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It can be overwhelming to consider putting together your own content strategy. It’s even more pressure to rely on your content to make an impact on your business goals. If your small business or nonprofit organization can’t afford to hire an experienced marketer, you might wonder how you’ll even get started.
What even IS a content strategy? It’s the intentional plan by which you create and distribute various pieces of content in specific places for your target audience. The key word here is intentional—it’s not a strategy if you are simply throwing things out to see what sticks! Try these steps for building an impactful content strategy for your organization.
1. Outline Your Content Goals
Before you can create a strategy, you need to identify, understand, and document your purpose. This is a major part of being intentional!
Some content marketing goals might be:
Increase brand awareness among your target audience
Increase inbound qualified leads
Position your business as a thought leader in your industry
Provide a value-added resource to your existing clients
I’m a fan of creating SMART goals. This means that each goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. For example, if you want to increase brand awareness, your goal might read like this. “By July 31, 2023, we will increase website pageviews by 5% by creating and publishing consistent content.” At this stage, you can’t exactly outline which content and on which platforms. But you can always go back and revise your goals after you build your strategy.
2. Reinforce Your Brand Foundation
Before you try to engage new and existing audiences, you have to prepare for the questions they will have. Who are you? What do you do? How long have you been around? Why should I care?
Review The 10 Commandments of Branding and, if necessary, reinforce your brand foundation. Make sure you have a clear and strong mission, vision, and values and if possible, write a brand story to guide your content creation. You also should create a brand style guide if you don’t already have one to ensure that you’re creating consistent and accurate content.
3. Identify Your Target Audience
You may think you know who your potential clients are, but it’s a good idea to do some research. Look into your current clients and identify commonalities between them. Are they all a specific type of business or in the same industry? Are your contacts around the same age range or at a specific job title? Ask yourself these and other questions to try and pinpoint your target audience.
Also look into your competition, if possible. Who are they currently working with? Who is their content speaking to? You shouldn’t copy their efforts, but some competitive research can help you formulate your own target audience.
Going one step further, create personas for different segments of your target audience. These personas are specific profiles of an imaginary person that fits into your demographics for each segment. Include each person’s pain points and why they would choose to use your business to solve them. Say your accounting firm has a persona for Carol, who is 45 and struggles with bookkeeping for her small business. You’ll have an easier time creating content that speaks directly to her pain points (and therefore, those of the people like her in your segment).
4. Decide on Content Formats
There are so many formats that you can use to publish content in today’s digital world. Will you write blog posts? Create YouTube videos? Share quick Instagram Reels or TikTok videos? Show vivid images of your work?
This is another area where competitive research can be helpful. Compare your business website and social media channels with others in your industry. You can even look into how they rank on Google and what keywords they’re using. You might find content voids where there is a great opportunity to share a specific type of content that isn’t currently being leveraged.
That said, make sure you are comfortable creating content in your chosen formats. If you can’t imagine getting in front of a camera, don’t say that you’re going to make selfie-style Instagram Reels. Instead, play to your strengths and consider formats that don’t require you to show your face all the time!
5. Select Distribution Platforms
Now that you’ve established who your target audience is, you need to find out where they hang out online. Your content strategy should include social media channels where your target audience is present! You also have to make sure you choose platforms you’re comfortable with. But only so many—if you spread yourself too thin trying to publish on every platform, it won’t end up well.
If you already have social media channels set up, now is a good time to evaluate how well they are working. It’s absolutely allowed to quit a social platform that isn’t giving you the results you need. Don’t waste your limited time on a platform that isn’t serving you!
6. Define Your Production Processes
It’s helpful to define your process for each content format you’ll be creating. Whether you’re a one-woman show or a team of 20, you need to document your process so that you can be consistent, save time, and be ready for others to assist you. (You might not be a one-woman show forever, and it will be much easier to bring on assistance if you already have your process documented.)
Different formats will have different processes for creation and publishing. For example, my video creation process is very different from my blog creation process. Similarly, the tools I use to schedule and publish blogs are different than the tools I use to schedule and publish social media. Take the time to figure out a process that works for you, write it down, and revise it as necessary if you figure out a better way to do things.
