Marketing to College Students

Tailor a marketing campaign for college students to sell your product
By Shannon Tani It's not easy to create a marketing campaign for university students. There are many different factors that you have to consider which affect the way that college students spend their money. Most important is that they don't often have a lot of money to spend.

Before you spend money advertising to university demographic, make sure you do research that shows you have a product that college students want. This will make a big difference in the success of your campaign.

Some factors to consider when marketing to college students:

1. College students like things that are cheap or free. This isn't always a good thing when you create a marketing campaign for university demographic. However, you can still be successful with the right product.

2. Word of mouth advertising is important. College students don't trust marketers. They trust their friends. If possible, find a way to work word of mouth into your marketing campaign for college students.

3. If you do have a more expensive product, play to their desires when marketing to university kids. Many students will pay high prices for electronic goods or travel packages, among other things.

Talk to a marketing firm to create a marketing campaign for university kids

Marketing to college students isn't as easy as it may seem. Simply putting an ad in student publications probably won't get you very far. Instead, speak with firms that understand the college market for advice on getting started.
Try:  Sundog has experience working with the college market and can design a campaign for radio, television or the Internet. Campus Party works exclusively with the college market and can help you with direct mailings or fliers to hand out at campuses.

Host a party as part of a marketing campaign for university students

College students like free things and once you give them something that they want, they are more likely to support your company. Giving something away creates a sense of obligation. Hosting or sponsoring a party or event on campus is a great way to get your product out there.
Try:  Pro Motion helps you sponsor events to make your product known. SponsorAnything is another great resource if you want to become a sponsor. They match sponsors with events that need sponsoring, including college events. You may also want to speak directly to the event-planning department if there is a special college that you are interested in.

Hire students for marketing to college kids

Since word of mouth advertising is so popular among college students, many companies are starting to hire student ambassadors to help spread the word about their product. These ambassadors can hand out samples, talk the product up and even make sure that campus newspapers and magazines mention it in their articles. This is a great way to build buzz.
Try:  RepNation helps facilitate on-campus word of mouth advertising. You can view potential reps online. Alternatively, recruit your own brand ambassadors through a website that focuses on college students, such as CollegeHelpers.com.

• College students are notoriously finicky about advertising. They don't trust many traditional forms of advertising. Incorporate alternative methods into your advertising campaign for university audience, such as guerrilla marketing tactics.