Using Alumni Advocacy in Higher Ed Marketing

Graduating from a college or university is a great accomplishment. Students who complete their coursework and earn their degrees are recognized and celebrated as alumni. Even though no longer enrolled, graduates are crucial to universities as they offer vital sources of financial support through donations, enhance the institution’s reputation by achieving success in their fields, and provide valuable guidance to current students.

Institutions are recognizing other benefits of past graduates staying connected to their alma mater. Leveraging alumni advocacy has emerged as an advantageous tactic for achieving higher education marketing success. Here, the team at AMNY Education Marketing offers insights into this approach and details actionable ways to engage alumni in marketing strategies.

The Value of Alumni Advocacy

The higher education landscape is fiercely competitive as institutions are vying for applications of potential students. Alumni networks offer a stash of opportunities for colleges and universities and hold inherent value in driving marketing success.

Alumni advocacy refers to actively engaging and empowering graduates to publicly promote their alma mater. This entails graduates acting as brand ambassadors for their institutions by recommending their institutions to prospective students. Being credible advocates, alumni can have a greater influence on prospective students and impact their decision-making.

Another way alumni contribute to student recruitment is by fortifying the overall reputation of the university. Proud of their roots, graduates can share their stories, achievements, and experiences while enrolled at the college through social media, testimonials, and other channels. This tactic aims to enhance the credibility of the alum as a brand ambassador and bolster the school’s image.

Strategies for Leveraging Alumni Advocacy

Before colleges and universities can reap the benefits of alumni advocacy, they must first implement practical strategies. To do so, consider these steps:

Establish a Focus

As you aim to tap into the potential of alumni advocacy, it’s important to first determine parameters. Will you be targeting all alumni to participate in marketing efforts? Is the campaign specific to a single department of the school? Answering these questions beforehand will help you identify graduates who are the best fit.

It’s also important to set goals for the alumni advocacy marketing campaign. Is the purpose of the campaign to increase the interest of prospective students with the hopes of driving admission? Setting goals will ensure your campaign has a clear path toward success.

Use Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool that most higher education institutions are already using. Consider allowing alumni to temporarily manage your institution’s social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or others. By doing so, alumni will have the platform to share marketing messages, offer advice, and foster meaningful conversations.

Moreover, colleges and universities can leverage social media to promote alumni-focused social media groups, pages, or hashtags. This strategy helps facilitate alumni engagement and encourages graduates to do their part in representing their school. By remaining active on social media, institutions can nurture a lively community of motivated and engaged alumni to promote marketing messages.

Alumni-Focused Content

When choosing a higher learning institution, students weigh several factors, including affordability, school size, location, campus life, the quality of their desired program, and more. Another important factor for prospective students is whether the school’s interests, values, and offerings align with theirs.

While higher education marketing content provides a glimpse into choosing a school, it doesn’t give the full scope. To address this, schools should be incorporating alumni perspectives into marketing materials. Videos, blog posts, and case studies that feature viewpoints from graduates resonate with prospective students more than generic content.

Additionally, alumni-focused content is a great way to showcase the quality of your education programs and what value you can offer students. Highlight notable achievements of graduates across various industries to demonstrate the real-world impact of your education.

Conduct Alumni Surveys

Alumni are a profound resource for higher education institutions. They hold incredible insight through firsthand experiences. Schools should regularly engage alumni through surveys to gather feedback about their time enrolled at the school and how it has impacted their careers. Schools can use this information to tailor content.

Alumni-Focused Marketing with AMNY Education Marketing

For colleges and universities, staying ahead in the competitive world of higher education requires tapping into all available resources. Incorporating alumni stories, achievements, and experiences into your marketing efforts should be viewed as more than just a strategy.

AMNY Education Marketing can help you showcase the value of the educational journey offered by your school. With a range of capabilities, our marketing specialists can help you achieve your goals. Contact us today to learn more about our offerings.