When encouraging future students to enroll in your institution, it can be easy to overlook some crucial members – alum. However, alumni can provide helpful information and advice that institutions may not have experienced. That can give aspiring students another perspective of your institution, potentially encouraging them to enroll. The team at AMNY Education Marketing can assist educational facilities in finding the right content strategies. Here, we talk about ways to use alum to enhance engagement and enrollment.

Invest in Current Students

When targeting alum, it can seem like the process starts once students graduate from your institution. However, gaining the support of alumni actually begins when they first enter your institution. Students who enjoy attending classes at your institution are more likely to promote it after leaving. When students are left wanting in their educational experience, they may hesitate to speak out and advocate for it.

Investing in your current students is a great way to entice them to encourage aspiring students to apply after they graduate. Additionally, institutions should consider enhancing the experience for students attending online programs or living out of state. This way, you can open more doors in terms of the number of students who advocate for your institution.

Offer More Fulfilling Alumni Engagement Activities

Upon graduating, students want more from their institutions than reunion parties. They want access to tools and resources that can continue to project them in their careers. That is why institutions looking to recruit new students through alumni should consider organizing more fulfilling alum activities. Doing so can show students that you care about their careers even after leaving your institution. In turn, this can increase the likelihood that alumni promote your programs.

Some ideas for thoughtful, engaging alum activities include:

• Continuing education programs
• Career counseling
• Volunteer experiences
• Fundraising activities, like dinners or sports tournaments
• Motivational speaker talks

While these types of alum activities can require more planning, resources, and time, they can also provide many benefits in terms of student engagement and enrollment.

Highlight Important Alumni

Does your institution have notable alumni? If so, you should be sure to show them off. Famous or notable alum can bring much attention to your institution, especially when highlighting them on social media or your website. Not only can this encourage students to enroll, but it can also show aspiring students the successes and good fortunes that graduating from your facility can bring.

To highlight notable alumni, institutions can use social media to target a wider audience. They can also implement notable alumni on their website through webpages or blog posts. Using these methods to showcase notable alumni allows you to access your targeted audience.

Use Social Media

Social media can be a great way to reach your desired audience – young people. College-aged students in today’s world know their way around social media, using it often to learn new information, catch up with others, and more. Because they spend much time on social media, your messages are more likely to come across through social media than other outlets. Institutions should explore the following social media outlets for engagement and enrollment:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X (formerly known as Twitter)
• TikTok
• LinkedIn

To craft the right social media strategy, institutions should start with consistency. Social media pages can tell aspiring students about your values, programs, what you offer, and what it’s like attending your institution. You can also use social media to showcase alum stories and experiences.

Organizing this information consistently and visually appealing can lead aspiring students to your page. Additionally, posting regularly, interacting with students through comments, and using informal rhetoric can help students see you as a relatable institution. In turn, they can feel safe to interact and express their concerns. Not only can this create a foundation for an excellent college experience, but it can also encourage aspiring students that you are a great fit for pursuing their career path.

Get Assistance with Marketing at AMNY Education Marketing

Crafting the right content strategy can take much time and resources. Without the right knowledge, content enhancement efforts can be ineffective and unsuccessful. That’s why the team at AMNY Education Marketing offers content enhancement services for those in education marketing. We can provide the right insight, expertise, and advice for finding a content strategy that works for you. To learn more about us or how to use alum to increase engagement and enrollment rates, contact us today.