Keeping Prospective Students From Slipping Through The Stealth Sieve
Approximately 1/3 of college applications are the first contact a school has with a prospective student. These so-called “stealth” students prefer to do their own research independently for a number of interesting reasons. They rely on peers and third-party digital content to form opinions and decision criteria. With endless and sometimes conflicting student data, how do you ensure that they are getting the right information to properly evaluate your institution before they fall through the sieve?
Why do they stay under the radar?
“I didn’t want them to think I was stupid” responded one student when asked why he didn’t reach out to the school with his question. Finding and being accepted to a school of their choice is a high-stakes and highly competitive process.
Until they are confident of their path and their potential standing in the pool of applicants, many students would prefer to remain anonymous.
Students view the information gathering process in a completely different way than students of five years ago. Digitally weaned, searching a school’s online destination is as authentic a part of the college search process as calling and asking for a brochure.
Raised on sensory digital experiences, students don’t distinguish between human-to-human and digital-to-human connections. To them, digital interactions are just as intimate and personal as other kinds of interactions.
Students are seeking the authentic story of your school. Increasingly, they don’t trust institutional marketing to tell them the real story. They would rather scour the internet and trust a stranger than you. In fact, they trust user-generated content 50% more than other media and believe it’s 35% more memorable.
What can you do to ensure stealth students get the “real story”?
The traditional student funnel has dramatically changed. The first step is to create purposeful objectives for each of your on-line platforms, from website to Twitter and Instagram pages, and integrate them seamlessly. Together these are the cornerstone of your strategy. Make everything digital, sharable, and measure engagement.
Visiting the campus or having a one-on-one conversation with an admissions counselor is still a key recruitment process goal, but this newest generation expects these kinds of personal interactions and experiences on demand.
A picture is worth a 1,000 words and video content is worth more. People who view video tend to stay longer and are more likely to purchase. Give stealth students a reason to engage in the personal stories of those who live it. Personal video stories, whether emotional or insightful, can be as powerful as the human kind, so help students and faculty tell their stories. Empower them to describe their authentic, personal aspirations, challenges and triumphs, and to engage with potential students using peer-to-peer forums.
Give them something worth sharing. Two out three college-aged students share social experiences, and 93% told others about a brand experience they participated in. Create dynamic online experiences and interactive events that students will want to share. Let them amplify the people, experiences, and moments that define their institution.
Students have changed the recruitment process and institutions have to provide students with what they want, how they want it, and from whom they trust. How can you improve the level of engagement in your story? And maybe even encourage them to give you their contact information.
Resources:
https://www.noellevitz.com/documents/shared/Papers_and_Research/2010/E-Expectations_FocusingYourE-RecruitmentEfforts_0710.pdf
http://blog.crowdtap.it/2014/04/millennials-heart-ugc-infographic/
http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/live-events-are-king-getting-people-recommend-and-buy-brands-153740
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