Marketing to Students in the Digital Age

Transcription

1 Marketing to Students in the Digital Age Facebook Survey Results on What Prospective Students Want and Expect from College Admissions Marketing Background and Purpose This research study was conducted by college students participating in the BU AdLab program on behalf of Flimp Media Inc. as the sponsor company. Flimp wanted to learn how prospective college students want to obtain program information from colleges and universities as well as what kinds of information students want to know about the schools they are applying to. Research was conducted through a voluntary survey on Facebook.com. Flimp Media Inc. ( is a rich media marketing Technology Company that enables university marketers and communicators to create, distribute, and track audiovisual and web marketing campaigns for students and alumni without requiring programming or technical skills. Research Survey Objectives The survey research was conducted to better understand student preferences, input, and opinions regarding current college/university admissions marketing channels, methods and content and to gauge student interest in web video marketing as a new marketing application. Understand how students want to receive/access information about colleges. Understand what information is important to students when researching colleges. Identify what information is already available through college marketing. Identify what information is missing from college marketing that is important to students. Gather prospective student s insight about online video marketing and identify what video content would be beneficial in college marketing. Research Methodology Quantitative Research Ten Question Survey given to Facebook participants A simple 10-question survey was made available to high school and college age students through Facebook.com. The survey collected data about students, marketing channels, and opinions about current college marketing practices and content used for admissions. See Facebook Survey. Included among the survey questions: 1. When applying to schools or higher education programs how do you prefer receiving information? 2. When researching for schools or higher education programs what type of information is most appealing? 3. When researching college programs what type of content information is NOT featured well enough through the schools or programs website and you would like to see more of? 4. What kind of content/information would you like to see featured through an online video clip? Target Audience Description Today s College Applicants are looking for a wide range of information about colleges encompassing everything from class size and work load to dorm rooms and food options. They are interested in college program offerings and the reality of college life. have lots of options. There are many college programs, and students are looking for the best fit for them. Therefore, college marketing content needs to be useful. are exposed to a variety of messages across a broad range of media. They know what to look for and will determine what is useful and what is not. use interactive media tools as a major component of their lives. Having grown up with computers, they want information at their fingertips and are accustomed to immediate access. have very little free time. Students are very busy with school, work, and extracurricular activities. They do not have endless amounts of time to do research. Therefore, information must be easily accessible and relevant. Key Findings I. A large majority of students increasingly rely on the internet to gather and obtain information about higher education programs as compared with other information sources. When asked which method they most often use to gather information when researching higher education programs, 85.7% of students indicated they prefer online research as opposed to traditional print research, college touring, and networking. Students find the Internet to be fast, easy, and helpful, especially in contrast to other sources of information.

