Live a Little: Embracing Trends to Market Your College
We’ve all been there. It’s hard to connect with the new app that all “the youths” are talking about so we write it off as a passing trend that no one will remember in six months. Or we make design or creative decisions based on what speaks to our personal taste as a consumer. It’s easy to fall into the comfort zone of making choices based on what we personally like. So let’s push out of the shell of our own generation, live a little, embrace our innovative marketing era, and try something new to market our universities.
Embrace the Short-Lived Trend
Take deep breaths and hear me out. It’s okay to utilize the short-term trends that are here today and gone tomorrow—IF they fit with your university brand. Some TikTok/Instagram Reel sounds or meme formats just don’t work for you, and that’s okay! Don’t “try and make fetch happen.” But if trends come up that do fit your vibe, make time for them.
If you engage in a timely manner, there are so many easy wins to be had: social media engagement, bonus points with students and young alums, and contributions to the cultural conversation of the moment. Go forth and empower your social media gurus. They’ve been waiting for this one.
In the summer of 2023, the internet was buzzing with a battle between two blockbuster movies: Barbie and Oppenheimer. Anderson University quickly moved into action to create Instagram stories that brought their brand identity into the trending meme using their mascot or other campus characters.
Because of the 24-hour shelf life of the posts, Instagram Stories is a great medium to utilize for reactive trends that may feel more “risky” than your more permanent in-feed content. (That’s not to say you should be reckless here!) Even as the content—and audience attention—moves quickly with Stories, the subconscious points you’ve gained with your audience won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour juggernaut also has taken over the world. While everyone in your audience probably isn’t a die-hard Swiftie, the collective world is aware of the trend and how it has saturated culture. The University of Arkansas’s Walton College of Business posted in their Instagram feed about their students’ semester using an Eras Tour aesthetic. The caption is a clever nod to Swift’s lyrics and other insider fan lingo that those in deep will really appreciate.
Capitalize on Trending Items for Giveaways
Everyone loves a good social media giveaway. While a giveaway itself isn’t a new idea, they continue to work! You can use them to increase followers, drive applications or event deposits, or increase any number of metrics needed for admissions, marketing, or student life.
Breathe new life into this tried-and-true strategy by thinking differently about the product you’re giving away. Rather than the same old stand-bys, what if you tried using trendy items that might not be cool in six months to a year? Or tickets to a concert, restaurant opening, or other experience?
One pro of using a short run of trendy items that aren’t being offered by every trade show vendor is that you aren’t stuck with inventory. Just think, in two years you won’t have a closet full of phone wallets that you have no idea what to do with. Another pro is earning credibility with an audience that is notoriously suspicious and desensitized to run-of-the-mill marketing.
Think about items that are bespoke or difficult to replicate. In 2022, the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor gave away Yeti water bottles at the height of their popularity. And in 2020, California Baptist University gave away coffee cups that were like the well-known geographically specific Starbucks mugs. Other examples of trends that did well in their time are painted tennis shoes or denim jackets, fanny packs, bucket hats, and Stanley cups.
The trick is to be aware of what’s trending now and how you can use what’s current to your advantage. Gather student workers or students from the communications or marketing departments to get a read on what the vibe is or isn’t. They’ll know what they would want as a giveaway and will be happy you asked!
Give Something They Really Want—Memories
The oversaturated Gen Z audience also loves an experience. If you’re hosting a back-to-school concert, give away VIP tickets or free merch. It helps drive ticket sales and provides positive PR by spreading the word that your university is doing fun things with a current artist.
When fast-casual restaurant Tacos 4 Life expanded into university campuses, Ouachita Baptist University was first to the proverbial table as the owners’ alma mater. Ouachita utilized that moment by giving away free tacos for a year. The social media giveaway increased buzz among students as well as prospective students who knew and loved the regional restaurant, and it caught the attention of alumni, who were excited to experience this new amenity on their next return to campus. More broadly, it connected the university brand to the philanthropic, friendly, and fun restaurant. And who doesn’t love free tacos?!
You’re More Innovative Than You Know
You’ve got this. In no time you’ll be chronically online and bursting with newfound, obscure knowledge. Or you’ll have empowered those on your team who are already there and are brimming with ideas for how to leverage the trends of the moment. The sooner you set personal preference aside and lean into the interests of your target audience, you’ll be well on your way to marketing your university with a new burst of creativity. Innovate, take risks, do something that makes more sense now than at any other time, and inspire thumbs—and minds—to stop the interminable scroll.
Let 5° join your marketing team at the brainstorming table to freshen up the story your brand is telling prospective students. We’d love to chat about how we can combine forces.
