#RushTok is back. Higher ed should pay attention.

In higher ed marketing, we know that trend-watching matters — especially social media trends that involve colleges and universities. So, like it or not, right now that includes #RushTok. Here’s why you should be paying particular attention to #RushTok, even if your institution doesn’t have Greek life.

But wait, what is #RushTok?

#RushTok is a trending collection of videos from TikTok where students document their experience going through the sorority recruitment process (known as “rush”) — with most of the content coming from Southern institutions, like the University of Alabama, the University of Mississippi, and Texas Christian University. #RushTok is a place for potential new members (PNMs) to post about their outfit of the day (the OOTD), their interpersonal interactions, and everything in between. The trend started in fall 2021, and was picked back up for 2022 by the new recruitment class. While rush has concluded at several schools, including Alabama, Ole Miss, and TCU, it’s just taking off for other students across the country.

Here are three insights about what higher ed communicators can learn from the #RushTok trend.

 

Be aware of how audiences are telling your story. 

As you already know, no college or university has complete control over its own brand image — your students and others are continually contributing to your institution’s story. With #RushTok, PNMs have a platform to share their authentic experiences within a niche part of campus. While your marketing team may not have a direct influence over what students and organizations post, it’s important to pay attention to how your institution is perceived through trends like #RushTok, particularly when it comes to inclusion and belonging.

We see this issue come to life through people like Grant Sikes, a non-binary sophomore who shared her OOTDs leading up to the day she was cut from Alabama rush, and Madi, who highlights what it’s like being a masc lesbian in a sorority at Alabama. But #RushTok has evolved beyond just recruitment. Older students are using the context of sorority rush to also talk about experiences at the university itself. For example, when Leighton Siegal was asked about being Jewish at Alabama, they shared their experiences — saying that, while their sorority celebrates their Jewish identity, they have experienced antisemitism in the classroom. 

@bamabelle2019 Replying to @chrischristiesfupa Being Jewish at Bama #bama #bamarush ♬ original sound – Leighton Siegal

While #RushTok is full of OOTDs and rush bag reviews, it’s also serving as a true test of inclusion on the ground level, from those experiencing it firsthand. Creators are also highlighting things like why people left the process (“dropped”), stopped engaging, or were expelled.

 

Keep an eye out for organic trend cycles. 

As far as we can tell, this is one of the first unique instances in social media where a campaign has resurfaced on a schedule that’s driven not by a brand, but completely by users. Sure, there are always trending conversations on platforms such as Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok about yearly events (like March Madness or the Met Gala) or recurring weekly TV shows (like The Bachelorette). But it’s new territory for organic campaigns to surface.

Outside of collegiate sports, this may be one of the first recurring trends that brings people together from across (and outside of) institutions in a communal conversation. With membership surpassing 50 percent on some campuses, joining a Greek-letter organization is a big part of the college experience for many. #RushTok is connecting not only students to one another, but also people far off campus. 

#RushTok is only in its second year, but we’re already seeing the content naturally evolve. This year, we’re noticing that PNMs are using the trend to their benefit — recognizing that the sororities they want to join are watching, and using the platform to thoughtfully market themselves, weaving in content about why they would be a good sister. 

As the pandemic becomes less disruptive and routines start to settle, higher ed brands should be paying attention to how organic trends evolve and thinking about how to tap into those trends. If you do, maybe you can get out in front of them and use them to your benefit.

 

Find out how trends are expanding awareness of your brand.

#RushTok is expanding the number of folks who are aware of and engaging with individual institutions, for better or worse. Across the nation (and around the globe, really), people are so invested in this trend that, even though they may not initially have cared about your institution, they’re now intrigued and seeking more information. 

Here’s a quick example, using data from Google Trends. While we can’t prove a direct correlation, we can see that in the last two weeks, there has been a significant increase in search traffic for “The University of Alabama,” in a pattern that’s similar to traffic for the search term “Bama rush.”

For Alabama, there’s also been a significant uptick in search traffic for other queries related to sorority recruitment: “North American fraternity and sorority housing” is up 130 percent in search history, and “fraternities and sororities” has increased by 100 percent.

What are the current trends surrounding your institution? Whether it be #RushTok or something else, it’s good to recognize and understand how your brand is being perceived, so that you can determine how to respond to those perceptions.

 

So now what? Make the trends work for your goals.

Engagement and action can (and should) look different for different trends. Your actions should always be grounded in a social strategy that aligns with your brand’s overarching priorities and goals. 

As users engage with a trend, they fall into three categories. As each new trend emerges, take time to understand which category makes sense for your brand.

1. Creators help drive the trend directly by publishing content. If you’re a creator, you’re a player in the actual game. For #RushTok, creators include sororities, PNMs, and recruitment advisors

2. Commentators are outside of the immediate circle of creators. (To use research as a metaphor: commentators are secondary sources, while creators are primary sources.) Whether they are organizing information, stitching videos, creating satire (and more satire), or otherwise commenting on the videos, commentators have many different options for engaging with a trend. 

UCLA Housing (@uclahousing) and University of Pittsburgh (@upittofficial) have found an extremely interesting niche by being invested commentators during rush. They are far enough removed from the universities at the center of the trend that their commentary is seen as a welcome and authentic addition to the trend.

 

@kayrae246 @uclahousing is doubt the Lord’s work? #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #greenscreen #bamarush #bama #rushtiktok #bamarushtok #workweek #sorority #ucla #uclahousing ♬ Only Prettier (Album) – Miranda Lambert

3. Lurkers are everyone else — watching from a distance, not creating or engaging with content directly. (Unabashedly, this is where I fall most of the time.) The best lurkers are aware of how a trend could impact their image and their brand. Lurking on a trend can help you avoid social media faux pas, or making other missteps like saying something out of touch. So even if your brand is not one to create or comment on a trend, it’s still valuable to pay attention to what users are talking about across platforms.

One of this year’s top #RushTok creators, Kylan Darnell, has started every single video of hers by wishing that her viewers “have a great day, not just a good day.” And while the Buffalo Bills might not seem like natural content creators for this topic, you can tell they’ve definitely be lurking on #RushTok with tweets like this:

 

It was a great day, not just a good day.#DENvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/CfHxjDF4XI

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 20, 2022

University of North Florida Admissions has also been observing what’s trending on #RushTok, as seen in this caption:

 

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A post shared by UNF Admissions (@unfadmissions)

 

Where does your institution fall?

As higher ed marketers and communicators, we must care about (or at least be aware of) what our audiences care about. Understanding their interests and finding the space to engage with them is how you can stay on top of relevant content — during sorority recruitment and beyond.