While high school students are receiving more attention lately, college students are still one of the most influential and profitable consumer groups. Businesses have given large amounts of time and money to understand the behavior in hopes of capturing the attentions and wallets of this group. College students are exposed to over 3,000 advertisements a day, according to business.com. Therefore, it is more crucial than ever to differentiate your message in order to engage with this valuable consumer. The most effective brands are able to overcome this saturated market through building creative and out-of-the-box strategies. Here are some examples of unique ways to capture college students’ attention:
- Throw a party
Although we do live in a digital world and a lot of communication occurs online, there are still plenty of opportunities to connect with college students face-to-face. Since many brands don’t place as much emphasis on physical advertising, it is easy to break through the mold by offering a get-together. One of the best ways to do this with college students is by hosting a party. Pick a venue (either on or off campus) and a theme that will attract them and you will be sure to create a buzz on campus. This is also an opportunity to converse with your target market directly, talk about your product, and have college students put your product to use. Additionally, this can serve as a way to increase the value of your current customers.
- Host a giveaway
If there’s one thing guaranteed to capture a college student’s attention, it is the promise of free stuff. For a small investment, your brand can connect with a bunch of potential customers and create long-lasting relationships by hosting a giveaway. Have your customers increase their chances by encouraging them to share the giveaway with their Facebook friends and/or follow your business on social media. Tailor your prizes to what’s new and trending for college students. Although not everyone will be walking away with a brand new gadget, it is still an effective way to bring awareness to your brand.
- Run a competition
College students are usually a competitive crowd. Hosting a contest is a great way to capitalize on their affection towards winning. Make all entrants submit a video or a story talking about their positive experience with your product. Not only will you get college students talking about your product, but you will also have at your disposal a ton of reusable, applicable content that you can publish on all of your marketing channels.
- Talk to them
The marketing landscape is constantly changing and there is no way to make entirely every strategy future-proof. The best marketers are able to stay on top of their game by understanding and learning from their audience. This means always engaging in conversations with college students. The best ways to do this is through surveys, hiring college brand ambassadors, social media interactions, or even getting on the phone with them. This is the best way to get feedback about current strategies and stay in tune with what’s trendy and what’s not for college students.
