While it feels like summer only just began, back to school is already on the minds of consumers and should be on the minds of brands! In 2024 #BacktoSchool was up 720%+ YoY, with mentions hitting their highest peak at the end of August/early September. This year’s mentions are on track to surpass 2024, making it even more important than ever for your brand to hop in on the growing conversation, excite creators with curated PR kits, and create content that makes your followers hit share. Whatever you have planned for Back to School, we’ve made a few social-first bets that you can align with your existing campaigns!
Here are a few bets we’re willing to place on getting back to school on social based on year-over-year trends:
Content Bet: Back to School Hauls
Hauls are no stranger to social, they’ve been around since the OG YouTube days and they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. This year’s Back to School season will be backed by clothing hauls, with key search terms “outfit inspo” and “first day of school outfits” rising to the top on TikTok.
Ways in:
- Track key terms weekly using social monitoring tools and use them in your copy to reach new consumers.
- Don’t have a product relevant to back to school consumers? Hop in the comments on trending or up and coming Back to School videos to add your brand in the mix.
- Register your brand in TikTok shop to encourage creators to link the products they’re featuring for an easy consumer shopping experience.
Partnerships Bet: Back to School Parent Influencer Campaigns
Fellow parents look to parent influencers for their expertise when it comes to going back to school, craving tips to make morning or after school routines more successful.
Ways in:
- With #momhacks mentions spiking every back to school season, this is a great opportunity to partner with micro parent influencers who have very strong, trusting relationships with their audiences.
- Influencer partnerships not in the budget? Send curated PR packages to parent influencers for the chance to earn low-cost social impressions.
Memes Bet: Back to School Celebration for Parents
Summer is over, and it’s time for the kids to go back to school. For some parents, this means tears, but for other parents, the first day of school is a celebration – the kids are done tearing apart your house for the summer! This is a meme-worthy event that brands have the opportunity to poke fun at this fall.
Ways in:
- Pair this comedic consumer truth with one of this summer’s social trends (ex. “Almost forgot this was the whole point”) to make a bigger splash.
- Wellness or lifestyle brands have the opportunity to offer exclusive deals to parents in partnership with this meme (ex. Including a discount for a “you survived the summer with them at home” massage or wellness service).
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Sources: Meltwater, TikTok
