Advertising is widely thought as the engine of commerce, but each engine needs a direction. And it is the determining of the target audience that will help choose the right direction in advertising and the further development of the online store.
One of the most effective niches among the target audience is occupied by college students. The main mistake of marketers was often an erroneous opinion about the role of students and their purchasing power. After all, regardless of the fact that students are a segment of young people who are not yet able to earn a lot of money, they are really spending a lot. A paradox, but it’s true. However, it is important to understand what exactly can attract their attention, because they usually do not spend a lot of money on food, but try to spend everything on the latest technology and the latest trends in clothing.
The Pro-Papers experts decided to give some essential tips on how to attract a high-quality student audience and, most importantly, how to keep their attention.
The target audience of students often remains undervalued in the field of marketing. But in fact, the students themselves, without realizing it, force marketing to adapt to them, thereby teaching even the most experienced marketers the latest trends in this field. “Every year more than 16 million students spend more than 230 billion. Those numbers not included spending on various educational services such as custom term paper writing service. And this is only an indicator of the United States”, says Ian Scoffield, leading Pro-Papers expert in marketing. “As you can see, the student target audience is worth trying to find the right approach to it”, assures Ian. The first thing you need to know about students is that they are like a clean slate.
This is the moment when, separated from the family, from everything that has surrounded them all their lives, which influenced their worldview, they come to study at the college. Here they begin to look for themselves, try something new, learn new technologies, trends. Now their senior fellow students, those who have already passed this path, are an example for them. They will buy what is fashionable among senior students, will wear what they wear and even make purchases where older students buy. For them, the main thing now is to make and buy something that is completely opposite to their previous lifestyle and experienced marketers should be able to use it.
Students are always in favor of a high-profile brand with a strong topic idea
What young people learn while they are in college is to stand for the idea. Your brand should not be empty, without meaning. It should be loud, relevant, affecting some problem in the student society.
The peculiarity of the student community is imitation
As already mentioned, the peculiarity of student youth lies in the desire to imitate each other. Since students spend most of their free time on campus, all consumer trends are formed there. Everything from the bathroom to the wardrobe, becomes the subject of imitation. Therefore, do not try to cover advertising each student. All you need is to interest at least a few of those who are leveled at, and everyone will automatically find out about your product.
They are standing customers of social networks
It is difficult to find a person in our time, who would not be familiar with digital technology and did not spend his/her time in social networks. And it can be said about students. Another question is the choice of social networks for advertising. Remembering that students are trying with all their might to break away from everything that surrounded their homes, they try to avoid meeting their parents on social networks. That’s why less known or popular social networks are used. In such social networks, the advertising infrastructure is less developed, which makes this segment still more attractive for both students and marketers.
Brands are everything for students
Breaking away from a habitual way of life, students try new brands and for the first time choose what they want, rather than what is more practical, more convenient, more profitable, as in the situation with their parents. This is a wonderful chance for brands, because students actually spend more money on brand purchases than their peers who are not college students, which makes them the most desirable consumers and buyers.
Not all students are created equal
It is important to remember that each category of students, however, needs a new strategy. The approach to the senior year student will differ from the approach to students who have just entered, respectively, the approach to students living outside the university will be different from the approach to those who live on the territory of the campus. Therefore, before you start planning a strategy to attract students, determine the category of students.
Having learned more about the characteristics of students as a target audience, it is worthwhile to briefly consider the main practical ways to attract them.
Online advertising
Students are experienced Internet users. Just try not to promote advertising, but interact with students. Think over and create an effective website for this purpose that will be interesting to everyone, be sure to include your contacts in social networks.
Campus Advertising
Try to approach this in original, creative way so that the advertisement is unobtrusive, but memorable.
University media
University newspapers, TV, radio – a great way. It is important to find out at what time advertising on the radio will be most effective for a given target audience, and success is guaranteed.
Student parties
This is something that can catch any category of students. Become a sponsor of student activities and everyone at the university will learn about you.
Mailing
Mailing lists are a great way to advertise your product. Approach this creatively, write both electronic and paper letters (the latter will certainly surprise students), focus on individual contact.
