UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

INCREASED AUDIENCE REACH

Social media reach grew by 40%, with substantial increases in impressions across LinkedIn, and Instagram.

ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT

Average engagement rates per post increased by 45%, driven by posts highlighting research achievements, collaborations, and real-world impact.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS

The university successfully connected with organisations and influencers in key research fields, helping to expand Sussex’s network and credibility internationally.

THE STORY

The University of Sussex is a renowned public research university in East Sussex, known for its distinctive and impactful research.

With a commitment to tackling global and local challenges through innovative and interdisciplinary research, University of Sussex sought to strengthen its standing as a world-leading research institution.

THE BRIEF

The university approached us to develop a strategic social media plan that would elevate its research profile and drive engagement with its diverse audience.

The University of Sussex needed a comprehensive social media strategy to support its objectives, including:

Building Recognition: Enhance Sussex’s profile as a distinctive, world-leading research institution with a collaborative research culture.

Driving Research Impact: Increase capability and reputation for interdisciplinary research addressing global and local issues.

Increasing Research Income: Diversify funding sources through increased visibility and credibility.

THE SOLUTION

To help the University of Sussex achieve its goals, we developed a tailored approach comprising an audit, competitor review, strategy, and team training.

Ultimately, the strategy focused on:

Raising awareness of Sussex’s research impact and building credibility across audiences.

Expanding social media reach and engagement on platforms used by prospective students, researchers, and partners.

Driving social media users to the university’s website to increase applications and engagement.

Establishing partnerships with international organisations, businesses, and influencers.

Working collaboratively with departments and digital media experts to create high-quality, interactive content.

We also delivered training workshops and consultancy sessions for the central communications team and faculty members, focusing on content creation best practices, audience engagement tactics, and cross-platform strategies.

These sessions empowered teams to communicate research impact more effectively, create compelling content, and leverage social media for partnership and engagement opportunities.