Social Pros Podcast

How Quizlet Turns Fans into Friends on Social

Aug 9, 2024

39:26

When people head to social media, usually the last thing on their minds is studying. But Quizlet, the widely popular learning platform, has managed to build an impressive social media presence that engages learners around the world. Tori Mueller, Senior Social Media Manager, joins Social Pros to clue us into their strategies.

Full Episode Details

Quizlet has perfected the formula for “edutainment” content with its unique blend of educational content, pop culture references, and community building on social. Tori heads up the social media department and joins this episode to take us through Quizlet’s strategy for appealing to an audience of learners, particularly Gen Z.

We hear about Quizlet's three-pillar approach to content creation: edutainment, building the brand, and tapping into culture. As serious study content isn’t what people usually want to see on their social media feeds, Quizlet combines educational content with cultural commentary on the trends that appeal most to its audience. She explains why this strategy is so successful in keeping the brand top of mind for learners.

Tori also shares a great example of how Quizlet engages in social listening by building a fully-fledged April Fools’ campaign, “Rizzlet,” based on a real user story on social. Quizlet also partners with influencers, and Tori shares how a partnership with @maxnotbeer led to high community engagement and new Korean language lessons added to the platform.

Authenticity over polished content is a common theme in social at the moment, and Tori agrees that authentic content is performing much better for her team. To tap into that authenticity, she explains how part of their strategy is to show the real people behind the brand.

In This Episode:

2:42 - An introduction to Tori and Quizlet
4:12 - How Quizlet engages an existing user base with its three content pillars
8:56 - How Tori determines what pieces of culture/trends to capitalize on
11:10 - How Quizlet’s April Fools’ prank came from UGC
16:15 - The challenge of getting employees to be on camera
19:02 - Why Quizlet leads with “dessert-first” content
20:32 - Tori tells us about an influencer collaboration and Instagram quiz campaigns
24:43 - Unusual use cases for Quizlet
25:51 - How Quizlet measures success and avoids vanity metrics
29:13 - Why Tori is most excited about the move toward authentic content
31:05 - Where Tori goes for inspiration
32:30 - The platforms Tori would choose to focus on if starting again from scratch
34:27 - Tori’s top tip for aspiring social pros