92% of marketers using video say it’s an important part of their marketing strategy. (Wyzowl)
There are hundreds of companies generating countless reports on this topic - and while none of them are saying exactly the same thing, the common theme is that video is a powerful tactic. But 1) why is it so important? 2) How does any of this relate to student recruitment and 3) where do I even start with video marketing? Let's dive in.
Whether we’re looking at traditional undergraduate, transfer, or graduate audiences, 2020 has brought an obvious shift in how students navigate the college search process. An inability to visit campuses physically or meet with constituents in-person has driven us all to the world wide web. We’re now working in a primarily digital space, which, thankfully, coincides nicely with pre-existing Gen Z behaviors (as the video-first generation).
In short, your prospective students are online all. day. long. So your content needs to stand out, speak to them, and...move them to action.
Supplement your student recruitment strategies with videos to ensure you’re:
So now you might be asking, where do I even get started with video marketing? So glad you asked! Follow these six steps and you’ll be on your way to the student recruitment video Oscars.
For some recruitment teams, this question is really “what’s your budget?” If you prefer to start with a dollar amount and work your way back, check out the breakdown below.
Another way to identify your desired production quality — if you can afford to — is to ask, “what approach aligns well with our brand strategy?”
You know your audience — so who do they really want to hear from? It’s best to match up the objective of the video with spokespeople who can really deliver on that value.
Open to suggestions? In no particular order, here are some ideas for leading roles:
It’s not peer pressure; it’s peer encouragement! Hearing what real-life students have to say about your programs can help get buy-in from prospective students who crave a sense of belonging. With parents and families often weighing in on the decision due to the level of investment, the perspective of someone currently going through the process can cut through the noise and give prospects an opportunity to relate to others.
Not only does including professors in a video prove to the students that their future teachers are eager to welcome and help them, but it also combats the current controversy on whether higher education is worth it or not. Reassure students that they have experts who are dedicated to sharing their knowledge with them so that they don’t have to figure it out alone. Could be a very powerful message right now.
Important messages resonate most when they come from powerful positions. Presidents, deans, and provosts are charged with overseeing progress, positive improvements, outcomes, and the general impact their programs have on student and community successes.
The transitions from high school to college, undergrad to grad, working full-time then going back to school, etc. can be incredibly overwhelming. A human support system is just what the doctor ordered for students who value relationships and recognition. Let them know they’ll be set up for success and show them the real people who will help guide them along the way.
Prove that your program works with success stories from young and/or esteemed alumni. Chances are the selected alumni will feel “seen” and gladly take you up on an offer to promote your mission. Make sure to work with your Advancement team on this initiative so you can also get credit for being a true team player!
If one person or team just doesn’t do the trick to meet your objective, perhaps a more collaborative approach will work. If you can swing getting multiple parties involved in this production, go for it. Make sure you have a vision set before you rope them in, though, because you can run the risk of too many cats on the campus. Cooks in the kitchen? You get it.
Bonus points if you’re spearheading this initiative from start to finish. It takes guts and glamour, and we salute you. Follow your script or speak from the heart; whatever makes you feel most comfortable. To be safe, share it with a colleague before sending it along to make sure it passes as helpful/appropriate. There’s nothing like an awkward video of you getting forwarded for all the wrong reasons.
If you can somehow pull off an endorsement from Oprah, you’re looking at potential video virality here. Maybe you have famous people in your alumni or major donor lists. If this is the case, it doesn’t hurt to ask for their help in spreading the good word about your school. Don’t put all your eggs in this basket, though. It’s probably not a sustainable approach!
Depending on who you’re trying to reach, you’ll want to figure out where your amazing new video will gain the most traction. Use whatever data you have available to tap into your prospective students’ preferred medium. If you don’t know, you’re going to guess, and that’s okay. The worst thing you can do is create something and have it sit in a file folder on your college’s intranet for no one to ever experience.
Step 5: Publish your video and promote it
It’s worth repeating this point from Step 4: Do not let your video sit and collect dust! Videos need to be seen (just like your spoiled cousin, Pierre).
Get your recipient list ready, give your clever captioning a final proofreading, and…hit “send”!
Did prospective students watch it? Did they like it? Is it helping augment your other content strategy initiatives? There are a lot of ways to figure out whether your video campaign is worth rinsing and repeating.
The folks at HubSpot did a nice, thorough rundown of metrics that matter when it comes to evaluating video performance, including some of the following that we feel speak directly to our enrollment marketing friends:
If you included any sort of action item either in your video or in the context surrounding it (maybe in your email), did people actually take the bait? This is especially important for videos that have a super relevant “next step” involved — like tutorials. “Ready to fill out that FAFSA form? Click here to get started.” If your click-through rate (CTR) is low, it could be because your directions were unclear or the placement of the call to action (CTA) could use some tweaking.
Some people post just to post. To get as many impressions as they can. To see what happens. But I think the best videos and content create engagement. Are students asking questions? Are they sharing? Are they commenting with silly emojis? All of that factors into how much more your video is seen AND helps give you a sense of how it’s making them feel. If you’re getting a lot of ‘heart’ reactions and comments like ‘yaaaas’, you’ve created something fridge-worthy. If you’re getting a lot of ‘angry faces’ or comments like ‘this sucks’ — move onto the next section below!
Yes, it’s wise to think about what would offend anyone prior to creating and sharing your video, but mistakes happen. And many times it isn’t a matter of offensive content as much as it is misinterpretation on the audience’s end. With any negative feedback you receive, the best and first thing to do is address it immediately and diplomatically. Then, the only thing left is to learn from it.
If you’ve got this video synced up as part of a larger campaign, there’s nothing more gratifying than seeing students take that next step in the process after they viewed it. This is popular with social ads—students watching your video on Instagram, clicking through to the landing page, and submitting their information to learn more about your school or program.
Think of people who watch your videos in their entirety as your fans! They must have found some sort of value in what you were sharing, so don’t be afraid to continue nurturing them. These students could be entered into a specific segment to receive additional content so you can continue tracking your video’s influence. Knowing who these students are could also lead to helpful customer profiling so you know which traits to look for next!
PHEW.
With all the thought and effort you put into following these steps (even if it was just a tiny bit of work) the worst thing that can happen is that you fail well. You were informed, strategic, and intentional with your approach. Between you and us, failing isn’t always super fun, so we’ll be over here cheering you on to be wildly successful! And if you need more help, send us a note and we’ll give you a hand with brainstorming ideas or analyzing what went wrong.