7. Decide on a Publishing Schedule
A publishing schedule is critical for holding yourself accountable and staying consistent. If you know that you publish a blog post every Tuesday, then on Friday you know you need to get cracking if you haven’t written one yet. (Although I highly recommend batching your content creation. This just means setting aside a block of time for creating a several pieces of content while you’re in the zone.)
Having a publishing schedule also helps you take advantage of holidays, special events in your industry, and other key dates. You’ll be able to match specific content with these dates and schedule it accordingly. And speaking of scheduling, take this time to research and select a scheduling tool that allows you to “set it and forget it.” You want to avoid having to manually post on certain days or at specific times if at all possible. I use Hootsuite to schedule my social media posts and WordPress to schedule blog posts in advance.
Even with a scheduling tool, you need to be realistic about the time you have to devote to content creation and publishing. Even with marketing tools to help automate your process, you’ll be spending a LOT of time on executing this strategy! It’s OK to start with publishing less frequently and work your way up to posting more often if you find that you have the time and resources to do so.
8. Develop Content Pillars and Subtopics
You’re getting into the fun part now! Having dedicated content topics that you focus on—also called content pillars—makes your creation so much easier. Have a brainstorming session to consider the major topics that you want to focus on.
Remember, these should be adding value to your current clients and target audience. Think about their pain points that you identified when you were building your personas. What are the major topics that someone would search for to help solve them? Smaller topics that relate to your content pillars are your subtopics, and there can be an infinite number of content pieces to discuss them.
You can also post other content, of course. We want to educate, inspire, and entertain our audience! So if you want to post a relatable meme on your social channel, go for it! You can also share content that humanizes your business, like behind the scenes videos or employee spotlights.
9. Create Pieces of Content
We’ve reached my favorite step! I love creating content to share—but that wasn’t always the case. I was nervous about sharing my thoughts and, in some cases, opinions with the world. This is totally understandable and normal! However, you have to take ownership of your expertise, skills, and experience and act like the expert you are.
Since you’ve already identified your content pillars and subtopics, you know where to start. Make a big list of content ideas, even if they are half-baked to start. You can flesh them out and assign them to specific formats and platforms as you go. (Side note: If you’re writing blog posts, I cannot recommend HemingwayApp enough. It is my essential tool for composing clear and readable content!)
Take advantage of research tools to find detailed information to back up your own thoughts. Scour recent headlines and search engine questions to get ideas for timely content in your industry. While current events are trending for a time, make sure you plan for evergreen content as well. This is content about your business or industry that doesn’t change—or at least rarely. These will be blog posts and graphics that you can refer and link to time after time.
You might also consider having guest content as well, especially on your blog. Invite a guest for an interview or even ask them to write a blog post that you can publish on your website. Or on social media, you can partner with another business in a related field within your industry. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, you can partner with a caterer and tag both companies on Instagram. You’ll gain more exposure to your shared target audience that way.
Remember to repurpose content for different formats and different formats! If you write a blog post, condense your main points and share in a TikTok video with a link to the post in the caption. Make a graphic for your Instagram that relates to the post. It’s OK to mix and match formats using the same content. Your audience is spread out among different platforms, so this will help you reach more people with the same ideas.
Once you start creating content, you want to set up a place to hold it all. Your content library can simply be organized into folders on your computer, saved in an organized Dropbox, or held in a Google drive. Whatever way you choose to save it, make sure it’s organized so that you can find things when you need to.
10. Publish, Engage, and Track
Now you can publish your content—yay! If you’re using a scheduling tool, this is effortless because you’ve already set it up. If you’re publishing manually, that’s OK too. However you need to do it, shake off the nerves and hit post!
Once you’ve sent your content out into the world, watch for engagement and respond accordingly. If someone leaves a comment, acknowledge them! Commenting can sometimes be just as scary as publishing in the first place. You’ll also encourage further engagement if people see that you’re interacting with them.
After your content has been posted for a bit, check the analytics that are built into each platform you’re using. You can check to see how many people viewed it, shared it, etc. This is valuable intel for you to see what kinds of topics and formats resonate with your audience. It’s also going to inform the measurement part of your content goals and the way you evaluate your success.
