How Can Your Business Target Students Virtually?
September and October are usually the best times to target students at Fresher’s Fairs, Student Lock-Ins and Pop-Up Stalls on campuses. But due to the pandemic, many large scale fairs and events have been cancelled and a high number of students are remaining at home. Those opting to live in accommodation are likely to have a very different social experience this academic year.
Some businesses may find less of an influx of students this Autumn, specifically for those businesses situated in University towns and cities. However, there is a great silver lining! Students will be spending more time indoors learning virtually which also means more time online. Now is the perfect time to utilise Digital Marketing to reach the student demographic.
Why Target Students Virtually?
An April 2020 survey found that 98% of students regularly shop online rather than in-store. Taking into account this figure and the current circumstances, this academic year may be the best time to target students via email marketing, paid advertisement and organic posting. But what kind of content should you post and what are the best ways to reach students?
Email Marketing
It is easy to assume that the student demographic rarely utilise their emails, however, all University students have a personal email account which they will use to communicate with lecturers and fellow students. This email account is often used for verification to prove that they are a student and show which University they attend. So why not consider boosting your email marketing campaigns to reach students?
Paid Ads
Paid advertisement is brilliant as it can allow you to target a specific location and demographic. If your business is based in Leicester for example, you may want to target your ads to reach students in the neighbouring Universities, rather than students in all locations. Paid ads are great for awareness, so even if you have very few followers on your social media accounts, you can still reach a wider audience by utilising paid advertisement.
Organic Posting
If you want to get your posts noticed by the students already following you, then focus on your organic social media posts. Struggling for content? Students LOVE to see giveaways, discounts, competitions and freebies (if you know students, you know they can’t resist a freebie!). You can also incentivise students to share these offers with their friends to widen your audience even further. Be sure to include student specific offers in your organic social media posts to increase your student following.
If you need support with your Digital Marketing Strategy or want to train your team, you can contact us at Siren Search. We will be happy to help.
