With the rising demand for genuine content, marketers must tap into user-generated content (UGC) to increase engagement and drive sales. This is also true for colleges and universities.
For example, it’s easier to recommend a write my essay online service to someone when you’ve used it. Users have the experiential knowledge to create authentic stories that sell the brand better and faster.
In addition to other marketing methods, schools can leverage student-generated content to attract new students. Here are nine profitable ways to collect and use UGC for your school.
Promote University Hashtag
You can start by using specific hashtags to enhance reach and engagement on social media. When all students in your college use the same hashtag, people can easily find posts related to your school.
Display the hashtag everywhere – dorms, dining halls, banners, emails, social media, and pamphlets. Also, encourage students to use #hashtags to share school news and events and celebrate their school pride.
Using a general hashtag can foster content creation among staff, students, and alums. So, create that unique hashtag and promote it every time you make a post on social media.
Organize Social Media Contests
Setting up social media competitions is another brilliant strategy to increase UGC in your institution.
First, you need to define the type of content they should create and ask them to use the school’s hashtag. It could be a picture/video contest capturing the ‘best moments at college.’ Select the best submissions and feature them on your university’s social media handles.
You can also judge these contests by the number of likes and comments on each post. This strategy helps to boost user engagement on your university’s social media posts.
Collect Alums Stories
Your school alums also have relevant experiences to share about their time at your university. Inviting them to share these stories can motivate prospective students to enroll in your school.
You can also use these stories to project a unique post-graduate perspective – career path, family, and affiliations with their alma mater.
Let Students Manage Your Social Media
In addition to reaching out to alums, you should allow students to handle your university’s social media handles. Since students are more in touch with the needs of their generation, they can easily create relatable content that drives meaningful engagement.
Invite passionate students to capture life on campus and manage your social media handles. Setting up a student-based team will help you tell important campus stories through the lens of people that matter.
Display User-Generated Content on Digital Screens
Use cute pictures, videos, and stories your students, members, and alums create on university screens and social media platforms.
You can share them on your university website as social proof or make regular posts on your social media pages with these galleries. These UGC displays give your university more credibility and persuade potential students to consider your school.
It’s like looking for someone to write my essay. A good student may request samples of finished essays before they can trust you with their assignment.
Reach Out to Student Ambassadors
Searching for quality user-generated content often requires partnering with the student body. Campus societies have a wider reach, and student leaders are highly influential in these circles.
So, indulge student ambassadors to help you generate authentic content on campus, spread the word about social media contests, and get more people to use the university hashtag.
Use Student Testimonials on School’s Website
Storytelling is a critical aspect of marketing. You can select unique success stories of students in your university and market them widely.
Student testimonials convey remarkable tales of the passion, bravery, and excellence of students. These stories inspire potential students to be confident in your university’s ability to help them achieve their lifelong dreams.
Student testimonials can also be humorous, describing relatable college experiences. These days, students use TikTok and Reels to share their daily experiences in college.
Get Faculty and Staff Involved
Sourcing user-generated content has to be a university-wide activity. Faculty and staff are essential to your institution, and potential students want to know if the teachers are cool.
Once in a while, collaborate with faculty and staff to roll out fresh content ideas on your social media pages. Don’t forget to celebrate outstanding staff and faculty members publicly. Honoring them shows that you value their effort toward the university’s success.
Spread the Word
With every content idea, focus on how to get the word out, and encourage more people to spread the word.
You can create large social campaigns around school events like sports tournaments. Invite students to participate in these campaigns by sharing details on the event and supporting their favorite teams.
Also, ensure that every form of UGC comes from every corner of your student community so that no one feels left out. Share digital content on screens around campus, in the lobbies, gym, parks, and libraries.
Conclusion
User-generated content for higher ed marketing is about telling stories through students, staff, faculty, and alums. Believe it or not, prospective students are only interested in stories that your students share.
You must empower students to share their experiences through visual storytelling. Encourage them to promote their institution on social media by engaging them in contests, hashtag promotions, and content creation.
You can also run relevant ads with massive student engagement on social media to help students find a good writing service or edu tool.