With students on the hunt to find the perfect school to continue their higher education, colleges and universities are developing the more intensive marketing strategies to recruit and retain the next generation.
Deciding the best course of action to boost engagement and increase enrollment? I’ve got you covered with new and upcoming marketing strategies geared to intrigue and motivate young scholars to continue their academic journey at your institution.
Understand Your Audiences
Before planning the best course of action to reach potential prospects, it is important to understand the mindset of your target audiences. Recognize that you have many different personas to target and engage as a college or university.
What is the best channel of communication? How will your institution help shape character? What are the factors that Generation Z is seeking while furthering their education? Ideally, students are going to choose a facility which best represents them as individuals.
Introduce a Gen Z Perspective
Gen Z students are more likely to listen to figures closer to them in age rather than college administrators, at least when it comes to the digital sphere. Over the past few years, we’ve seen social media influencers develop into a second string of celebrities who are prominent in Gen Z spaces. Consider a video sponsorship with an up-and-coming name whose fanbase is mostly teens ready to apply for higher ed. You may see an uptick in applications.
Promote Campus Culture
According to research, 98% of institutions use social media as a method of communication. Social media also shares a glimpse into campus life with virtual tours and student takeovers. Peer interaction allows prospective students to interact with the academic community and acquire a sense of comfort.
Feature organizations, events, and community service opportunities that attendees can get involved with. Emphasize how your students will grow throughout their time at your university as an individual and as a member of the academic community.
Adapt a Platform Specific Approach
You want to provide a glimpse of campus life to students, but what are the best platforms to do so?
TikTok, the newest user friendly platform to share short videos can be a successful option for colleges who want to reach potential students through humor and creativity.
Instagram has always been a major hubspot for digital marketing. From Instagram Live to Instagram Stories, the platform truly offers a wide range of business tools to promote universities. Based entirely on photo and video posts, there is no shortage when it comes to visual content!
Facebook is a popular social media network consisting of a variety of audiences. The popular network recently launched a space called Facebook Campus, a college only platform designed to help students connect with fellow classmates over shared interests. This social network is dedicated to offering a more inclusive approach to college marketing.
Twitter is a great platform to post announcements, scheduled events, articles and more! In addition, users can utilize GIF files to illustrate an idea and boost engagement.
Here are a few points to make your campus stand out from the crowd:
- Promote your institution’s mission and values
- Showcase diversity in campus culture
- Offer academic and personal support
- Rally school spirit
- Engage students on and off campus
Make it effortless for students to imagine their future at your university!
