How can I market to college students?
Reaching college-bound students is a process. To effectively market to college students, you first need to identify your target audience and create a persona. In fact, most institutions will have several personas: traditional students, transfers, non-credit students, adult learners, influencers and alumni. These audiences have different interests and spend time on different platforms which means your marketing strategy needs to pivot, depending on who you’re targeting.
Another thing to keep in mind is messaging and creative. Craft your message to each advertising platform and persona. Messaging for a 16-year-old high school student will look a lot different than for an adult learner.
Bottom line: When planning to market to college students the more targeted the messaging, the higher your chances of converting college bound prospects into students.
We at AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising have immersed ourselves in education marketing for over 40 years. Our high-ed specialists go beyond just providing marketing tactics — they’ll develop integrated marketing strategies and campaigns that help you connect with your prospective students and motivate them to act.
Rachael Holland, MBA
Rachael is a relationship builder, a keen listener and a strategic thinker with a proven track record of driving business growth. Here is how one client described Rachael. "She is smart, respectful, and listens to our direction and ideas. She uses her expertise to enhance plans by drawing on her knowledge and experience and communicating our vision to the rest of the AMPERAGE team." With an extensive background in higher education business development as well as earning her MBA, Rachael utilizes her growth mindset to formulate and implement growth strategies that drive expansion. She also oversees and optimizes marketing strategies for enhanced brand visibility. She has worked with many clients but has worked most closely with the Eastern Iowa Airport - CID, Kirkwood Community College, Cowley College, Southeastern Community College, Heartland Express and Iowa Health+. She has also presented at numerous conferences, including the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR), The Way Up and UNI PRSSA. Rachael is also a community leader including volunteering for the United Way, serving on the board for the Iowa Giving Crew and fundraising as part of the Leadership for Five Seasons class of 2023. Her role on the local Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association in Linn County grew out of personal experience. According to Rachael, "My mother survived a stroke 15 years ago, so I naturally became passionate about fundraising and educating communities about warning signs/symptoms of stroke and heart disease in women." Because of these kinds of personal passions, philanthropy and nonprofit work have become hallmarks of AMPERAGE's work and volunteerism. If you want a sample of Rachael’s thinking, click on the AMPERAGE Marketing AMPcast or an AMP Blog.