Eventually, you can perform a content audit on multiple pieces you’ve posted to get an overall view of what’s working best. You also should monitor trends with your competitors’ content for the same reason.
Get Started!
Now that you have a content strategy and a plan for content creation, it’s time to get started! If you need help along the way, feel free to reach out to me for advice and assistance. Happy creating!
If you’ve ever studied human psychology (and possibly even if you haven’t), you’ve heard of Carl Jung. He was a renowned psychologist whose work in the 1940s led to the development of personality archetypes. Jung believed that all humans could be categorized into one of these common “buckets” that are based on the dominant goals of each. As we look at his work, it almost seems like common sense. Of course there are commonalities among people, we encounter them every day. But the brilliance of his work lies in the strength of the archetypes and their ability to predict certain behavior based on the values tied to those dominant goals.
While it’s all very fascinating, modern marketers have applied his theories to common brand values, resulting in 12 brand archetypes. It completely geeks me out to think that someone came up with this brilliant twist on Jung’s work!
The idea behind brand archetypes is identical to Jung’s theories about human personalities. They are relatable at a subconscious level because they so clearly represent people—or in this case, brands—that we have all observed or interacted with. And because they are relatable, people feel like they know what to expect from them. This builds trust, and in turn, loyalty. And in the world of branding, loyalty equals dollar signs.
So how does it all work? Let’s take a look at the brand archetypes and their characteristics, and I’ll share some examples along the way.
Characteristics of the Brand Archetypes
There are 12 brand archetypes, but they can be categorized into four overarching types with similar goals. The Creator, the Ruler, and the Caregiver all aim to provide structure to people’s lives—albeit in different ways. The Innocent, the Sage, and the Explorer all relate to the spiritual side of people. The Outlaw, the Magician, and the Hero speak to people’s desire to leave a legacy. The Lover, the Jester, and the Everyman are all about connecting people to each other.
The descriptions below are amalgamated from many sources; however, you’ll find some of my own thoughts included!
The Creator has a vision that guides development of their products or services. They’re the early adopters that push the boundaries and think outside the box. They also encourage others to think creatively to solve problems. The most famous example of the Creator brand archetype is Apple. With their tagline of “Think Different,” the brand embodies the goal of innovation and creative expression.
The Ruler
Dominant goal: control
Adjectives: commanding, refined, trustworthy, articulate, confident, and yes—controlling
The Ruler embraces rules, especially the ones they make. They are strong leaders who will defend their position of power. It’s not surprising that Apple’s main competitor, Microsoft, is categorized as a Ruler. They have established themselves as the authority in every aspect of computer technology and have a reputation of being extremely trustworthy.
The Caregiver has a desire to help others. They have sparkling reputations as champions of those less fortunate or those who cannot care for themselves, like babies. As such, Pampers is a Caregiver brand. They are all about nurturing our most defenseless people and making their lives better.
The Innocent desires to do the right thing and bring goodwill to others. Their positive outlook and focus on spreading joy make them easy to embrace. My favorite brand, Coca-Cola, is an Innocent brand. Their branding is all about bringing people together and enjoying life. (Remember this great ad?)
The Sage believes that the truth will set you free. They don’t necessarily want to change the world themselves, but they’re happy to empower others to do so. They are acknowledged thought leaders who share information freely. TED (you know, like TED Talks) is a great example of the Sage archetype. They empower people to share their knowledge and make a difference in each others’ lives.
The Explorer wants to set off into uncharted territory and make great discoveries. They’re brave to leave the norm behind and are constantly chasing excitement. I want to be high class and say that National Geographic is a great example of the Explorer, but I really think of Jeep first. Their brand is all about getting outside the routine and having adventures.
While liberation and freedom are similar concepts, the Outlaw differs from the Explorer in that they actively seek to break the rules. The Outlaw can be off-putting to the masses, but they create a cult-like following with extremely loyal customers. Harley-Davidson is the most often cited example of the Outlaw.
