Back to School 2025: The Social Media Playbook

Sophie von Mensenkampff

Content Manager

Over 270,000 Posts, and Counting...

Since the beginning of August, there have been over 270,000 posts mentioning back to school across Instagram and TikTok. Activity began rapidly in the first week of the month and has remained consistently high, with regular peaks around mid and late August. This pattern reflects the build-up to school start dates, as both parents and students rush to prepare. For brands, timing campaigns to align with these surges can be crucial in capturing audience attention at the right moment.

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Supplies vs Style: Back-to-School Trends

This year’s back-to-school buzz is split between two clear themes: practical essentials and beauty and style. On one side, hashtags such as #schoolsupplies, #backpack, and #schoolessentials highlight the focus on getting ready with the right gear. On the other, hashtags like #outfit, #makeup, and #nails show how much of the conversation revolves around appearance, with students sharing their looks and routines for the first day back. Together, these trends reveal that back to school is as much about style and self-expression as it is about preparation, a dual opportunity for brands across both sectors.

Successful back-to-school campaigns should speak to both sides of the conversation. Retailers of school supplies can boost visibility by pairing practical messaging with lifestyle-driven content, while fashion and beauty brands can join the seasonal buzz by positioning their products as part of the “first day back” look. Blending utility with creativity allows brands to resonate more deeply with their audiences and capture attention across a wider range of interests.

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TikTok Outshines Instagram for Driving Engagement

When it comes to engagement, TikTok is far ahead of Instagram. Since 1 August, back-to-school content on TikTok has generated nearly 196 million interactions, compared with just under 30 million on Instagram. This striking difference confirms TikTok’s dominance as the platform where younger audiences, and by extension, back-to-school culture, are most active.

But this information alone isn’t a reason for brands to forego Instagram completely. Both platforms can be highly beneficial for brands when used correctly. While TikTok’s content style burns bright and rewards quickly jumping on trends, Instagram provides more stable growth over time. The key is in having a strategy that plays to each platform’s strengths: leveraging TikTok for viral, trend-driven visibility, while using Instagram to build long-term brand presence and nurture community. Together, they create a complementary mix that ensures both immediate impact and lasting engagement.