Sponsored by Unibuddy
The last two years have been a rollercoaster ride. It’s been unexpected, it’s been fast, and it’s been unpredictable. Today, as you start to regain your balance and look forward to the year ahead, the time has come to accept a new era for higher education. Connection matters now more than ever, and it’s paramount to approach authenticity in a new light.
What do students need? How can you attract and engage them, and how can you incorporate that into your marketing efforts? You may want to go back to the way things were before the pandemic, or you may be the person championing change at your institution. Regardless of what side you’re on, one thing remains the same, authenticity is critical for any successful student recruitment campaign.
Understanding we need to be authentic is no secret; the challenge is understanding what it means to be authentic and effectively achieving authenticity at scale.
We’ve seen many tried and failed marketing strategies claiming authenticity in student outreach. Yes, they understand what Gen Z wants and have researched how to appeal to them, but they’ve forgotten a key factor; authenticity comes from the students themselves rather than “creative” marketing strategies.
With more than 15 million messages exchanged on our peer-to-peer platform, we know what prospective students consider before making a decision. Our insights show us students care about what their peers have to say. Whether they’re asking questions about courses, fees, or non-academic topics like social life and mental health support, we can see that prospective students are interested in hearing exactly how current students interested in hearing directly from current students about how they're enjoying their college or university experience." In addition, they want to understand the experiences of those students to evaluate whether or not your institution is the right fit for them.
As you’ve seen, technology has played a massive part not only when it comes to learning but also when it comes to recruitment. Student-to-student marketing is not to be underestimated in its ability to recruit and retain. Never before has it been more important for the higher education sector to embrace technology and see it as a friend, not a foe.
Your institution is probably going back and forth on how to maintain a hybrid program—what to keep and let go of in 2022. We’ve seen some institutions decide that technology has been a huge benefit for them and opt to go beyond Zoom to invest in new hyflex technologies. Some are considering virtual teaching and even the metaverse. Others prefer to stick to the traditional approach and are urging all students and staff to return to campus and return to a pre-pandemic style of teaching and recruitment.
Changing the Approach
So, what is the right approach? The truth is: we couldn’t tell you. What we do know is that the student recruitment journey is changing, and it’s changing fast.
Students are much more proactive with their approach and rely heavily on technology to support their decision-making. Whether it's by looking at your website, social media, or attending an online event, students (and not just Gen Z) expect to use technology to connect and inform themselves on your institution. They’re so accustomed to technology being the norm that it’s not something they think about or applaud; it’s simply what’s expected.
Instant communication is the MO for your audience, and when it comes to authenticity, innovative student recruitment teams amplify their marketing reach using the student-the-student relationship. It’s particularly important for international students who have no idea what moving across the world to study at your institution may be like. They rely on another student’s experience to assess what their own may be like and consider what they can expect. No prospectus, beautifully designed website, staff interaction, or social media posts can be as authentic as hearing it from a peer.
It’s the reason Unibuddy was created: to allow students to connect and interact with each other when it comes to making that tough decision of where to study. We’re living in a new era of higher education and invite our community of higher ed marketers and recruiters to embrace that and be a part of changing the student recruitment journey.
Authenticity in student recruitment is no longer about being “real” or coming across as “honest” in your marketing strategies. Instead, it’s about allowing students to experience a genuine connection. It’s about enabling them to share and learn from each other’s experiences. It’s the student voice that makes an interaction authentic.