The Magician wants to turn everyone’s dreams into reality. They live by their vision and often keep their knowledge to themselves to make it happen. Disney is the classic example of the Magician brand archetype. They focus on creating magical moments for their customers and transforming seemingly routine activities (going to the movies, taking a family vacation) into powerful experiences.
The Hero wants to make a difference and solve problems. They tend to see things in black and white, right and wrong, and they rise to meet challenges through hard work and determination. Nike embodies all these characteristics perfectly! Their emphasis on the hard work behind being a successful athlete—no matter your level—sets them apart from their competitors.
The Lover wants to be desirable and appeals to their audience through emotional and physical means. They represent an intimate connection, not necessarily sexual but definitely romantic. Some Lover brands are obvious, like Victoria’s Secret, but others are more subtle, like Chanel. Both brands emphasize a romantic view of life and suggest that their products will bring desire into your world.
We all know a Jester type—the class clown who loves being the center of attention and making people laugh. Similarly, Jester brands want to maintain playfulness and bring people together through fun. Strangely enough, Old Spice now embodies this brand archetype. (8-year-old me would never have thought my dad’s deodorant was fun…)
The Everyman is just one of the guys. They aren’t extreme in any way, but they strive to belong and be liked by everyone. It’s a tough archetype to be in because if there’s nothing special about you, people might forget you’re there. Ford is the embodiment of the Everyman, with their good ol’ boy marketing and their strong association with the lifestyle of the average American.
Determining Your Brand Archetype
You’ve probably already found that you relate to some of the archetypes above. Just be sure that your archetype aligns with your values and vision. Embracing these foundational aspects of your brand not only helps you differentiate from your competitors but also strengthens your relationship with your audience.
When your archetype is aligned with your target audience and their pain points, desires, and needs, you’re literally speaking their language. The archetypes allow us to move beyond a logical choice and impact our audience’s emotions. Once you dive deep into the feelings you want to induce, you’ll be able to find the archetype that fits.
But what if you relate to more than one archetype? That’s totally ok! But it is wise to choose one main archetype to relate your brand to, while using the secondary archetype to help build out your brand identity.
Building Your Brand Identity
Now that you’ve identified your brand archetype, you can get even more specific and create your brand identity. While most brands fit into one of the archetypes, your brand’s unique “personality” is what guides your interactions.
Although it might feel weird, giving your brand human characteristics is necessary for dialing in its identity. Think about a movie character based on your brand. What do they look like? How do they speak? What do they like or dislike? Each brand archetype has some typical adjectives associated with it, but dig even deeper. Don’t settle for surface-level descriptors.
If you can build out a full description of your brand’s human characteristics, you can build a profile that others can use. For example, if you’re hiring a copywriter to create content for your blog, you’ll be able to give them the inspiration for your brand identity so that they fully understand the brand’s voice. The same idea applies to social media managers, graphic designers… anyone who will be speaking on behalf of your brand.
I feel like I could go on analyzing brands and their archetypes forever, but I do have to sleep sometime! Give me a shout if you want to discuss your brand (or just wax on about the brands of the world).
Looking to develop your content strategy? You’re not alone. According to the Content Marketing Institute, only 40% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy. Around a third have a loose, undocumented strategy, and 27% have no strategy at all. Why does this matter?
Since the pandemic, content usage has increased by 207%. People are searching online every minute to find the answers to questions that your business can answer! Providing quality content to assist them is a key tactic to drive business. But you have to be intentional about what content you create, where you post it, and how you create it.
To help develop your content strategy, answer these 14 questions:
Identifying Your Target Audience
Who is my ideal client? Hopefully you have a current client who is just a dream to work with. But if you don’t, imagine what they would be like. Picture the field they work in and what their daily responsibilities include. Do some sleuthing online to see what these people likely care about when it comes to their work. (Or if you’re a B2C business, figure out the circumstances that would lead to them buying your product or service for their personal use.) You need to know as much as you can about your ideal client so that you know you are speaking their language.
Which of their pain points can I speak to? I separated this out from the above because it’s critical to understand how your business can solve your clients’ problems. A pain point is a problem that they are currently having, without an obvious solution. (Or maybe it is obvious and they just haven’t done it?) Once you know who you’re talking to and what problems you’re solving for them, you’ve got a path to start creating content.
