Social Media Marketing to Students: Strategies to Attract Future Learners
In the increasingly competitive world of higher education, marketing professionals are constantly seeking new and effective ways to attract students. Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for reaching and engaging prospective students, offering a direct channel into their digital lives. By employing strategic social media marketing, UK higher education institutions can foster meaningful connections with students, showcasing their unique offerings and ultimately driving recruitment.
In this article, we explore how you can better understand the student audience and implement social media marketing strategies to attract prospects and increase leads as part of your recruitment campaigns.
Understanding the Student Audience
To effectively harness social media, marketing professionals must first understand the preferences and behaviours of their target audience – students. Today's students are digital natives, with young people in the UK spending an average of 15 hours per week on their smartphones. They are accustomed to consuming information in bite-sized chunks and are drawn to engaging, interactive content.
Harnessing the Power of Diverse Platforms
The social media landscape is vast, with various platforms catering to different demographics and interests. For higher education institutions, a multi-platform approach is crucial to reach a wider audience and cater to their specific preferences.
Facebook: Facebook remains a popular platform for connecting with friends and family, making it a valuable tool for universities to build a strong online presence and engage with current and future students.
Twitter/X: Twitter/X's microblogging format allows for rapid sharing of news, updates, and announcements, making it ideal for keeping students informed about events, campus life, and scholarship opportunities.
Instagram: Visually-driven Instagram is a powerful tool for showcasing the vibrancy of campus life, highlighting student achievements, and sharing stunning images of the university's facilities.
Snapchat: Snapchat's ephemeral nature allows universities to create a sense of exclusivity and behind-the-scenes access, providing glimpses into student life and fostering a sense of community. It is also increasingly popular with younger generations.
TikTok: The DIY nature of TikTok makes it easy to share authentic, user-generated content. Use this platform to deliver student ‘a day in the life’ videos and information or top tips that will build your brand identity and prospects’ familiarity and trust in your institution.
Creating Engaging and Relevant Content
The key to success in social media marketing lies in creating content that resonates with the target audience. For students, relevant content often centres on academic programs, campus life, and the overall student experience.
Highlight Academic Excellence: Share stories of notable alumni, showcase research achievements, and highlight the unique academic offerings of the institution.
Depict Vibrant Campus Life: Share images and videos of student activities, events, and extracurricular opportunities to showcase the engaging and diverse campus community.
Showcase the Personal Touch: Share testimonials from current students, highlight student success stories, and feature student-led initiatives to humanise the university experience.
Utilising Paid Advertising
Social media advertising platforms offer targeted campaigns that can reach specific demographics based on location, interests, and online behaviour. Paid ads can effectively amplify your social media presence and reach a wider audience of prospective students.
Measuring Results and Adapting Strategies
Regularly tracking social media analytics allows marketing professionals to assess the effectiveness of their campaigns and identify areas for improvement. By analysing engagement metrics, reach, and conversion rates, institutions can refine their strategies and optimize their social media presence.
The Future of HE Marketing
In today's digital landscape, social media marketing has become an indispensable tool for higher education institutions seeking to attract students. By understanding their target audience, leveraging diverse platforms, creating engaging content, utilizing influencer marketing, and implementing targeted ads, UK universities can effectively harness the power of social media to build a strong online presence, foster meaningful connections with prospective students, and ultimately drive recruitment.
As students increasingly rely on social media for information and decision-making, marketing professionals must continue to adapt and innovate their strategies to remain at the forefront of student engagement and attract the next generation of learners.
