Amazing Work is Made in HESM
What you do on social media makes a difference to students. Everything from your recruitment campaigns to your graduation celebrations positively impact the student journey throughout higher education.
Now’s the time to see your hard work rewarded and acknowledged, not just by your colleagues but by a community of social media professionals.
Why Should I Submit?
Recognition
You make amazing work. Your efforts deserve recognition from your employer, colleagues, and the HigherEd Social community. Show them all what you’re made of.
Celebration
Join with others in the HigherEd Social community and celebrate the incredible creativity and dedication coming out of our corner of the Higher Ed sector.
Impact
Your work can inspire others to create more and better work which helps positively evolve and progress the quality of work found within the HigherEd Social Community.
Meet Our Sponsors
Emerging HES Marketer of the Year
Stephanie Fiorelli at Ohio University
Best Central Marketing Team of the Year
Tony Dobies West Virginia University Morgan Goff, Geoff Coyle, David Ryan, Rickie Huffman, Kallie Nealis, Sean Hines, Michael Carvelli, Corbin Mills, Adrienne Kemp-Rye.
Best Department/College Marketer/Marketing Team of the Year University of Iowa Center for Advancement Karla Hurley, Nicole Knoll, Katie Linder, Zack Schmidt, Jimmy Losasso, and Mike Miersen,
Best Social Media Student of the Year
Anna Martin, Social Media Coordinator, Undergraduate Student, Texas State University & Twister Marquiss, Allison Jones
Best Facebook Campaign
Alyshia Madlem with Statwax & “Kenzie Academy” campaign
Best Twitter Campaign
Krista Berend Nick Wilson, Jacob Svetz, Char Callaway, Mark Guerrero, Amy Thompson, Texas A&M Social Media Team for the Reveille’s Retirement campaign on Twitter.
Best YouTube Campaign
Lailani Augustine, Mike Gombita The Alumni Relations and Annual Fund Department at Misericordia University “Arch Madness.” Virtual Giving Day in 2021
Best TikTok Campaign
Kristina Doyle – University of Toronto
Best Overall Social Media Marketing
Emily Evans, and her New Media Intern team at University of Notre Dame: Joyce Lantz, Geoff Young, Andrew Rabbit, Bailey Jordan, Catherine O’Leary, Grace McDermott, N’Kaela Webster, Sarah Holland, Sarah Price, Hailey Oppenlander, Rory Finn, Tajae Thompson, Adeline Chappuis, Connor Patrick, Nicole Campbell)
Best Instagram Campaign
Rainbow Wong, Kevin Lau, Peggy Leung, Kelly Lo, CY Yau, Wing Ka Yuen, Tom Tsui, Phoebe Ng, Ricardo Ng, Kenson Chan, Kelly Chiu,Clarice Lee; University of Hong Kong
Best Multi-Platform Campaign of the Year
Sarah Wells Fanshawe College
Best Integrated Campaign of the Year
Krista Berend, & her team at TExas A& M: Nick Wilson, Char Callaway, Kelly Brown, Laura Root, Taylor Davis, Hailey Sanders, Eugenie Sutio, Tim St. Martin, Sarah Sweatt,Mark Guerrero, Audrey Pena, Tierra Graves, Michael Thompson, Kristy Williams, Michael Green, for their COVID-19 awareness and prevention campaign “Don’t Pass It Back”.
Best Engagement Social Media
Campaign of the Year
Tyler Thomas, Katie Black, Taylor DeMaro, University of Nebraska Lincoln. #GoBigGrad campaign.
Best Global Social Media
Campaign of the Year
Rachael Hagerstrom Smith College Global Illumination 2020 campaign
Best Mobile Social Media
Campaign of the Year
Rainbow Wong, Kevin Lau, Peggy Leung, Kelly Lo, CY Yau, Wing Ka Yuen, Tom Tsui, Phoebe Ng, Ricardo Ng, Kenson Chan, Kelly Chiu,Clarice Lee; University of Hong Kong, “HealthoGraphics” campaign
Best Administrative/Non-Academic Department Campaign of the Year
