5 Marketing Strategies to Reach Students
Australia is one of the most in-demand student countries globally.
It is well known for its high quality education, cultural diversity, and scenic spots. With its crystal-clear waters and stunning landscapes, and towering skyscrapers in urbanised cities, Australia is the perfect image of nature and modernity; of relaxation and productivity, along with the fun and exciting lifestyle opportunities..
These features are a few of the reasons that foreign learners come for - along with our leading colleges and universities offering a world-class education in a huge range of subjects. . In Australia, college students cover a huge demographic with a total of 1,513,383 enrollees for both domestic and international students (Jackson, 2019), with almost 30% of the population being non-Australians.
These findings were backed by a 2021 article by Christopher Hughes who added that 45.5% of students in major cities held a bachelor degree or higher, and from 2019, there were 686,100 international students enrolled at higher education courses across Australia. This learning trend has been steadily increasing since 2009 which makes the country a go-to study destination.
With such prolific demographics, academic institutions and RTOs (Registered Training Organisations) are always looking for the best ways to market to these students. As the competition tightens, these students need to become more creative and imaginative to help reach the ideal audience and stand out from the crowd.
Here at Full Steam, we’ve decided to let you in on our top 5 favourite ways on how we help RTOs reach their student audiences.
But first, let us answer a couple of questions:
Why Market to Students?
Online learning has become a trend nowadays, especially in a long-standing pandemic.
As education transitioned to a digital setting, students are more exposed on the internet - consuming, purchasing, and interacting in a virtual environment. Thus, today’s generation has increasingly become more tech savvy and more exposed to brand advertisements.
College students, in particular the Millenials, often rely more heavily on recommendations and feedback from their peers and are very resistant to the old-fashioned sale processes.
To reach your students, you can use strategies such as content marketing, marketing over social media and advertising to get in front of their research using platforms such as Google Ads. Using a casual tone rather than fancy sales talk will allow you to introduce them to a message that resonates with what they are looking for in a voice they will listen to.
How to Appeal to Your Target Audience?
When marketing to students, it is important to determine first what their needs and wants are. Identify their goals, experience, and pain points; establish a connection and form an emotional attachment before introducing solutions or services.
So, how do you hook your student’s attention? Here are a few marketing strategies that you can implement to your brand:
1. Paid Advertising.
Paid advertisements are some of the most effective ways to reach Millennials and Gen Z.
When done correctly, it can show one of the highest returns on investment (ROI) for your marketing dollars, based on the 2019 Google Economic Impact Report which went on to say that businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend on Google Ads.
According to a 2015 study conducted by The Media Insight Project, search engines are by far the most preferred technique for researching items and comparing prices. It shows that paid ads on major search engines like Google and Bing are a good method to reach out to the millennials who are doing these searches.
By using paid advertising, you can easily reach these ready-to-convert clients.
2. Try Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns.
Cause-related marketing occurs when a brand aligns itself with social concerns or ideas that are important to them and their market, then runs a campaign around it. Companies employ this strategy to raise awareness of a problem and demonstrate social responsibility.
This technique is extremely beneficial for brands who wish to boost their brand's reputation and reach their target demographic, particularly students. Students appreciate authentic messaging and are loyal towards brands that are aligned with their cause.
Brands that are perceived as socially responsible will constantly attract their attention, allowing you to reach your target market and gain their loyalty. This was encapsulated in the 2020 article by Kayla Carmicheal which stated that recurring customers who believe in the same causes will be more loyal to a company that speaks up for them.
3. Produce Video Advertising
Video is an effective approach to reach out to the college market, which spends more time on YouTube than any other demographic.
In a 2020 study by renderforest.com, 40% of people-- the majority of which are college students-- who view a video take action by sharing or clicking on a link connected with it.
Video may be used to inform, amuse, and engage audiences.
In order to create trust and loyalty, consider showing your brand's personality, the people and passion behind your products and services, and engaging with the viewer's emotions using video marketing.
Keep your video content consistent and mobile-friendly, since students are always online, with 30% of college-aged adults making at least one transaction each week on their phone.
To Jeremy Goldman (2018), your video might be the first step in the process of them becoming a customer.
4. Encourage User-Generated Content
User-generated content refers to content that is created voluntarily by users.
According to a Statista survey from 2021, 90 percent of consumers said that user-generated content affected their purchase choice. UGC boosted conversion rates by 161 percent on average across all sectors.
Consumers are frequently the sole creators of user-generated content. As a result, it might occasionally result in unfavorable branding. However, it is typically a cost-effective and efficient method for brands to gain their trust and reputation.
Today's audience, particularly well-educated and tech-savvy students, seeks authenticity in content, which user-generated material provides. Based on a 2017 article by Peter Cassidy on UCG, 92 percent of respondents said that they trust peer-to-peer content more than any other type of brand messaging.
When it comes to user-generated content, unique views and storytelling are crucial. It provides students a voice and a platform to be heard, enhances your internet visibility, and builds your institution's credibility as well as a way for your brand to be seen as trustworthy since students listen to one another.
5. Implement Email Marketing
Email marketing is a low-cost, high-impact way to engage with customers who may have a significant impact on your business.
Eighty-eight percent of smartphone users check their email on a daily basis, according to a 2018 article by Sydney Hatch. With that said, Email marketing entails much more than simply sending messages to recipients' inboxes. It's all about informing, engaging, and retaining new and existing consumers.
According to a 2020 article by Maryam Mohsin, emails with personalised subject lines have a 50% greater open rate. With this, organisations and individuals are enabled to keep their consumers updated and personalise their marketing communications accordingly, including the addition of call-to-actions, which may boost conversion rates by up to 28 percent.
To summarise...
College students are a massive market, but reaching out to them in the most effective manner is critical. Our student centric digital marketing service can improve your marketing efforts and successfully analyse your target market, discovering methods to engage with them on the most effective channel.
Schedule a consultation with us at www.fullsteam.com.au/schedule-a-consultation, and we'll work together to build digital campaigns that understand the needs of your student customers and guide them through the purchasing process.
