A student is for life, not just Freshers

Attracting students during Fresher’s Week is important if you want to crack the student market, but it’s also important not to forget them throughout the entire year if you want to maximise your impact among them. Business lesson 101, retention is widely believed to be more profitable than acquisition. If you engaged them during Fresher’s Week, well done, but the job is not over. It’s important to keep engaging with students so that you can build relationships with them and keep them interested in your brand long-term.

Here’s team BAM’s top six tips to put into action throughout the year to ensure you keep students engaged beyond Fresher’s:

1. Use the Internet

Make sure you’re creating content that can be shared on social media to capture the attention of those students (it’s where they spend most of their time). This is a direct and often inexpensive way to put your brand at their fingertips – even social media advertising is reasonably affordable.

2. Keep their income in mind

Most students will be on a tight budget, so it’s important to approach them with offers and helpful tips if you’re trying to sell to them. Also keep in mind important dates such as loan drops! (see our Essential Dates to Remember When Marketing to Students blog)

3. Use students you’ve already reached out to, to help you reach further

Word of mouth is a powerful thing in student communities. If you have students on board with your brand already, why not ask them to become brand ambassadors and spread the word – students are always looking for part-time work and experience!

4. Offer a student Discount or Membership

Students are usually looking to save pennies; they’ll appreciate products or services at a discounted rate and will probably continue to use them throughout their time at university.

5. Give away some prizes

There’s nothing a student loves more than a freebie. Giveaways and competitions are great for generating buzz around your brand and getting students interested.

6. Hit up the University

If you can get permission from the university then why not schedule a few more visits throughout the year so you can get more face-to-face time with students (if you throw in a few freebies I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to come!).

If you can keep students interested in your brand throughout university there’s a high chance they will continue to be a user after they leave. The importance of consistent marketing throughout the duration can indeed lead to an increased customer lifetime value, so don’t skimp out on the student’s people!

However, if you feel you need a gentle nudge in the right direction, get in touch with one of the team here today.