Students are teaching enterprising marketers some valuable lessons about their future customers. Among them are several reasons why they are worth a slice of your offline and online marketing budget:
College students spend more than $200 billion annually and they can be extremely loyal to brands they love. That’s why it is critical to develop marketing campaigns that specifically target this demographic.
As you promote your company to college students, you should consider the following:
You should also guess when college students are likeliest to be scrolling, maybe between classes or before bed. Try promoting your content then.
When marketing to college students, your chances of success can be higher if you keep the below tips in mind:
The needs and buying habits of a student at a four-year university, for instance, will differ considerably from those of a student at a two-year college. Similarly, reaching students that live on campus requires different strategies than one might use to reach students who live off-campus. As such, decide what type of student you want to reach with your product or service before you begin marketing it.
College students are extremely media savvy. Their medium of choice, however, is definitely the internet. Modern-day college students grew up with the world wide web and spend hours at a time online studying, surfing the net and socializing with their friends. Smart marketers can not only to advertise to their young customers but interact with them, too. Create a well-designed website that appeals to the college demographic and link it to your social media profiles for maximum effect.
Enterprising marketers can literally decorate a college campus with their message. Use sidewalk chalk to create eye-catching ads on campus thoroughfares and post flyers on campus bulletin boards, where they’re sure to catch receptive students’ eyes.
Every college has a newspaper, and many have student-run TV stations and magazines. Advertising in them is both an inexpensive and an effective way to reach college students.
Lending your support and your money to on-campus events can get you valuable exposure within your target market and can also build your reputation as a student-friendly business.
Businesses often ignore – or even reject – their student customers. Companies that make an extra effort not only to accommodate college students, but to cater to them – with special student discounts, services, etc.– can therefore easily lay claim to their cash.
College students talk. A lot. Companies can, therefore, initiate a storm of free marketing just by giving them something exciting and inventive to talk about.
College students change addresses often, but love to get mail nonetheless. Direct mail, then, is an easy and effective way to get them excited about your company. Don’t neglect students’ email inboxes, though, as most students check their email at least once daily. [Check out our reviews of the best email marketing software.]
Additionally, according to The Pollack Group, another method of marketing to college students is by providing products and services that are affordable. Although college students are no strangers to splurging, they are also often on a tighter budget than most. Therefore, by marketing products and services that are affordable, they will be more likely to become a customer.
Moreover, by providing them with incentives, this will also make them more likely to shop with your company. For instance, if you provide college students with discounts, this can be a great way to attract new college customers and maintain existing ones. Additionally, you can also do things such as provide free trials or samples, which can also be a great way to attract college customers.
Also, by making your marketing efforts funny, this is an excellent method of making your marketing memorable in the minds of your potential college customers. If they find your ad to be especially hilarious, you have a greater chance of going viral. This would not only mean exposure to college students but to potential customers of all kinds.