Modern student marketing tactics to engage Gen Z
October 18, 2024, By David Kerman, Associate Director, Product Marketing
Capturing the attention of today’s teens is not for the faint of heart. Yes, Gen Z is online more than any other generation, but it’s also harder for colleges and universities to win an adequate amount of mindshare.
Fortunately, in the past year, Appily’s student marketing team has deployed several innovative strategies that have proven effective with this notoriously hard-to-reach generation. Here’s how we’re cutting through the noise—and how you can do the same.
Use influencers as a force for good
Gen Z is skeptical of conventional advertising. Having been bombarded with ads each and every day for most of their lives, they are now reaching adulthood in desperate search of truth. They question the motives of celebrities and big brands and, instead, seek advice from family, friends, and peers, who are far more likely to cut through the noise.
That behavior has paved the way for a generation that has built affinity with online influencers, individuals who have established themselves as experts in a particular subject and share that expertise with a community that they have built online. They speak honestly about their experience, provide insight and recommendations, and field questions from their community, which helps them build trust and a sense of authenticity among their followers. As Gen Z spends more time on social media – upwards of 4 hours a day in 2024 – it is no surprise that they are turning to influencers for guidance, with 69% of students trusting influencers over information that comes directly from a brand.
Appily has embraced this trend by adopting a robust influencer marketing strategy on platforms like TikTok and Instagram to amplify the value of going to college in a more relatable way. And it has paid off: since we started working with influencers in 2022, we measured a 162% increase in registrations on Appily.com that came directly from social media.
Tip #1
Build an arsenal of influencers who can promote your institution to prospective students. “Micro-influencers” – those who have between 1,000-10,000 followers – will not only be more affordable but will also have more passionate followers who are more likely to act. You might even find influencers among your current students!
What the Experience of First-Year Students Can Teach Us About Recruitment
Bring your brand to students’ living rooms with connected TV advertising
87% of U.S. households have a device that connects to the internet. Of course, these are often laptops or smartphones, but a growing share of households are also using smart TVs: televisions that connect to the internet and allow you to stream content without the need for a cable subscription. With 75% of Gen Z choosing to stream content more often than watching cable TV, streaming platforms are now prime opportunities for student engagement.
Connected TV (CTV) advertising allows you to promote a compelling video to targeted audiences through smart devices on platforms like Hulu and Roku TV. By launching your ads on smart devices rather than cable TV, you can reach “cord-cutters” (students and parents who have opted out of subscribing to cable TV) with precision targeting and track your ad’s performance in real time.
After launching a CTV advertising strategy of our own, we witnessed a 40% YOY increase in registrations on Appily.com after reaching 750,000 households that were tuning into NBC, CBS, Paramount+, NFL Network, MTV, and more.
Tip #2
Refine your audience segments for the best results. Most CTV platforms allow you to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, geographic location, and even viewing behavior. For college enrollment leaders, proper segmentation can maximize your campaign’s efficiency while increasing your likelihood of reaching high-intent, right-fit students.
Learn More About Appily’s Connected TV Strategy
Create hyper-personalized recruitment content
Today’s students are used to receiving hyper-personalized messages from big brands that they engage with everyday. Spotify delivers custom playlists based on the user’s listening habits. Netflix delivers a personalized homepage to every user with recommendations based on their viewing preferences and even the time of day.
Students now welcome – and expect – the same level of customization from colleges and universities. In a recent survey of Appily students, we found that 63% of respondents “almost always” or “often” explore a school further after receiving a customized message. At the same time, 50% “love it” when colleges use the students’ information to craft more personalized messages.
That’s why our marketing team has leaned in to personalizing the student experience at every turn. For example, Appily virtual tours use AI to bring relevant tour stops to the stop of the destination list based on interests the student has expressed. We are also leveraging insights about students’ unique goals and interests (captured from across Appily.com) to send them more personalized emails about their intended major, scholarships that might be a good match for them based on their interests, and more. And it’s working: creating more personalized experiences has not only grown our student audience, but it has also helped us facilitate inquiries that are 43% more likely to enroll.
Tip #3
Host niche events that speak to students’ specific goals and interests. For example, you can host a webinar for students interested in opportunities surrounding a particular major or who want to pursue a particular activity on campus.
Amplify Recruitment with Appily
Speak with an expert to learn more about Appily’s marketing tactics and how they make our student leads more likely to enroll.
David Kerman
Associate Director, Product Marketing
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