4 Winning College Marketing Strategies You Should Know

by Millie S. QUALITY WORK FOR A FAIR PRICE BY JIMMY TSANDIOTIS

When you think of college students, they might not seem great spenders. They don't splurge but the reality is they spend a lot. And they not only spend on burgers and pizzas instead they also buy everything from electronics and apparel to medications and other miscellaneous things.

Students may not be a valuable pursuit in the books of many marketing gurus, but modern students and their buying habits can teach some valuable lessons to them. It may be tough to sell to students compared to households and other customers but it’s not unattainable. Below are some winning college marketing strategies that you should know about.

Video marketing

Reaching out to this young demographic can be tricky since you can’t find easily exactly what they need. It’s always difficult to discover their demands and what really entice their interest. Video marketing is one of the best college marketing strategies. Since they can barely afford to have a cable TV in hostel rooms, they have smartphones with them all the time. Students binge on Netflix and YouTube for hours. It’s better to utilize your storytelling skills to produce a short, informative, and entertaining video that describes your products and services to students without bothering them.

Direct sales

Many startups and small businesses don’t carry a big budget for marketing. Well, in that case, their communication and interpersonal skills do the job. You may ask the college administration for participation in their college event or offer a special training program that upgrades their students’ knowledge. You will be able to talk about your brand or products there while commutating with the students. The best part of this strategy is students don’t feel like things are being imposed.

Student ambassadors

Every group has a leader or at least a person who wants to be a chieftain. Student ambassadors are not leaders but they certainly work like that when you hand them the responsibility with some bucks. You can carefully select a few students based on their grades, personality, and popularity in the campus to represent and promote your brand within the college. This is kind of a college influencer marketing where you hire student ambassadors to create communities and connect with fellow students.

Out-of-home advertising

College students have a limited fund and many of them rely on part-time jobs and immediate openings. Therefore, you can’t always sell them directly especially when you have expensive products. It’s ideal to initiate marketing that focuses on awareness. Outdoor advertising is best to get your brand/products in front of students in high-traffic locations. You may set hoardings or posters near the locations where students pass and have a higher chance of noticing your ads. It is also a part of college influencer marketing.

Creating college marketing strategies can be tricky and time-consuming. Although there are many viable ideas available on the web you may explore but not all of them may work for your specific needs. While making a strategy for college marketing, it’s advised to keep the campaign student-centric and agreeable.