers are on TikTok, and while not always for work, the algorithm can serve education-related content. This is a significant growth area, especially as younger teachers enter the profession, though it’s predominantly for classroom teachers rather than senior leaders or procurement officers.
• LinkedIn’s Mixed Picture: High use among secondary heads (50%) but only 16% of primary heads. However, its benefit lies in targeted outreach.
• Bluesky: Used by 5% of teachers for work and 8% for non-work purposes. Educators feel it resembles early Twitter – supportive, authentic and full of ideas. It’s a space for conversations and understanding the market, not direct selling.

Content That Captivates: What are the best-performing content types on social media in 2025?

To stand out in a saturated market, especially with the rise of generative AI, creative and engaging content is key. Here are some top-performing content types:

• Reels: These short videos get significantly more engagement (6x on Facebook, 2x more reach on Instagram) than static images (source).
• Carousels: On platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram, carousels are excellent for quickly displaying information and providing immediate value without always directing users off the site. LinkedIn’s algorithm favours content that keeps users within its ecosystem (source).
• Polls: Especially effective on LinkedIn, polls are a great way to generate engagement and interaction (source).
• User-Generated Content (UGC): Videos from your audience, or repurposing influencer content, can be highly effective. This also includes ‘people-led’ content like behind-the-scenes photos, staff interviews, and ‘meet the expert’ posts.

Remember, while AI can generate content quickly, authenticity and human interaction are paramount. Social media is meant to be ‘social’ – engage with your followers, schools and teachers. Liking, commenting and resharing can build a strong community over time.

Not sure where to start?

We hope these insights from our BESA training event provide a clear path forward for your digital marketing to educators. The landscape is changing rapidly, but with the right strategies, you can continue to connect with your audience effectively.

If you’d like to take the conversation further or you aren’t sure where to start, we’re offering a limited number of mini-consultations free of charge. Whether you are facing a blocker in your marketing, or you want to bounce around some campaign ideas, please do get in touch.

Contact Olivia Tanner: olivia@bookmachine.co.uk.