Shauna Rempel, Nick Iwanyshyn, Drew Lesiuczok, Patricia Lonergan, Angelia Meffe, Nicolle Wahl, Jane Stirling, University of Toronto Mississauga, “The Battling Burnout: Wellbeing during the ‘COVID winter’ video series”
(By Platform) Best Facebook Campaign
Katerina Procyk, Lindsay Retchless, Pat Cercone University of Pittsburgh-Bradford “Nurses Week” campaign
(By Platform) Best Instagram Campaign
Jonathan Allen, Angie Davis, Tammy Lam
University of San Francisco
(By Platform) Best YouTube Campaign
Dan Wackershauser, Kyle Bennett,
South West Wisconsin
Best Admissions Social Media
Campaign of the Year
Kenon Man, Crystal Jukes, Samantha Phillips, Teryl Brouillette, Bob Gwynnett-Davies, Bethan Brooks from Swansea University; “Come Find Space”
Best Athletics Social Media
Campaign of the Year
Stephanie Fiorelli, Eli Burris, Donna Gallo from Ohio University; March Madness NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament campaign
Best Student Life Social Media
Campaign of the Year
Josh Patmore, Joseph Brotherton, Jo Stafford, Laura Ramsden, Abi Gibson , Amy Turner, Will Clarke, Romana Jabeen from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK; “Lockdown Podcast”
Best School or College Social
Media Campaign of the Year
Krista Boniface, Chris Boutet, Mark Smith, Lisa Lightbourn, Jennifer Lanthier, Kristina Doyle, from the University of Toronto Communications with their New Normal Podcast series
Best Student Social Media
Campaign of the Year
Maria DeCabooter, Austin Young, Carla Betancourt, Karringtan Bell, Northern Arizona University #AskNAU and #MyLifein5Pics campaign
Best use of Video/Digital Media in a
Social Media Campaign
Andrew Diamond, Taylor Emerson, Matt Gerrish, Jeremy Jensen, Utah State University, “Alumni Unboxing”
Best use of Graphic Design in a
Social Media Campaign
Haley Harrington-Thomas Georgetown University’s Campus Recreation, “Annual 5k”
Best use of Web Design in a
Social Media Campaign
Steve Filipiak, Dave Pasquini, at Misericordia University
Best Marketer of the Year Nominees:
Alexa Heinrich, CJ Lake Tamasco, Karla Fung, Kati Hartwig, Katie Black, Liz Harter, RJ Thompson, Sam Junior Mbatha
Best Marketer of the Year Award: Alexa Heinrich
Alexa Heinrich has been chosen for this year’s marketer of the year for her work in bringing awareness about digital accessibility to social media marketers in higher education and beyond. She was inspired to learn more about accessibility after realizing her social media content for St. Petersburg College may be excluding a potential student or existing student from consuming it. She has since become one of the foremost authorities on accessible social media, and a powerful advocate for those with disabilities who need assistive devices or rely on alt text to access information. She not only makes a difference on her campus, but in the higher education and marketing industry as a whole. The resources Alexa gives to the community are unmatched and because of her work, hundreds of institutions have worked to bring more accessible content to the internet. When Alexa isn’t making the world a more accessible place, she runs @SippinSocialTea, the hit social media account that that anonymously shares the realities of working in social media. Check out their new book; “Caution, content might be hot” available now. Congratulations Alexa!
You buttheads made me cry. 💖 @HigherEdSocial @ADANconf #HESM #Captioned pic.twitter.com/07g6vWM3n6
— Alexa Heinrich (she/her) (@HashtagHeyAlexa) June 17, 2021
Everything You Need To Know

