Mapping Out a Content Marketing Strategy for Higher Ed

Your higher ed marketing team is up against a lot – other higher education institutions, influencers, you name it. 

The truth is that even if you check every box on your digital marketing to-do list, you’ll never reach your target audience without a great content marketing strategy. 

We explore doing so in our new whitepaper, “Unibuddy Higher Ed Digital Marketing Guide: What You Need to Know in 2023.” 

For now, here are a few tips on how to establish an effective higher ed content marketing strategy.

3 tips for building a higher ed content marketing strategy in 2023

1. Embrace evergreen content

This year, higher ed content is all about finding the perfect balance between current and evergreen content.

What’s the difference? 

Current content is relevant to what’s happening right now and feels conversational. It might be something like an insider’s view of an on-campus activity or an interview with a current student or faculty member who can talk about what their typical day is like. 

On the other hand, evergreen content is a type of content that stays relevant even as the years pass. This could include campus guides, deep dives into your programs, or insights into student life, from dorm rooms to dining halls.

Okay, but why is it so crucial to the success of your recruiting efforts? Because it allows prospective students to pre-qualify themselves.

Your website is one of their first stops – and yes, they really are reading your content. 

A majority of Gen Z students (72%) use evergreen content to determine if your brand is a good fit. After all, they can learn about everything from pricing and financial aid to programming, so make sure it’s at their fingertips!

(And just as an aside, over half of students say they could do this just by connecting with a current student on a platform like Unibuddy Chat.)

2. Create “good vibes” by being authentic

Regardless of the channel you’re using, prioritize authenticity when building your content. 

Gen Z craves authenticity throughout their higher ed journey. They want to be spoken to honestly and in their own language – so it’s time to lean in and create the “good vibes” that one in 10 looks for immediately.

Related: How to Foster Authentic Personalization in Student Recruitment

If it’s hard for you to shake off the need for perfection or use a more relaxed tone, ask your student ambassadors to get involved. Who better to interact with your prospective students than their peers? 

Once you’ve found the type of language that catches Gen Z’s eye, make sure it’s consistent across all of your content.

You don’t have to rely solely on language to create good vibes – you can do it with the actual assets you’re creating, too. Take a break from perfect digital assets and mix things up with material that shows your institution’s personality. 

From blog posts to videos, there’s no limit to what you can add to your library of user-generated content to engage prospective students. Consider spotlighting things like quirky campus traditions or the best study spots on campus. 

Pushing the limits of your brand through content may feel risky, but it will pay off! Doing so will help your prospective students forge an authentic connection with your institution before they even step on campus.

It will also position your institution as one that’s warm, values authenticity, and has personalized concern for students – exactly what prospective students are looking for.

3. Take advantage of social media’s reach

Sometimes it feels like the speed at which social media changes is impossible to keep up with. But no matter how much it changes, we know that people will never stop using it – they want to interact with each other in an unfiltered way.

So get active on social media, whether you choose to launch a TikTok, Discord, Instagram, or Facebook. Speak honestly and authentically when answering any questions a follower might have about your offerings or life on campus. 

Related: Social Media Marketing for Higher Ed in 2023

Once you’ve established your channel and have gotten to know your audience, you can use it as a digital content distribution hub.

Get some of your student ambassadors involved and let them participate in the conversation. After all, a majority of Gen Z students (92%) say that connecting with current students helps them make an informed decision once they’ve reached the end of their higher ed journey.

That’s the key to social media success is to focus on being an inclusive and engaging counterpart rather than a salesperson. Social media is meant to be social, after all – so avoid paid social ads (which one in five students say don’t represent them anyway).

To learn more about crafting an effective content marketing strategy, check out our new whitepaper, “Unibuddy Higher Ed Digital Marketing Guide: What You Need to Know in 2023.”