In today’s ever-evolving higher education landscape, capturing the attention of Gen Z is a challenge that higher ed marketers face. With their unique digital habits and preferences, effectively marketing to this generation requires a strategic approach that leverages the power of social and digital media platforms.

During SparkThink@JAM 2023, we teamed up for a presentation called, “Finding Students Where They Are: Fueling Enrollment and Building Brand Awareness Among Gen Z.” We explored the importance of marketing to Gen Z on social media, discussed strategies for building brand awareness, and delved into how digital media can fuel enrollment. We even shared an example of an institutional partner that has implemented all of these tactics and has seen an excellent return for their investment and efforts. Read on for some of the key points we discussed with the group.

A mid-tier public university in the southeast that we’ve worked with for several years approached Spark451 in 2019 to help boost their digital footprint. They had lofty goals and needed help finding a vision to get to the finish line. We were tasked with helping them increase the university’s brand awareness in regional and national markets with an enrollment focus. Just as campaigns were picking up speed, a pandemic was added to the mix! We set out to hit and exceed their digital marketing expectations and goals — and learned a lot along the way.

The average Gen Z social media user spends an average of nine hours a day in front of digital devices (Source: Forbes), many of which are on social media apps. To connect with Gen Z, we must first understand their digital presence and patterns. They practically live on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. These platforms are more than just entertainment; they’re influential spaces where trends are born, stories are shared, and brands find their voices.

“The typical Gen Z-er’s media diet starts with casually scrolling TikTok and Reels in the morning, switching to YouTube around lunchtime, and turning to Netflix or Hulu in the evening…”

(Source: LA Times)

With our university partner, we carefully studied their historical enrollment; their primary, secondary, and tertiary markets; and made strategic decisions for media buys that aligned with geographic and platform usage for our audience. We didn’t want to waste any budget on placements or platforms that didn’t align. Achieving this required a great understanding of the market and our Gen Z audience’s habits in order to be a success.

Gen Z values authenticity above all else. They can spot a disingenuous marketing ploy from miles away. To make an impact, higher ed marketers must embrace genuine storytelling and highlight the unique attributes of their institutions. For example, showcasing real student experiences through vlogs or testimonials can create an emotional connection that resonates with Gen Z’s desire for authenticity. Ask your student ambassadors or tour guides to snap a few pictures or videos during the next student event on campus — these assets will resonate with your social media audience more than any stock image ever could.

Gen Z craves involvement and actively participates in shaping online narratives. Encourage students, alumni, and even faculty to share their experiences using hashtags or hosting contests. By incorporating user-generated content into your digital marketing strategy, you create a sense of community and encourage engagement, while simultaneously showcasing the vibrant culture of your institution.

While TikTok videos are fun and engaging, they must also be organic, authentic, and relevant. This can be hard to generate without the proper help from your students. Our university partner has been able to quickly embrace TikTok trends as they come up. Their student ambassadors take videos on their phones while attending activities on campus, or even while they are just working in the admissions office! These materials have been a hit with our target audience, and they show prospective students that this school is not only a fun place, but that it embraces trends and doesn’t shy away from innovation. This subtext is extremely important to this audience base!

The university partner we referenced above is just one of our partner institutions to take on the digital space so keenly to support their enrollment marketing goals — and the proof is in the numbers. In the 2022–2023 enrollment cycle, our joint efforts in paid media have resulted in 21M+ impressions across 10 media platforms, with 3,198 brand new student and parent leads across these platforms. For the Fall 2023 enrollment year, we were able to bring in 1,404 unique prospect leads from a first source of paid media through our partnership, with nearly 25% of those leads applying for Fall 2023 entry, and 120 students enrolled — all purely from our paid digital efforts!

Marketing to Gen Z on social media is a powerful tool for building brand awareness and fueling enrollment in higher education institutions. By authentically engaging with this generation through storytelling, user-generated content, and strategic planning, you can create a dynamic and relatable online presence.

As you know, students are applying to more colleges than ever in their college search process. To maximize yield efforts, colleges and universities must leverage CRM portals and microsites to offer personalized engagement to admitted students and their parents. Shoring up communication tactics, microsites/portals, and marketing campaigns for both students and families is critical to keeping your institution top of mind — and user-friendly for tech-savvy generations.