Eligibility
Check whether your work or employer are eligible.
Eligibility
- Entries may be submitted by any institution, company, or individual in the world involved in the creation or production of the work for the higher education sector.
- You do not need to be a member of HigherEd Social to enter (although members receive discounted entry fees – click HERE to join or join at check-out!).
- Work must have been published after January 1, 2020.

Submission Guidelines & Costs
All the info you need to submit!
Costs
0ARLY BIRD | STANDARD RATE | LATE FEE | |
3/22 – 4/15 | 4/16 – 5/31 | 6/1 – 6/5 | |
MEMBER | $25 | $50 | $75 |
NON-MEMBER | $50 | $75 | $100 |
STUDENT-MEMBER | $10 | $20 | $40 |
STUDENT-NON-MEMBER | $20 | $40 | $60 |
Terms & Conditions
HigherEd Social takes no responsibility for determining official authorship or ownership of websites or digital entries. The judges will review all pieces submitted to the competitions, and the final number of pieces accepted into the show will be at their discretion. The judges may re-categorize entries; if so, there will be no adjustment of entry fees. Decision of the judges on entries accepted and the level of awards are final. HigherEd Social is not responsible for non-functional URL links or entries that provide incorrect login credentials during the competition judging. HigherEd Social will make reasonable attempts to remedy any entry problem prior to competition judging. By submitting your work to this competition, you are agreeing to your work being shared with our sponsor and partner websites, social media, or other marketing output.
Guidelines
You must submit the following evidence to complete a full submission to the competition.
- Images
- Attach screen captures, designed graphics, or photo images.
- Videos
- Links to videos will only be accepted.
- YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, or Google Drive are accepted.
- Do not attach full video files.
- Posts
- Links accepted
- Screen captures accepted.
- Entry Details
- Include the submitter name, e-mail, phone, physical address, website.
- List members of the team, their titles, and e-mails.
- Provide a maximum 2 paragraph (8 sentences) synopsis of your submission.
- Identify the proper categories for your submission.

Judging Criteria
Our judges are highly reputable professionals in our industry. See who they are below and how they’ll evaluate submissions.
The Judges
Coming soon.
Judging Rubrics
Judging of submissions
Submissions for each category will be assessed by a minimum of two (2) judges. In the event the presiding judges cannot unanimously decide on a winner, a third judge will be asked to complete an assessment of the two highest ranking submissions to make a final determination for the category winner.
Non-awarding of categories
At the presiding judges unanimous decision a category may not be awarded if no submissions meet the minimum scoring threshold of 85 (or 90) points.
Option 1: Honourable Mention or Award of Merit (Group can decide what we want to call this)
At the presiding judges unanimous decision, submissions may be awarded an honourable mention/award merit if a submission obtains a score of 90 points or higher and is not named winner of the category. A maximum of (1, 2 or 3?) honourable mentions/awards of merit may be awarded for each category.
Option 2: Honourable Mention or Award of Merit
Judges are able to put forth one (1) submission per category for consideration of an honourable mention/award of merit. To be eligible for an Honourable Mention/Award of Merit submissions must score a minimum of 90 points or higher and not be awarded winner of the category. All judges will review nominated submission and select five (5) submissions to be recognized with an Honourable Mention/Award of Merit

Competition Team
These are the folks who are making this competition happen at a high level. Reach out and say hello!
General Support
Coming soon.
Graphic Design
Coming soon.
Marketing & Advertising
Callie Goodwin, Social Media Strategist, Columbia College SC
Alex Duffy, Social Media Manager, Manchester Metropolitan University
Volunteers
Coming soon.
Judging
Coming soon.
Submissions
Sarah Wells, Social Media Communications Officer, Fanshawe College
Competition Chair
RJ Thompson, Associate Director of Student Engagement, College of Business Administration and the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh

