The 2020–2021 Recruiting Season: What Should You Be Doing Now?
Since most everything about our daily lives has changed due to COVID-19, it’s easy to lose sight of advance planning.
Though a return to normalcy may be a distant thought, you don’t want to be caught off-guard when that time comes. While you’re away from the typical busyness of the office, this may be an ideal time to map out your plans for the 2020–2021 recruiting season.
To help you get started, we’ve put together some guidance for what you need to be doing now.
Are You Using the Rule of 7?
A classic marketing best practice, the Rule of 7 means that it takes seven connections before your targeted audience responds.
In a world of distractions, though, simply generating seven components of a campaign doesn’t mean students (or parents) will actually connect. You have to be more strategic now than ever. That’s why a comprehensive approach to recruiting is critical—the where, when, how, and what all work together to affect engagement.
Starting Your Fall 2021 Campaign Now
As your staff team works remotely during the next several weeks, there is still plenty you can be doing to get ready for the fall. Maybe it’s even an opportunity to take a whole new look at your marketing plans. Here are some ways you can start now.
Catch Them Early
Like all of us, the college freshmen of 2021—today’s high school juniors—are confined to home during this time of global crisis. Since they’re doing virtual school and living a virtual social life, that means they’re online and on social media even more than they were before. (And just when we thought that couldn’t be possible!)
This is a great time to catch juniors online and get them thinking about your school. These are some ideas you might try right away:
Create short blog posts with tips about college readiness, such as online resources for SAT and ACT prep or ideas for virtual group study sessions in the current context (calculus Houseparty, anyone?)
Add website features especially for current juniors, including timelines for campus visits, financial aid, and the admissions process.
Present opportunities for prospective students to meet remotely with professors, admissions representatives, and other staff in their areas of interest.
Use social media to point them to your online resources.
Don’t Let Promotional Development Get Away from You
When fall rolls around, you’ll still need your usual stock of recruiting materials—like the viewbook, postcards, website updates, and auto-comm messages. Though your routine may be off-schedule, it’s important not to get behind on your planning and miss important deadlines.
Now is the time to make this kind of strategic planning a priority. Maybe you can even step back and look at your materials with new perspective. Is it time for a fresh look or updated messaging?
Update Your Website
Since more and more discovery is happening online, it’s never been more important to offer the contemporary experience today’s users expect. If your website is not up to speed with the other sites students are visiting, they likely won’t spend much time there.
Though a full-scale makeover may be too much to tackle by fall, you can still implement some features to get you on track. Take a look at our top trends of 2019—how many of these ideas have you tried?
Once your design and messaging are current, it’s time to add new interactive features like video chats and integration with social media. If you can’t see prospects in person as much as you have in the past, virtual connectivity will be crucial.
Plan Ahead for Innovative Connections in the Fall
“Normal” may look different this fall than it did in previous years, so it’s helpful to think about new ways of doing things, too. Families will likely not be traveling as much as in previous years, and “social distancing,” at least to some degree, will still be a thing. Brainstorm now about creative ways to put a new spin on your traditional methods.
A few ideas to consider:
Host a virtual campus visit. This could be live or pre-recorded, but make it more personal than the usual virtual campus tour. Be sure to include ways that “visitors” can interact with you, and even with each other. You can start now with the scripting and cinematography plans and then add real-life scenes when students are back on campus this fall.
Launch an out-of-the-box social media campaign. Ask some of your student leaders, “What are the most engaging things you’re doing on social media right now?” Use this input as a springboard for crafting your own ideas. Involve current students and departments and organizations across campus.
Ramp up your video connections. Invest in a reliable online video platform that can be used across campus. Give prospective students opportunities to “meet” in groups with campus life leaders, department heads, coaches, and other influencers. Also, show prospective students how current students and faculty are meeting now via video to show how the relationships continue even thought people aren’t together on campus.
Make the most of these spring and summer months to master the Rule of 7 in your marketing plans. As you tell your school’s one-of-a-kind story in a comprehensive way, you’ll make those connections that lead prospective students to take action.
Are you doing what you need to be doing now for your 2020–2021 recruiting plans?
At 5°, we’re ready to help you get there.
