Creating Social Media Content “Swim Lanes” Across University Departments

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When multiple campus departments are creating content for overlapping audiences, it’s easy to end up in each other’s lanes—leading to duplicated efforts, mixed messages, and audience fatigue. This panel dives into how higher ed institutions are strategically defining content “swim lanes” to streamline messaging, reduce friction, and ultimately elevate everyone’s impact.

Panelists will explore how to clarify who owns what—and why it matters—from flagship accounts to athletics, student life, and academic departments. Learn how to align content around shared goals without stepping on toes, and how to use strategy, data, and trust-building to create a more collaborative approach to social media.

Topics will include:

• Defining swim lanes across departments: ownership, audience, and content focus

• Using Homecoming and other big campus moments as examples of differentiated—but complementary—content strategies

• Handling overlapping topics (like mental health or academic support) with unique angles tailored to each channel’s audience

• Frameworks for pitching content that adds unique value instead of redundancy

• Using analytics and strategic storytelling to gain buy-in and demonstrate the “why” behind your approach

• Building collaboration structures that maintain clear roles while fostering campus-wide unity

You'll leave this session with strategies, frameworks, and real-world examples that show how clearly defined lanes don’t limit creativity—they unlock it. When every account knows its role, the entire campus social ecosystem wins.