Shout It From the Rooftops: Higher Ed Influencer Marketing

There’s an aspect of digital marketing that enrollmentFUEL, in the spirit of teaching, has been shining a light on for years that is now beginning to build traction in higher ed: influencer marketing.

Imagine being able to get a student’s unique perspective on your school and then having it blasted on their social channels for the world to see. That’s the authentic engagement Gen Z and Gen Alpha are craving.

WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING?

Consider word-of-mouth marketing, but in an online form.

Simply, a company will partner with an online influencer to promote their brand in that influencer’s published content. These are often videos, blog posts, and other forms of social media content. Because the message is going out to an audience who already trusts this influencer, the message is received with more impact and influence. This benefits the company who may not already have built trust and interest with this audience.

These partnerships can be one-offs or long-standing contracts with the influencer, depending on what they are available for and willing to provide on their channels. The most successful campaigns allow an influencer to post on a topic that is authentic to them—we call this creative freedom.

WHAT DOES INFLUENCER MARKETING DO?

Influencer marketing is a healthy booster shot to your brand awareness efforts. It brings intentionality into your digital marketing that can start with influencers who might be current students or alumni. 

While it’s your best bet to start with your current student email list and alumni list to look for influencers, you can always explore other channels to find the right fit while getting familiar with the platforms on which you’ll be appearing. If you want an influencer to aid your adult/grad population recruitment, you might lean toward someone who has a strong presence on LinkedIn. If you’re simply trying to reach traditional undergraduate prospective students, the influencers best found for your message might be on TikTok and Instagram. 

Whatever your message is, an influencer giving it brings loyalty and trust to the audience you’re trying to reach without having had to build the relationship with them yourselves. It’s a time saver in this regard, and if you’re lucky enough to find a current student and offer them on-campus perks for a post, it can be a money saver, too.

Time to stop widely tossing seeds across the general landscape and hoping they take root; start thinking about what a deliberate influencer campaign would look like for your school. Need a hand getting the ball rolling? enrollmentFUEL has long-term experience and proven expertise with successful influencer marketing campaigns. Send us a message and start the conversation!