During SparkThink@JAM 2023, Spark451’s Senior CRM Strategist Ed Flaherty teamed up with Brewton-Parker College’s Associate VP of Admissions and Retention, Michael P. Moran, M.Ed., to discuss “Maximizing Engagement of Admits and Parents With Personalized Portals and Microsites.” Here are some of the key tips they offered during their session:

Whether you’re using Slate portals, Element451 Microsites, Salesforce Communities, or an SIS or homegrown solution, creating a personalized, engaging, and responsive space to share succinct information will help keep admitted students and families organized, excited, and engaged.

To keep students engaged, prioritize sharing relevant content, such as program and funnel stage-specific information and next steps. Also, be sure to share resources that are available on campus; add options to interact with students, faculty, and staff; and be sure to change content over time so that prospective students and their families will be compelled to come back again and again. After all, a student may log into your application status portal a dozen times until their decision is released — once they are admitted, you can conditionally display new, fresh, and hyper-personalized content creating a whole new experience in a comfortable space.

Think about ways to engage parents that work best for your tech abilities and systems. Here are a few things to try:

• Create email communications delivering parent-centric information (housing, deadlines, resources on campus, plus financial aid and ROI)
• Create a separate or shared portal space and encourage students and families to visit your portal/microsite together
• Consider deploying parent surveys, mailings, or other engagement tactics to keep parents feeling connected to your institution

To make sure that your microsite or portal is functioning optimally, be sure to:

• Test the site as much as possible
• Test the user experience (Share it with student workers or current students to test and break)
• Make sure it is mobile friendly
• Check for outdated content regularly
• Don’t let it get stale — share new videos, stats, and update staff contact information as turnover happens

Summer: A time for rest and relaxation, to re-energize after the long winter season, and enjoy the long, sunny days.

If you’re in enrollment management, the idea of those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer might sound like a dream. As you know, the summer months are still a busy time in admissions—it’s when we do everything we can to hold onto our hard-earned classes and ensure that deposited students matriculate and begin classes in the fall.

The biggest threat: summer melt, a.k.a., when students change their minds prior to the first day of classes. Sometimes students have specific reasons for changing course: financial barriers, lack of resources being provided to them, or choosing a different major not offered at your institution. Other times, it’s a bit more ambiguous, which makes it challenging to find creative ways to limit summer melt. Either way, admissions offers must pull out all the stops to prevent as much melt as possible.

Need help finding a place to start? Here are five anti-melt tactics you can implement to continue connecting with incoming students all summer long. The goal of these different approaches is to help ensure a smooth transition to campus in the fall and include the personal touch that so many students need.

By now, many incoming students have formed relationships with their admissions counselors. From getting them excited about attending your school, to holding their hands through the application process, these counselors have become a trusted guide throughout students’ late high school years. It’s important to continue that relationship over the summer and for counselors to help facilitate the transition to campus in the fall. By continuing communication between the student and counselor with phone calls, texting, or other personalized outreach, the student will feel supported and connected to the school. Ideas for discussion topics include following up on housing applications, health and immunization paperwork, and making a registration appointment with their academic advisor.

Without a doubt, finances are one of the most important factors influencing a student’s ability to attend college. Providing clear information to help students and their families understand their financial aid and tuition payment information will help them know what next steps need to be taken. As a start, try connecting students to their individual contacts in the financial aid and business offices so they’ll know who to go to with questions.

There are a lot of opportunities to connect students with each other through different social media platforms. Encourage students to join a “‘Class of” group online, where they can get to know each other. Create an Instagram account that encourages students to share what they’re planning to study and why they’re excited about attending your school. You might also want to consider hosting a social event on campus to bring students together and invite current student representatives from select clubs and organizations. The incoming students can sign up to get involved with a campus group when they arrive in the fall. These bonding opportunities will help get your incoming students excited about their future on your campus.

While much of your focus is on the student, it’s also important to recognize the transition this experience brings for the families. Make sure that parents and guardians know who their contacts are on campus, and provide them with tailored information about the transition to school, and how their student will be supported so they’ll feel included in the experience and confident that their student belongs on your campus. You may even want to administer a survey to parents so that the student services team can follow up with answers to any questions that arise.

Continue sending personalized emails and other messages to incoming students. Try including a video message welcoming them to campus and letting them know you are looking forward to seeing them soon. Share information on upcoming events for the fall semester to help students get excited about getting involved in activities. Invite them to connect with their academic advisor or career services to get them thinking about their futures. We know personalization is key for keeping students engaged, and it will help to reinforce that they’ve made a good decision to attend your institution.