2 3 FLIMP MEDIA DEBRIEF II. Both program offerings and student life are important to students when researching colleges. When asked what type of information is most important when researching for schools, 62.3% of students answered program offerings while 35.7% of students answered student life. While academic programs are very important to students when looking at colleges, student life is also an important consideration for most students and needs to be addressed in college marketing. Student life varies from school to school. Depicting the reality of student life is essential information for students when making their college decision. IV. Online video marketing should be used as an integral part of college admissions marketing. Students want to see exactly what a dorm room looks like, what students eat, how classes are run, and what students do in their free time. Students feel that web video can provide a better depiction of school and student life than photographs and written information. When asked what students would like to see featured in video clips, responses included dorms, live classes, virtual campus tours, the profile of a day in the life of a student, and actual school activities (i.e. club meetings, sporting events, and school wide events such as concerts). Conclusion: College admissions marketing programs should regularly evaluate the information and content students want as well as the communications channels they use to interact with prospective students. Some of the conclusions we can draw from the research surveys include: Students feel that most college marketing focuses on providing information about program offerings, and information about student life is not well represented. III. Official websites of institutions do not provide adequate information about student life. While information about academic program offerings is widely available on websites, desired information about student daily life is generally under represented. Students are looking for the reality of life at different institutions. They do not want to hear filtered opinions. They are interested in current student s real thoughts and experiences. Campus tours may be the best way to experience this, but they are not always possible for students due to time or travel constraints. When taking the survey, students claimed that secondary sources such as Princetonreview.com and Collegeboard.com were most helpful in answering their questions about student life, the surrounding community, living costs, etc. These sources also helped in comparing different programs based on academics, costs, dormitory life, campus life, demographics, and more. When asked what type of content information is NOT featured well enough on college websites, student responses included average semester expenses, on and off campus housing options and processes, culture of the surrounding town and city, and a description of a typical day in the life of a student in a particular major. See survey for more information. Colleges and universities should focus more of their marketing resources on web based content and communications channels in order to interact with today s students who are spending most of their free time online. Students are keenly interested in getting more direct and unfiltered information about college life from a student s perspective because they are suspicious of the marketing they receive. This information is best portrayed using web video. Students believe that college websites do not provide adequate information about what students will actually experience when they attend a new school. Since students frequently watch web video and use interactive media tools, schools need to adopt web video marketing as a way to provide engaging and unfiltered information to student about campus life. College marketers need to initiate video content development programs for user generated and school generated video content for their web marketing programs. Primary Research SurveyMonkey-hosted surveys distributed through Facebook.com: Voluntary completion with 56 respondents Secondary Research Making the Most of the Internet. ipod Generation. (2007) Mintel Reports. 24 November 2007.

3 Facebook College Marketing Survey Results 56 participants How old are you? Age 16 6 (10.7%) 17 8 (14.35) 18 2 (3.6%) 19 2 (3.6%) (21.4%) (25%) 22 7 (12.5%) 23 5 (8.9%) Gender Gender Female 36 (64.3%) Male 20 (35.7%) Current academic year Current Academic Year High School Student 14 (25%) Undergraduate Student 32 (57.1%) Graduate Student 2 (3.6%) Undergraduate Alumni 8 (14.3%) When researching schools or higher education programs, which channel do you most often rely on to gather information? Method Online Research 48 (85.7%) Traditional Print Research 0 (0%) College Tour 1 (1.8%) Networking 7 (12.5%) How helpful was the information you obtained from your research? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful Useless Not Applicable Online Research 26 (46.4%) 28 (50%) 2 (3.6%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Traditional Print 6 (10.7%) 41 (73.2%) 5 (8.9%) 3 (5.4%) 1 (1.8%) College Tour 20 (35.7%) 24 (42.9%) 2 (3.6%) 1 (1.8%) 9 (16.1%) Networking 11 (19.6%) 35 (62.5%) 2 (3.6%) 1 (1.8%) 7 (12.5%)

4 5 FLIMP MEDIA DEBRIEF How would you prefer to receive application information from colleges and universities? Online 10 (17.9%) Mail 12 (21.4%) Online and Mail 32 (57.1%) *Other comment text Online or not at all Personal Visit Other* 2 (3.6%) When researching higher education programs, what type of information are you most interested in? Academic/Program Offerings 35 (62.5%) Student/Campus Life 20 (35.7%) Sports 0 (0%) Alumni Relations 0 (0%) Other* 1 (1.8%) * Other (specifications for question #8): 1. Both academic offerings and student life.