Categories
Submit your work to one or more categories.
People/Teams
This category recognises the talented people who make social media shine. You can nominate an individual or an entire team for this category, and there’s opportunities to recognise both new and veteran marketers.
- HES Marketer of the Year
- Emerging HES Marketer of the Year
- Best Central Marketing Team of the Year
- Best Department/College Marketer/Marketing Team of the Year
- Best Social Media Educator of the Year
Single Campaign
If you’ve worked on a great social-led campaign, this category is for you. Your work can stand alone or fit into a wider project, but as long as social media is the main part of the campaign it’ll be eligible for one of these awards.
- Best Multi-Platform Campaign of the Year (of which social is THE critical piece of)
- Best Integrated Campaign of the Year (of which social is THE critical piece of)
Campaign By Area
These awards are for campaigns focusing on a specific aspect of the higher education journey, from recruiting new students to keeping them engaged throughout their education.
- Best Admissions Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best Athletics Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best Student Life Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best School or College Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best Student Organization Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best Engagement Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best Local Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best Global Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best Mobile Social Media Campaign of the Year
- Best Administrative/Non-Academic Department Campaign of the Year
Campaign By Platform
Campaign By Platform
If you’ve run a campaign on a specific social media platform, this category is for you. These awards celebrate those amazing projects brought to life by a channel’s unique features or engaged audience.
- Best Facebook Campaign
- Best Twitter Campaign
- Best Instagram Campaign
- Best LinkedIn Campaign
- Best YouTube Campaign
- Best TikTok Campaign
- Best Snapchat Campaign
Campaign By Discipline
They say a picture is worth a thousand words; in this category, it could also be worth an award. If you’ve worked on an incredible visual design project such as a video, here’s your chance to show it off to the world.
- Best use of Video/Digital Media in a Social Media Campaign
- Best use of Graphic Design in a Social Media Campaign
- Best use of Web Design in a Social Media Campaign
Best Overall Social Media Marketing (By Platform)
Does your channel stand tall above the rest? Here’s the category to prove it. These awards recognise the work that goes into making a specific platform excel, from the regular posts to the special projects.
- Best Facebook Campaign
- Best Twitter Campaign
- Best Instagram Campaign
- Best LinkedIn Campaign
- Best YouTube Campaign
- Best TikTok Campaign
- Best Snapchat Campaign
Best Overall Social Media Marketing (All Platforms)
This category recognises higher education institutions whose amazing social media work shines through. If you’re proud of the work your team produces, don’t be modest; this is the time to be proud.

Submission Timeline
Timing is critical. Make sure your timing lines up with the competition.
Timeline
- Early Bird runs from March 22 to April 15.
- Standard Rate runs from April 16 to May 31.
- Late Fee runs from June 1 – June 5.
- Judging: June 6 – June 13.
- Winners Announced Date TBD

Awards Presentation
What would a competition be without awesome awards?
What do I get if I receive an award?
Award winners will receive the following:
- A high-resolution award certificate in PDF format.
- A high-resolution award letter in PDF format.
- HigherEd Social stickers!
- Bragging points: you’ll be the inaugural winner of the category you submitted to.
- Your work will be featured on our social media, website, partner websites, and more! A member of our team will reach out to you for an interview.
- And a physical award!
When will I be notified if I win or lose?
Award announcements are tentatively scheduled for July 5, 2021. You will be notified via e-mail. A live Zoom presentation will also be livestreamed and recorded, date and time to be determined.
Stay connected
Competition Updates
Competition Updates & Featured Posts
This Is How Your Work Makes A Difference
by Alex Duffy, Best of HESM 2021 VolunteerIt’s common for social media professionals to feel undervalued. You’re dealing with everything from major events to major controversies, yet yours is a job some people think “anyone can do”. You’re at risk of social media...
Never Applied For An Award? Here’s Why You Should.
by Alex Duffy, Best of HESM 2021 VolunteerIn 2020, five years into my social media career, I applied for my first ever award. My (then) head of department suggested I enter my work for the Best Use of Instagram category, focusing on a campaign I ran using user...
Top reasons to enter the #HigherEdSocial Awards!
by Sarah Wells, Best of HESM 2021 VolunteerWinning a #HigherEdSocial Award comes with some serious bragging rights! You could be the first EVER winner of a #HigherEdSocial Award These are the ONLY awards for social media professionals working in higher education It is...
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