Content Marketing Tips for Higher Ed
Higher ed content marketing is no easy feat. Attracting students to your college or university is challenging because the competition is steeper than ever. Developing a robust marketing strategy that marries modern digital platforms with traditional channels can help generate interest in your institution. When it comes to engaging with prospective students, content marketing is king. Following are helpful tips for developing dynamic content for higher ed marketing.
Four Content Marketing Tips for Colleges and Universities
#1 Understand the Need for Great SEO
Today’s students rely heavily on search engines—especially when they investigate higher ed institutions and degree programs. Ranking well on search engines is particularly important when attracting prospective students from Gen Z and Gen Alpha. All of your institution’s web pages should be optimized, have relevant tags and keywords, and contain original content. Additionally, maintaining a regularly updated blog is critical for ranking well among leading search engines like Google, Duck Duck Go, and Yahoo.
#2 Know Your Audience
Your institution’s ideal audience is going to be diverse. Not only are you trying to attract students for different academic majors and degree programs, your students will also belong to a mixture of age groups. It is critical to understand the personas of people who will peruse your website, read direct mail pieces, and view social media content. Incoming undergrads will belong to diverse ethnic, religious, and regional communities while returning students and graduate level scholars will belong to older demographics. These personas can also be further segmented to special interests and sociological ideologies.
Developing a thorough understanding of your audience and its various personas will help guide your content marketing in the future. Advanced technology can also make it possible to personalize your content to specific segments of your audience both digitally and in print. For example, direct mail campaigns and e-mail blasts can be tailored to audiences segmented by area of study, age groups, genders, and so much more.
#3 Develop A Content Marketing Plan
Effective content marketing involves careful planning and research. From delving into what topics actually pique the interests of students to producing a content calendar that ensures you have regular content for prospective students to engage with; planning is the backbone of any great content strategy.
#4 Emphasize Storytelling
One of the most compelling forms of content is storytelling. This content form resonates with diverse audiences because it is authentic and engaging. Storytelling can involve testimonials from current and former students, narratives on research breakthroughs, and faculty profiles. Emphasizing storytelling can also help sell the experience your institution offers. Experiences are compelling to Gen Z and Gen Alpha who are looking for ways to explore interpersonal growth, develop social skills, network, and align with like-minded individuals over shared interests and passions.
What makes storytelling especially beneficial to your content strategy is that it is powerful across many mediums including direct mail campaigns, blogs, course catalogs, podcasts, social media posts, and videos.
Pel Hughes is a family-owned full-service printing company that offers direct mail, cross media marketing, database services, and campaign automation. We work with universities and colleges throughout the United States. Check out our website and blog to learn more about how we can help you produce an enticing content marketing strategy.
