How did Franklin & Marshall College streamline social media, save 15 hours each week, and boost engagement with Agorapulse?

Discover how Franklin & Marshall College transformed their social media strategy, saved up to 15 hours per week, and increased engagement using Agorapulse. Read the full story to learn about their process, results, and actionable tips for higher education teams.
Managing a diverse and vibrant online presence is a challenge for any higher education institution, especially one with as many audiences as Franklin & Marshall College. From prospective students and parents to engaged alumni and athletics fans, the college needed a social media solution that could unite different departments without sacrificing each group's unique voice. Previously reliant on Sprout Social, the outdated workflow wasted precious time and left little space for strategic growth, prompting Digital and Social Media Strategist Tim Brixius to seek change.

In this post, you’ll discover how the switch to Agorapulse revolutionized Franklin & Marshall’s social media management. By centralizing content planning, introducing AI-powered tools for accessibility and content variety, and building strategic reporting, the college team reclaimed 10–15 hours every week and saw dramatic lifts in engagement across every channel. We'll unpack their new collaborative processes, highlight measurable results, and share actionable insights any higher education team can implement to elevate their social presence.

What made social media management so overwhelming before?

Before Franklin & Marshall College adopted Agorapulse, managing social media was overwhelming due to a fragmented approach across 13 profiles and 10 users spanning multiple departments. Juggling varied content needs, inconsistent approval workflows, and scattered scheduling made coordination time-consuming and error-prone. Their legacy tool, Sprout Social, no longer matched the required flexibility or scale as the college’s digital presence expanded. The lack of centralized processes led to missed opportunities for engagement and unnecessary complexity across teams.

How did Franklin & Marshall College unify their team workflows?

Franklin & Marshall College unified their team workflows by centralizing social media management with Agorapulse. The platform allowed departments like Admissions, Alumni Relations, and Athletics to collaborate seamlessly while maintaining a consistent brand voice. Approval workflows and shared content calendars provided clarity, reduced errors, and ensured transparent communication between staff and student workers. As a result, the college boosted efficiency and created a more unified digital presence across all channels.

Why did switching from Sprout Social bring more value?

Switching from Sprout Social to Agorapulse allowed Franklin & Marshall College to manage social media more collaboratively and efficiently. Agorapulse provided clearer workflows, stronger reporting, and better role assignments for both staff and student workers. This switch led to improved team alignment and streamlined processes, which directly enhanced engagement across all channels. As a result, the college saved significant time and saw measurable boosts in social performance.

How did Agorapulse simplify collaborative publishing for everyone?

Agorapulse made collaborative publishing effortless for Franklin & Marshall College by providing shared content calendars and streamlined approval workflows. Departments and student workers could easily coordinate and schedule posts while maintaining a consistent brand voice across multiple social profiles. The intuitive interface reduced training time and confusion, leading to faster, more efficient teamwork. As a result, social media managers saw improved collaboration, fewer bottlenecks, and a noticeable increase in overall engagement.

What role did automation and AI play in content creation?

Automation and AI in Agorapulse played a crucial role in transforming content creation for Franklin & Marshall College. By automatically generating alt text for images, the platform boosted accessibility while saving the team valuable time. AI-powered tools also helped create multiple copy variations, making it easier to tailor content for different audiences and platforms. This efficient use of technology not only reduced the workload but also increased engagement across the college's social media channels.

How does insightful reporting improve strategic social decisions?

Insightful reporting empowers Franklin & Marshall College to identify what social content resonates most with each segment of their audience. By analyzing trends and engagement metrics through Agorapulse, the team can adjust their strategies for optimal reach and impact. This data-driven approach not only eliminates guesswork but also ensures resources are invested in campaigns that drive real results. Ultimately, actionable reporting fuels strategic decision-making and continuous growth for higher education institutions.

Why does onboarding and support matter for student staff teams?

Effective onboarding and dedicated support are crucial when student staff play a central role in managing higher education social media. With clear guidance and responsive help, students quickly gain the confidence to contribute without fear of error. This not only ensures brand consistency but also enables the team to save time and innovate across profiles. Ultimately, a seamless onboarding process and ongoing support empower student staff to drive engagement while maintaining a unified institutional voice.

How does Agorapulse handle both scale and flexibility?

Agorapulse empowers organizations like Franklin & Marshall College to manage social media at scale without sacrificing flexibility. Its intuitive user roles, approval workflows, and customizable calendars ensure each department can operate independently while maintaining brand consistency. Teams can easily publish platform-specific content, assign tasks, and collaborate in real time, streamlining even the most complex social strategies. This scalable structure is ideal for higher education institutions seeking efficient, unified digital communications.

Could Agorapulse be the collaborative solution your college needs?

If your college is searching for a collaborative social media management solution that saves time and fosters team engagement, Agorapulse might be the answer you need. As seen with Franklin & Marshall College, the right platform can help higher education teams bring diverse voices together, streamline approval workflows, and maintain a consistent brand presence across every channel. With features designed to support both professional staff and student workers, Agorapulse offers the structure and flexibility colleges need to scale their efforts without sacrificing creativity or oversight. Imagine regaining as much as 15 hours a week—hours you can invest in strategy and authentic storytelling instead of manual tasks.

What sets Agorapulse apart is its ability to turn complexity into opportunity—whether you manage multiple departments, user roles, or want insightful analytics to drive campus goals. If your institution wants to simplify multi-profile publishing, improve content accessibility, and deliver data-driven results, Agorapulse may be the collaborative solution your college needs. Ready to experience a more streamlined, impactful approach to higher education social media? Book a personalized demo or start your free trial to see how Agorapulse can transform your college’s digital presence.
SOCIAL MEDIA SCHEDULER

Plan and publish...

Plan and publish your content for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn from one simple dashboard.
LEARN MORE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How did F&M College save time?

Discover how Franklin & Marshall College used Agorapulse to streamline their social media, save 15 hours weekly, and increase engagement. This section answers your most frequently asked questions about their success with Agorapulse.
Franklin & Marshall College streamlined their social media by adopting Agorapulse, which centralized all profiles and enabled easy collaboration among departments using shared calendars and approval workflows.
With Agorapulse, the digital team at Franklin & Marshall College saved 10–15 hours per week on content planning, creation, and publishing.
After implementing Agorapulse, F&M College saw significant engagement boosts, including a 36.9% increase in Instagram mentions and 55% growth on alumni-focused pages within six months.
They switched because Sprout Social didn't meet their expanding needs cost-effectively, and Agorapulse provided a better value, more flexible workflows, and features ideal for a distributed team.
Agorapulse’s AI tools helped the team generate alt text for accessibility, create multiple content variations for different audiences, and suggest relevant hashtags, all of which saved time and improved reach.
Agorapulse allows F&M College to assign unique roles and spaces for different teams while maintaining brand consistency and oversight through approval flows and collaborative calendars.
RELATED BLOG POSTS

All the tips & tricks you'll need...

Get the fresh tips and tricks you'll need to ace social media marketing.