Create a Student Advertising Campaign with a Small Team

- 3 min read -

how to create student advertising campaigns with a small team & minimal budget

When it comes to a student advertising campaign, you always wish you had more time and a bigger budget. Marketing departments at post-secondary institutions will recognize these frustrations. It takes ingenuity standing out in the crowded landscape of higher education, trying to attract students, get them to visit their websites, download their materials, and on to their campuses. Fortunately, there are some potent ways to get your message across, even when working with a small team and without much time.

this one time, you can put your eggs in one basket

Focus your attention on the most effective platform for your audience. Rather than having a message spread thin across a wide range of media, hoping you’ll attract attention somewhere, do your research and concentrate effort where you know your audience is likely to be. For example, if you’re trying to reach a Generation Z audience, remember that “visual social media reigns supreme.” If you’re going to use one channel to connect, throw all your weight behind video and music streaming social apps. According to the Google’s “It’s Lit” report, over 60% of Gen Z's are active for hours on Instagram and Snapchat every day. They are also consuming endless hours of video & music  from YouTube, Hulu and Spotify every single day. The beautiful thing here is you can advertise on every single one of these platforms.

know your audience, maximize your impact

More than simply knowing your audience’s preferred platform, it’s essential to understand your audience with as much detail as possible: their geographic region, who they follow and interact with online, how they use their social media platform, and more. The more information you have to guide your messaging, the more impact you can have within your limited reach.

You don’t have much time, but it’s vital to gather as much info as possible to build an effective base of knowledge. Along with a focused media buy, having the background to craft relevant content will yield a stronger return on your limited investment.

Besides understanding your audience better, consider that this research-based approach is a much better alternative than dropping your precious budget on sponsored ads:

“The ability to reach such a large audience for such a small amount of money promises the kind of results that almost seem too good to be true. Which is why sometimes they are.” – Dan Scalco, Founder and director of growth, Digitalux

As stories have come to light that ad budgets have been wasted servicing bots instead of actual people, consider a more human touch that could have a much greater impact…

add influencers to your student advertising campaign

When you’re working with a small marketing team, connecting with a key micro-influencer your audience trusts can go a long way. Researching your target audience is more likely to point your marketing department in the direction of micro-influencers that your potential recruits currently engage with (and receive engagement in kind). Because of micro-influencers’ relatability, they’re more likely to be trusted by their followers – and will trust what they say about your institution. In fact, per a Nielsen study, 80% of consumers will trust their peers when it comes to buying decisions. That's powerful stuff.

By creating a partnership with one of these influential personalities, your post-secondary school’s brand can be brought to your audience’s attention in a way that feels authentic and relevant, making them more inclined to recall your institution and want to learn more. And because your micro-influencer’s reach is likely quite small and concentrated, they make inexpensive, highly effective partners. Especially during crunch time.

Contact Glacier today to find out more about your higher educational institution can create an effective student advertising campaign on short notice.

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