The demographics of people seeking college educations continue to change and evolve rapidly. Decades ago, college-bound students were fresh out of high school and ready to tackle the next chapter in their lives. College students' age range has expanded in a more technologically advanced world.
Now more than ever, people well into adulthood are returning to school to pursue their degrees. They have full-time jobs, spouses, children, and other responsibilities. Targeting a more diverse demographic requires personalizing your educational institution's digital marketing. Clearly, you must continue to promote your brand to recent high school graduates. However, your target audience should also include prospective students in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and older.
As you create your digital marketing strategy, consider these helpful tips to attract and engage audiences from a wider demographic.
Carefully Craft Your Marketing Content To Appeal To A Wider Audience
Speaking to a wider audience means targeting college-bound teenagers as well as adults. They all must juggle work and families while attending college as full-time students. Therefore, you should focus on the pressures everyone experiences while seeking higher education.
Teenagers and adults alike are under different forms of stress, though. Regardless of what's happening in their personal lives, they all want to obtain a degree to further their career opportunities. That means you must personalize your digital content to meet their specific needs.
You can create a Video Viewbook to highlight the features on campus that are relevant to different groups of students. For example, if you offer counseling services, yoga classes, and other activities, include that information in your video viewbook. Prospects will always enjoy an immersive digital experience showing how your school can help them balance attending classes and managing their personal life.
Rely on Social Media
Prospective students of all ages often use social media to connect with others. However, they also turn to social media for information. The search for the best college to attend might begin with browsing reviews, testimonials, and other messaging about educational institutions.
You should depend on your social media accounts to target prospective students. You can post about the academic programs, athletics opportunities, and recreational activities. Include a link that takes visitors to your website so they can explore everything your campus offers.
Your marketing should target social media users of any age. Although your audience might be younger, older adults also spend time online during college searches. You should include posts to attract a wide age range of older students as well.
Consider Word-of-Mouth Advertising
Prospective students trust the information they find on their social media feeds. You can use that to your advantage by recruiting alum and current students to promote your college. They can post to their social media about why your school benefits them.
Alum can discuss how your academic programs helped them in their careers. Current students can show prospects where they might fit in on campus by showcasing the dorms, recreational facilities, and nearby nightlife.
Highlight Your College's Values
As an educational institution, you can find ways to make your community a better place. If you sponsor charities, participate in local events, or raise money for a good cause, promote it on your website. Show your target audience that attending your school means they can be a part of something bigger than themselves.
Many prospective students care about making a difference in the world. They want to feel like they contribute to the betterment of society. Whether you hold fundraisers for mental illness awareness or provide sign-up opportunities for community service, mention it on your website. You can include links to these pages and online contact forms for your audience complete to learn more.
Create Event-Related Campaigns
Many campuses thrive on events. Events are excellent opportunities for students from all walks of life to connect and relate meaningfully. Consider potential limitations your prospective students may have when promoting your college worldwide. Some have jobs they can't get away from to visit your campus. Others have financial burdens preventing them from traveling.
You can host hybrid events for in-person visitors and virtual attendees. Virtual events allow anyone from any background to engage with others within the campus community. Prospective students can meet faculty, staff, and alum. They can forge new relationships and find their place on campus without leaving their homes.
Keep Up with the Changing Demographic
The demographics of college-bound students will continually change. You must keep up with your evolving target audience to reach those who seek what you offer. At StudentBridge, we help educational institutions take digital marketing to the next level with effective and personalized features.
Request a demo or call us at 678-824-8181 today to learn more about our services.