How do I want my audience to view me? This should be an easy question to answer if you have been faithful to The 10 Commandments of Branding. If you have an established brand mission, vision, values, and voice, then you know how you want to be viewed. If you don’t… time to do some homework!
Planning and Creating Content
Why do I want to post about this? When you start creating content, this is a crucial question to ask yourself. Is this content really helpful, or do you just like talking about it? I mean, I’m a huge fan of pop punk music, but that doesn’t relate to marketing (or does it?) so I won’t be blogging about it. Make sure your content falls into one of these categories:
Educate—teaches your audience something new
Inspire—encourages your audience
Entertain—evokes emotion in your audience
Does this help position me as an expert? Continuing the above example, my love of My Chemical Romance isn’t going to paint me as an expert in marketing. Evaluate your content ideas and be sure that they relate to your business offerings. Showcase your expertise in your field, which you’ve gained over years of education and experience.
What pain point is this solving for my idea client? Not every piece of content have to solve one of your clients’ problems. But 80% of your content should fall in the “educate” category, so most of it should relate to something specific that they are struggling with. Consider those pain points you established above and think of content you can provide that eases the pain. A good tip I like to remember is to tell people WHAT they should do, but not always HOW they should do it. You should be providing value and helpful answers, but if you give away all your secrets they won’t need your business!
How can my content usher my audience through the sales funnel? You should create a wide variety of content that helps people at all the various stages of your sales funnel, including those who are already clients. Here’s a quirky little secret: instead of a funnel, I like to picture an onion. The outer layer is a little flaky, like the people who are just skimming to see what’s out there. They don’t really know what they’re doing, so you need to tell them what’s up. The next layer is a little bit thicker, for people who know what’s going on but aren’t ready to buy. They might have specific questions but aren’t in a position to engage with you directly. Even thicker is the next layer, for the people who know exactly what they need and are trying to identify the best option. This group needs proof of your expertise and signals that you are the right choice (case studies, testimonials, etc.). The thickest, innermost layer is for your current clients. Even though they are already buying from you, they can still learn new things and be inspired and entertained by your content.
What’s the best format for this content? If I tried to make this blog post as an Instagram reel instead, it would never work. There’s way too much detail. Conversely, if I tried to make a blog post out of an inspirational quote (which I typically post on Insta), it would be ridiculous. Take some time to flesh out your idea a bit and visualize what format fits best.
Choosing Publishing Platforms
Where does my audience spend their time online? Back to your ideal client—where do they hang out? Are they reading about the best fishing spots in North America? Are they watching makeup tutorials on YouTube? Are they scrolling through TikTok at 1am? The more you can find out about your audience’s habits and preferences, the better you can serve up your content in the way and location they want. (Not to mention that if they are searching for you, their go-to sources will be able to find you too.)
What platforms am I comfortable learning and using? It doesn’t matter if your audience spends all their time on TikTok if you’re not comfortable using it! (Can TikTok even be used for a business? Short answer: YES!) If you’re not already on the platforms that your audience prefers, check them out and see if you can understand them and get behind using them. If not, don’t include them in your strategy. (Or outsource… more on that below.) It’s also not important to be on every social media channel plus a blog plus a podcast… If you spread yourself too thin, it’s pointless anyway. Find out where your audience is, evaluate your comfort in using that format, and choose where you’re going to be.
Establishing Your Process
Where can I look for inspiration? Before you can create valuable content, you have to consume valuable content. This doesn’t mean you should look at your competitors’ blogs and rip them off. Great ideas can come from anywhere, especially other industries and entertainment sources. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, research fine art sources for inspiration. Or look within your industry at other vendors. Maybe a wedding cakery will inspire your next great Instagram post.
How much effort am I willing to put into my content strategy? Not gonna lie, this all takes a lot of time. If you’re new to creating graphics or writing blogs, there’s also a learning curve you’ll have to experience. How much time are you willing to invest in developing your content strategy and the tactical execution of your plan? Be realistic, because the best laid plans mean nothing if you can’t get the content published.
