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Colleges and universities looking to attract the attention of high-school juniors, seniors, and students transferring from other institutions should use brand advocates. They can help expand its reach with authentic and informed messaging about the benefits of attending the college or university.

Prospective students can learn about the institution from trusted sources familiar with its academic programs, social scene, costs, sports, campus offerings, and the Greek system. From current students, alumni, and parents to career counselors, coaches, and professors, these brand advocates are convincing promoters with first-hand experience at the school.

Keep reading to learn how to find these spokespeople and create compelling content to attract students and drive brand advocacy.

Developing a brand advocacy program

Depending on the tools you use, creating a brand advocacy program from scratch at your college or university can take several months. Marketers with little experience in these strategic initiatives or those eager to launch quickly to take advantage of key admissions prospecting periods may want to consider using an advocate marketing platform. 

Designed to amplify the grassroots power of word-of-mouth promotion with a comprehensive suite of tools in a single dashboard, these all-in-one solutions can help you establish and scale your program in just weeks.

Need an example? Zuberance’s advocate marketing platform allows higher-ed institutions to:

  • Invite advocates to a dedicated hub
  • Amplify advocates’ efforts with custom widgets that allow them to publish and share content across social channels, third-party sites, the college’s website and other sites.
  • Manage and reward advocates with incentives of your choosing, including gift cards to campus stores or local restaurants, tickets to college events, branded school merchandise, or other rewards.
  • Measure your advocacy efforts with real-time engagement data, performance tracking, and content effectiveness to get a true ROI.

Finding brand advocates

Your top-tier advocates will be current students, not only for their embedded perspective but also their ability to connect with similarly aged peers. Look for a diverse mix of students to reflect the study body, not only in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender identity but also personality, majors, and interests. For example:

  • Athletes 
  • Members of the Greek system
  • Those involved in clubs or activities (theater, marching band, campus newspaper).
  • Students majoring in popular or expanding career fields 
  • Resident advisors
  • Transfer and exchange students
  • Students of various abilities

Other potential advocates might include:

  • Alumni
  • Professors
  • Coaches and athletic directors
  • Admissions directors
  • Financial aid advisors
  • Parents
  • Career counselors
  • Program directors (music, theater, art, culinary arts)
  • Librarians, campus police, on-campus health clinicians

Want to see some examples of colleges and universities using brand advocates? Check out these different approaches:

  • This clip posted on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s TikTok account featured the students, a professor, the dean, and the director of the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations showcasing the fun side of academics.
  • Central Michigan University used this roving-reporter approach to ask students about their favorite part of being a CMU student. 
  • This YouTube video from the University of Tampa provided helpful information on dorm room essentials for incoming freshmen.
  • Cornell senior Natalie created this video highlighting a day in the life of a college student. 

Crafting ideas for content

Marketers may think they know best about content topics, but it’s important to remember that Gen Zers are digital natives. They grew up on social media and know what type of content attracts and engages their peers. Their experience choosing a college is more recent than anything older adults can relate to.

Have some ideas to ensure you hit on important points, such as that revamped dining hall, the upgraded library, or a new scholarship program. But don’t micromanage content creation from your advocates. 

Looking for help brainstorming? Consider these ideas:

  • Alumni sharing entertaining or inspiring stories of school traditions on social media
  • Videos of financial aid advisors discussing student aid and scholarships
  • Parents sharing tips for dropping off freshmen (where to park to unload, events for parents not to miss at orientation, must-pack items to support your student, care package ideas)
  • Admissions counselors discuss deadlines, definitions regarding early decision and early action, what they look for in college essays
  • Coaches and athletic directors talking about the sports programs
  • Live feeds from the student audience at games, concerts, or performances
  • Top 3 places to eat on campus
  • Professors offering tips on how to succeed academically
  • Spotlight tours of off-campus housing, including fraternities and sororities
  • Resident advisors asking students to share dorm room essentials

Your advocates can be rewarded for sharing your university’s content or their own with friends and family.

The best way to grow your brand advocacy program is to learn from its analytics. To get an accurate ROI, ensure that you measure engagement based on different channels, creators, types of media, and topics. With the right objectives, advocates, and tools, your team can make informed decisions to improve your strategies, perfect your content, and scale your efforts. 

A person meets virtually with a woman. Contact us to begin your advocate marketing program.

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Businesses leverage Zuberance to fuel their advocacy programs, integrating them into their overall marketing programs. The outcome? Lowered marketing expenses, enhanced customer engagement, improved retention rates, and most importantly, positive ROI.

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