Recruiting is not a one-size-fits-all task; throughout the year, your recruitment strategies should adjust with the season. Keeping your recruiting up-to-date with the time of the year will make your recruitment strategies feel more natural and inviting to prospective students. Here's a look at some differences in recruiting strategies for the fall and spring:
One of the most important aspects of the fall months is football season. Everyone knows about football, particularly students. Whether you're looking to recruit players for your team or fans for your stand, use football season to your advantage when marketing in the fall. Showcase your football team, introduce your coaches, give tours of your athletic fields and training facilities, and show off what your fans do to support their team.
Fall is also great for highlighting your open house events. Show prospective students how new students are welcomed to your school family. Capture and produce great video content of open houses, invite students to come in for tours, and show prospects just how fun your school is in the fall. Be sure to include social activities your school hosts, such as cookouts, bonfires, and tailgating.
New students are attending your school for the first time in the fall, and other students are returning. Showcase the welcoming events, fun times, and other social activities that occur when students, both old and new, converge for the beginning of the school year.
Spring months, like fall, offer some great, varied opportunities to leverage your recruitment strategies. While football season is past, baseball season is in full swing. Show off your baseball team, individual players, and your school's awesome coaches. Invite baseball players and fans to come support your team, and show off what great fun it is.
Spring weather is also a bit warmer and generally more pleasant than fall weather. Get out on your campus and take some photos or videos to showcase the beauty of your facilities, gardens, buildings, and gathering places in the beautiful weather. Show how students spend their time enjoying this wonderful time of the year, and make prospects feel welcome.
Spring is also a great time to focus your efforts on your virtual tours and campus experiences. The weather is great, so use it to your advantage to get content together to make the most appealing virtual experiences you can. For many, traveling to your campus may be a hassle, but they'd still like to see what your school has to offer. Whether they're international or domestic students, use the spring months to cater to those who depend on virtual campus experiences.
Many students really start looking for colleges during their final semester of junior year in high school. This semester is generally in the spring, so your spring marketing should capture everything great about your campus, facilities, and programs. Having great content, whether it's interesting video, engaging social media posts, or exciting virtual campus tours and experiences, is crucial to grab prospects' attention in the spring and hold it through the summer and winter.
For over a decade, StudentBridge, Inc., has helped colleges and universities reach, engage, and convert students from around the world. With services like video viewbooks, virtual campus tours, interactive maps, and engaging production services, we have everything your school needs to boost and leverage its' marketing and recruitment strategies. We also offer whitepages, webinars, and a regularly updated blog to keep you on top of trends and tactics in college and university recruitment strategies.
If you're ready to make the most of your seasonal recruitment methods, contact us for more information!