5 FLIMP MEDIA DEBRIEF 6 What kinds of information would you like to see on college/university websites that is NOT readily available? Individual answers to this question: Student Life and Campus Activities The campus setting and environment that the college is located in. Also, the tours that the college admissions will be making, as well as interview options and dates. Overseas program information and the institutions related to them. For example, it just says, strong overseas program. Very vague. List of majors Current happenings or events at the school Work by students (maybe applicable only to specialized schools) Dormitory life Specifics required for degrees i.e. number of classes and types of classes required (1) Accurate reflection of student life (2) Average monthly budgets living in the city (3) Diversity and outlets for minority students (4) Message board/forum for accepted students The first year of college, advising, required classes, certain expectations/requirements, more about student interaction. Detailed tuition costs I would like to see more information about the courses. So many times, they are listed and not described. Each school varies in methods that they teach in. The life outside of campus. Dormitories Realistic student life- not student quotes (that everyone knows are made up) that give the school a good impression. Something realistic and honest that really gives the applicant a feel for the campus. Average high school statistics for accepted undergraduate applicants (GPA, SAT I, SAT II, etc.) Types of programs offered The campus and information about local town/city Food services, dorm offerings State of campus buildings and facilities Left Blank Day to day routine of different students College life Good food around campus School websites are usually made in a way that says nothing about the school for the students. Most UC school s websites just explained what was in school but nothing about what it was like to be AT the school. I would have liked a rate my professor.com like section in some websites with some professors and students saying something about school, frats, etc Opinions from students from a school about their experiences and suggestions Student Life- the atmosphere from the city and campus None None Rankings and statistics Information regarding student life, classes offered, more information related to majors Information about professors Average SAT scores, virtual tours Student perspectives Local environment Pictures Dormitory life, dorm pictures I would like to see more extracurricular activities that were available outside of campus. Course availability, honest opinion of students (especially those of students who first questioned their school but ended up loving it), school activities, life outside of the school (city life, local hang outs, events, etc.) More job data about graduating classes (i.e. the kinds of job offers that senior receive when they graduate) Unfiltered student opinions Demographics of student population, background/education of professors and their willingness to contribute to their students Available student scholarships and alumni relations. Also, job placement status would be helpful. Life outside campus. Comments from current students Not sure

6 7 FLIMP MEDIA DEBRIEF What kind of content/information on a school s website would you like to see featured through online video clips? Campus Maybe a live clip of the campus for those students who have not had an opportunity to tour. Campus (not just the nice looking buildings, both the new and old buildings), student life, activities, what students do during vacation, sample lecture Professors and classes A band recital, gymnastics routine, etc. Extra curricular items Average day of a student at the school, student interview, inside of dorms for people who can t actually go visit the school, campus setting, dormitories Tours of staple buildings and rooms of campus (i.e. library) Dorms (1) Real class in session (2) Minority student activities (3) Day in the life video of a real student (4) Video tour of housing (5) Testimonials from current students (good and bad comments, no school is perfect, prepare me rather than mislead me) I would like to see videos on actual school events, not some cheesy propaganda, but concerts, games, dances, etc. The campus itself, students talking about the school. It would help if the person taking the video was a student so that the students do not feel pressured to always say something nice. House meetings Clips of university pep rally or school spirit like a football or basketball game College campus, student life, special events throughout the year Dorms, cafeteria, classrooms, student life during school days and weekends, what is available in local town or city, classroom setting, professor interviews, classroom setting None Student interviews and school events Dining hall A regular day in a college student s life at that particular University Sports 2 minute video of campus life would be great I think school s websites need to feature more about what students need and should do once they are in school; some type of guidance The different programs and extracurricular activities available for students as well as life on and off campus (i.e. dorm rooms, landmarks, classroom and study settings). Campus and classroom activities Virtual tour of school Students themselves talking about what is good and bad about the school, residence life, classroom environment What different classes are like A day in the life of a student A typical day of a student Professors Dorm, classrooms, general information on class size Interviews with students Campus sites, different students and teachers expressing their opinion, clips of the local scenes around the campus, campus resources, etc. More about how specific schools/ programs within the University help build specific careers (i.e. interviews with seniors) Nothing, activities, events that take place on campus, information about specific departments, programs from professors and administrators Virtual tours of school buildings Available activities outside of campus A tour of the campus and its surrounding areas I feel like photographs capture the best of the campus while video can actually show you the reality of the area. Sure, going in person is the best experience, but it s not possible all the time. I know some school s have this, but not all. Networking after college, things to do when outside of class Diversity