With a new school year kicking off, there are college students in need of products and services. Although college students might not be cash cows, they are still worth the marketing effort because chances are they (or someone they know) might need what your business offers. Get schooled in marketing to college students with these quick tips!
Marketing 101: The College Crowd
Be Personable: College students are some of the busiest folks around, so they’re likely to sniff out phoniness from a mile away. With the rising use of social media apps that encourage and support near constant engagement with others, the best marketing efforts for students involve simple and authentic communication tactics. Consider creating an account on a social media platform such as Twitter or Instagram to boost business with the college crowd.
Timing Is Everything: Offering a fantastic deal to cash-strapped college students can be an efficient way drive traffic to your small business and boost sales. However, if an entire college campus is being driven to the library or study hall because final exams are approaching, even the best deals could go unclaimed. Be sure to check the academic calendars of schools in your area to know when students are more likely to be hitting the books.
SWAG: The idea of SWAG is simple – Stuff We All Get. If your small business is hoping to increase marketing efforts towards students, be sure to get your company known with fun promotional materials. If there’s anything every college student can agree on, it’s receiving anything for free. Sunglasses, pens and notebooks are great staple items that you can customize for your small business while ensuring students don’t immediately throw them away.
The new semesters are just kicking off at colleges, so take these tips and put them to work before finals week arrives and students go into studying hibernation mode. Promotional materials that offer use to the college crowd can help spread the word about your business, raising its brand awareness and name recognition, and may lead to an increase traffic or sales. What kind of marketing strategies have you found successful for college students? Let us know in the comments!
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