Virtual College Fairs: Fighting Zoom Fatigue with a Fresh Approach (Part 2)

With the COVID-19 pandemic still preventing physical events, it’s now a necessity for higher ed institutions to create memorable, effective digital recruitment strategies. Read Part I on fighting digital fatigue here.

Effective Engagement

Awash in a sea of Zoom fatigue with dozens of college options, students and parents may find themselves easily overwhelmed by repetitious, generic messaging. It’s never been more important to succinctly show how your college or university is unique.

For example, Jesse Taylor, Director of Recruitment at Westminster College, says that the Digital Blue program their college started a few years ago has been especially helpful during the pandemic in differentiating Westminster’s offerings.

Taylor explains that, in the virtual college fair setting, “counselors highlight our Digital Blue program that gives every new student an Apple Pencil and iPad. Although this started before the pandemic and is an initiative designed to engage our students more efficiently, it has also been a positive talking point since the pandemic began.”

Similar to how imagery stirs imagination, messaging that centers on specific initiatives or programs can spark positive connections in the minds of tired students and parents swimming in digital information. If colleges highlight personalized, stand-out offerings, they increase the chances of remaining in the minds of students and parents. They create an impression that sticks beyond “these colleges all had the major I want, but I don’t really remember much more,” or “I think this was the pretty campus?” or “maybe that was the other one that started with a ‘C’?”

Taylor says Westminster also highlights another quality that students may find unique in the current landscape—in-person experiences.

“We have been fortunate because, as a smaller institution, we already cater all visits to the individual, and our circumstances have allowed us to continue to host them in person, which students seem to crave on account of the way things have been,” Taylor explains.

This personalized approach also extends to the enrolled student experience, which prospective students are glad to hear. “The other unique quality is our in-person class offerings,” Taylor says. “Students have been excited when they find out our classes are still being offered in person.”

Ongoing Opportunities

Following up with students and parents after a college fair matters every year, but it can't be overstated this year, when so many experiences are digital—and therefore, flattened in students’ memories. They won’t have memories of getting out of the car, walking into the foyer, and wandering from booth to booth. They won’t remember going to lunch with their mom and dad afterwards and flipping through flyers over a plate of french fries.

They’ll remember a different kind of experience—hopefully, one full of impactful imagery, pithy conversation, and effective engagement. The fact remains, however, that their experience was digital and likely less memorable than a physical experience would have been.

This reality underscores the need for consistent, personal follow up. Many students and parents will find clarity and comfort in messages from recruiters and college counselors who remember them, their interests, and their concerns.

“Like most colleges and universities, we are following up with students through email, snail mail, virtual appointments, birthday cards, parent sessions, and other follow-up strategies,” says Spenser Smith of Carson-Newman University Admissions. “We are focused on making connections with parents and guardians to plant the seed of accessibility and affordability during the pandemic.”

Smith says he has noticed phone calls rising in popularity. “With so much screen time, students have told me they prefer a call or text to a Zoom call.”

Logan Gann of Point University Admissions says they’ve expanded two-way lines of communication in their operations.

“We not only do online events, but have it set up where students can schedule a Zoom meeting with their Admission Counselor or their Financial Aid Representative whenever they need if they have any questions about their file, scholarships, or just want to learn a little more about Point.”

Gann also says that texting is a popular, effective tool for communicating with prospective students after a virtual college fair.

“We also feel that texts are the best way to communicate with this generation of students,” he says. “Although we want them to see our faces on a Zoom call, some students are just not interested in that, so we are able to text the student every link we want them to have access to and try to give them as much information as they ask for, all through a short text conversation.”

And Smith says, “In my virtual presentations, I have a slide dedicated to creating a chance for follow-up. I offer some free swag to students who will text me basic information about themselves (enough for a file in our database). This gives me the chance to send them something tangible in the mail, while also creating an opportunity to follow-up from the original text they sent me. This has generated some great leads for me, and I recommend trying it!”

While virtual college fairs may not provide the exact opportunities that in-person college fairs can, they still give colleges and universities the chance to spark interest in the minds and hearts of students and parents.

Through impactful imagery, concise conversations, effective engagement, and ongoing opportunities, your school can empower prospective students to envision themselves on your campus. Show them a future full of possibility, and you just might find that cloud of fatigue lifting.