What tools can I afford to use? There’s a wide range of tools available for creating graphics, scheduling social media, posting blogs, even drafting content. Some are free, while others cost big bucks. How much can you invest in these tools to bring your strategy to life? Or can you outsource as a “tool” instead?
Should I consider outsourcing to a pro? According to the Content Marketing Institute, half of all marketers outsource at least some of their content creation. If this list is overwhelming to you and you don’t know where to begin, consider finding a marketer to partner with. Even if you can answer some of these questions but don’t have the time or resources to activate your strategy, reach out. You may find that it’s more cost effective (whether in terms of money or time) to outsource.
How strong is your customer loyalty? Do your customers return to you as soon as they need your services or products? Or do they shop around for the lowest price or most convenient path?
If you know me at all, you know that I am a Coca-Cola fanatic. I will not drink Pepsi. If a restaurant doesn’t serve Coke, I drink water. But a little-known fact about me is that I used to drink Pepsi! When I was in high school, there were only Pepsi machines around the campus and I was fine substituting while on campus.
Since then, I’ve been choosing to drink Coke. I’ve convinced myself that anything less is just worthless (even Coke Zero). Psychologically, I just know that Coke is the best. What led to me becoming so loyal to Coke?
Short answer: consistency.
Using Consistency to Build Customer Loyalty
The secret to building customer loyalty is being consistent. Not just in any one area, but in ALL touchpoints.
1. Visual branding
Coca-Cola was the most common consistency example cited in my printing classes. It’s the brand that was always used to emphasize the importance of reproducing an exact color on any and every substrate. From cardboard boxes to magazine ads to aluminum cans, Coke red is always consistent. They even had their own PMS color created just for them!
Beyond the color, Coke has had the same font for their logo since 1886. It’s been tweaked slightly over the years, but the script has remained largely the same for almost 140 years. This type of consistency means that the image is instantly recognizable to consumers.
2. Brand Reputation and Values
Reputation is difficult to control in a lot of ways. It’s the expression of what a collective thinking is about your brand, and it can be incredibly challenging to change a bad reputation. However, reputation is strongly tied to your brand’s values.
Continuing the Coke example, their values include bringing people together. Ads are always about sharing a Coke with someone and use emotional marketing to resonate with consumers. The name campaign (where they printed names on bottles) was an innovative way to encourage people to buy and share Coke. Yet it fit right into their desire to bring people together.
When people know what you stand for and you’re consistent about representing your brand, they’re more likely to feel good about supporting you.
3. Product or Service Quality
No matter where you travel in the world, you can find a Coke. It’s always refreshing and always delicious!
This is not to say that it’s the same formula everywhere you go. Just like McDonald’s has different menu items to better serve customers in other cultures and countries, Coke has slight differences depending on where you go. (For example, Mexican Coke is renowned for its use of real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.)
But the point remains that, regional differences aside, you always know what to expect. I can buy a Coke at my local grocery store and get the same taste as I’d get from a gas station in Colorado. That’s consistency, and the guarantee of getting what I want every single time has cemented my customer loyalty.
Products aren’t the only thing that can be consistent. Service providers should also strive for consistent quality through every experience. If your maid service is sometimes fantastic and other times lackluster, you’re more likely to explore other options. But if they’re on top of things every single time they visit, you’ll be so happy that you’ll have no need to see what else is out there.
4. Product Placement
If your company is a B2C business serving consumers, you need to be consistent in where they can find you. I know that I can go into pretty much any retail establishment in the United States and find a Coke. Even if you’re a niche business that crafts vegan hemp dog collars, you should have your product always available where your customers expect you. If you sell on your website, you’d better make sure your site doesn’t go down. If you sell at a retailer, you should have a stocking schedule that allows for representation. Nothing is more disappointing than expecting to get what you want and having it be unavailable.
5. Customer Experience
This is your area to shine! The experience is paramount to building customer loyalty. Consider your buyer’s journey and the decisions they make that lead them to your product or service. Then look at every touchpoint between the decision to purchase and the transaction being complete. Have you provided excellent service? Have you delighted the customer with little details? Do these things every time and for every interaction, and you’ll have a customer for life.
