Student Spotlights to Increase Enrollment

Investing in education isn’t like purchasing an item from a retail store. This is a considerable investment in time and money. As such, prospective students want to ensure they make the right decision. But how can they know if a school is right for them? Marketers have many ideas, and one of the most effective is student spotlights. The team at AMNY Education Marketing offers insights into how student spotlights can enhance engagement and enrollment.

Why Invest in Student Spotlights?

Once students begin exploring postsecondary education, they realize their many options. Universities, community colleges, and vocational schools – these are just some choices after graduation. Even if students know the kind of program they want, they’ll likely need to narrow their choices down before deciding.

Competition is stiff, so what are education marketers to do? One approach is to focus on what separates education from other industries. Namely, prospective students are concerned about outcomes. How will this degree/diploma/training help me achieve my career goals?

Explaining outcomes is challenging with typical advertisements like promotional materials. These might showcase what makes your school stand out and even highlight some benefits, but discussing outcomes requires a more personal, in-depth conversation. Student spotlights make this conversation possible.

With a student spotlight, you’re not just telling students what makes your school great or what they might learn in a specific program. You’re indicating how enrolling supports their future. Most importantly, it’s not education marketers speaking on behalf of the school. It’s students like those in their target audience providing social proof that your school makes dreams come true.

What Are Student Spotlights?

You might have seen spotlights used for recruitment purposes, with employees sharing their experiences with the company to attract top talent. Student spotlights function similarly, with students discussing their experiences in the program and on campus, plus achievements and obstacles.

Student spotlights might sound like another common type of user-generated content – testimonials. Student testimonials are also valuable, but they’re not synonymous with spotlights.

Testimonials may sometimes be in-depth, such as video testimonials. In other cases, schools have a dedicated web page for compiling reviews. These reviews might be more unstructured, with some students leaving only a sentence or two. Even in longer video testimonials, students might only focus on the ideas they find most important and leave out aspects relevant to the target audience.

Conversely, spotlights get more detailed about the student experience. They usually involve a question-and-answer format, with either a faculty or staff member or even another student interviewing the student. These conversations may cover virtually everything, from the application process to orientation to program completion. If spotlighting alumni, students might also explain success with their career post-graduation.

Advantages of a Student Spotlight 

To understand the benefit of student spotlights, consider the impact of user-generated content. Insight from Statista reveals that 43% of consumers regularly read online customer reviews, and 34% say they always use these reviews to influence their decisions. Why does user-generated content wield such influence? It serves as social proof. When students see others endorsing a school, they’re inclined to learn more and potentially choose it over the competition.

Student spotlights operate similarly. The experiences current students share can provide the assurance that a prospective student needs to apply. You won’t just benefit from higher engagement and enrollment, either. Student spotlights offer valuable data to make other marketing efforts more targeted. These spotlights are also easy to repurpose on various channels, from social media platforms to email newsletters.

You have multiple format options for student spotlights, as well. You might turn these Q&A sessions into blogs or videos. You might create a designated podcast. Whatever format you choose, the most important thing is asking the right questions to ensure prospective students get the information they need. Some questions to ask for a student spotlight include:

• How is/did the program help you achieve your career goals?
• What was the application/enrollment process like? How did the school’s admissions team assist with questions?
• How would you describe campus culture?
• What has your experience been with faculty? Are they available outside class to answer questions or provide more in-depth guidance?
• Do you need accommodations? If so, how effective was the school in helping you access these accommodations?
• What’s something you would say to a prospective student unsure about applying?

Creative Solution with AMNY Education Marketing

No one is better at convincing prospective students your school is the one than the students themselves. Student spotlights enable you to present your target audience with this social proof in an engaging way that can boost enrollment.

You might need solutions to revitalize your overall marketing strategy. If so, turn to AMNY Education Marketing. Our team of strategists, creative minds, and data experts leverage various capabilities to help you tell your story and achieve objectives. Contact us today to discover what our services can do for you.