When people know what to expect and know they’ll get it every time, you’ll build a loyal following who call you first when they need you. Better yet, you’re their ONLY call because nothing else compares. Build customer loyalty with consistency and you’ll win every time!
This guest post was written by Sadie Aram for Silverbrook Marketing.
The United States is home to over 4,000 higher education institutions, and each one is competing for the attention of prospective students. If that doesn’t produce enough stress already, college enrollment numbers have been on a decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, it’s important for higher education marketing teams to implement engaging and effective campaigns to reach future attendees. If you’re struggling to spread the word about what your school has to offer, make sure you have these four strategies in your marketing plan.
1. Personalize the experience.
Use emotional marketing to connect with potential students. They will be better able to see themselves at a school that recognizes and addresses their unique needs. Tailor your message to specific groups based on marketing personas developed from existing demographic data. A persona is a semi-fictional description of your ideal candidate that can help you envision the audience you’re appealing to. It can look something like this:
“Alexis is a 19-year-old high school senior. She is a section leader for the marching band and excels in her honors classes. She hopes to pursue a career in engineering when she is older. Alexis values a strong community and hopes to have security in her adult life.”
Each student has a different motive for pursuing higher education, so your institution should develop multiple personas appealing to small groups with like interests. For example, you wouldn’t market to a high school student the same way you would market to a mother looking to further her education.
2. Spotlight success.
College is no small commitment to make, so students want to get a glimpse of what’s waiting for them. Showcase student, faculty, and alumni achievement to demonstrate to prospective students the influence that their education could have on their future.
Showcasing success doesn’t require someone to be the next Albert Einstein or Brad Pitt. Are professors conducting innovative research? Are alumni holding impressive positions at high-profile companies? Are student organizations making an impact on the world? These are all feats to celebrate, and they could be strong factors in someone’s decision to choose your school.
And don’t stop at academic success! Any achievement—whether in athletics, art, entertainment, etc.—is a great way to spotlight your institution in a positive way.
3. Highlight the numbers.
When making critical decisions, we tend to rely on data evidence to inform our choices. Numbers help prove the effectiveness of your institution in a tangible way. Data reinforces your school’s success, and numbers are easier to consume than a chunk of text that portrays the same information.
Does your college have an impressive selection of majors and minors? A high freshman retention rate? A small student-to-professor ratio? Don’t be afraid to brag and show them off! Have general facts and figures easily accessible as well, such as total number of students, price of tuition, and average test scores of admitted students.
4. Adopt a digital-focused approach.
Most of today’s students belong to Generation Z, a group characterized by more digital media usage than ever before. Establishing a space for your institution in the digital world is a foolproof strategy for grabbing your audience’s attention. Here are a few ways to do so:
Build a responsive website: Your website is often the first place students will look for more information about your school. Additionally, over half of internet traffic comes from mobile devices. Because of this, be sure that your website is well-organized and mobile-friendly. Make requesting more information easy and use your website as a gateway for your other digital platforms.
Improve SEO: Most people rely on search engines like Google to find the information they need. However, 75% of Google users don’t click past the first page of results, so search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial to your digital success. You can bolster your SEO rankings by producing a variety of content and researching the best keywords to incorporate, but this is a highly technical field. The best results often come from the help of an expert.
Email with intention: Students prefer email over direct mail, but you don’t want to end up in their spam folder. Remember to personalize your messages to peak your reader’s interest. You can streamline this process by using email automation software like Constant Contact or Mailchimp.
Stay active on social media: A recent study showed that 94% of Gen Z use social media, so it’s a no-brainer that you should, too. Be sure you’re frequently posting consistent content to entice your audience. Consider posting various formats and subjects, including photos of campus, infographics, videos, and live streams.
Leverage user-generated content: Amplifying images, videos, reviews, and other assets created by your followers is a great way to influence potential students. Having many different viewpoints from your connections gives your brand an authentic presence and gives students an exclusive look into the university lifestyle.
What do you think? Have you tried these strategies? Are there any that I missed? We’d love to hear from you!
