While bedtime stories are great for lulling little ones to sleep, your college’s story shouldn’t have the same effect. Believe it or not, community colleges exercise more marketing freedom and creativity than other institutional counterparts, but the industry as a whole can still use a jolt of imagination. Higher education is traditional, but that doesn’t mean the story has to be. Taking risks in your marketing strategy could reap huge rewards for community colleges: boosts in enrollment, increased web traffic, enhanced social presence, and more. But to get there, you have to unshackle your loyalty to the dusty institutional rule book. Need some inspiration? Here are a few ways the Graduate Communications team has turned dull into daring for community colleges.
Irvine Valley College
Community college marketing hinges on showing the perspective and experience of the student. But students can see themselves in a variety of narrators, even those who work at the school. Irvine Valley College’s President, Dr. John C. Hernandez, had a background that mirrored many prospective Irvine students. An immigrant at the age of seven, Dr. Hernandez’ story as a first-generation college graduate in America is not uncommon in Orange County, where the Hispanic population is 34 percent.
Graduate Communications harnessed Dr. Hernandez’ story to create a compelling, short video ad that not only shares his common perspective but highlights that the college’s leadership is representative of today’s college students.
Future BUILT
Most potential students don’t automatically know the direction of their college pursuits pre-enrollment. Today’s students want time to figure out the best course for them, and information about the variety of pathways available to them. Future BUILT, a marketing initiative that promotes career education programs at Orange County community colleges, highlights program and career diversity in nearly all of its marketing materials. Spearheaded by Graduate Communications, the initiative’s ad campaign showcased the numerous options available to prospective students who are still making decisions on their career paths. A corresponding TikTok ad showcased the same student in various career roles that align with available programs, in addition to the average salaries of those roles.
Storytelling via creative video ads have been hugely successful for Future BUILT. One of the latest videos showcasing the experience of an incoming, enrolled, and graduated student garnered thousands of organic views, was a featured ad during the Olympics, and generated enough attention that Graduate Communications is making it a series for the initiative.
MiraCosta College
This one is an oldie but goodie and came about when I was director of marketing for MiraCostsa College, located in beautiful Oceanside, California. Most community colleges ads give prospective students the topline information in an effort to hold their engagement and quickly communicate the pertinent facts. But running ads with enrollment dates doesn’t titillate students enough to take action. When MiraCosta College was looking a fresh perspective to attract students, we turned away from the typical community college messages and instead focused on MiraCosta’s beachside proximity. When it comes to locale, community colleges typically preach commuter-ability and access. But for MiraCosta, which is just a short drive from Oceanside’s beaches, an approach focused on its desirable location was novel.
When the “Beach to biology in 5 minutes” billboard was unveiled for all beachgoers to see, there was initial blowback from college faculty. After all, this was a brand-new approach for the college and new ideas tend to cause divisions – at least at first. Luckily, our strategy worked, and MiraCosta naysayers quickly realized the impact it had on prospective students. In the days and weeks following the billboard’s launch, MiraCosta experienced:
- The biggest spike in website traffic the college ever had
- Increased Google searches for “beach to biology”
- Uptick in phone calls asking about new student enrollment
- Increase in applications with “marketing” listed as the referral
It was a bold ad and an even bolder move. But it paid off. The surfer featured in the ad even got in on the action, and requested to keep the billboard when it came down. With “beach to biology” blowing the doors open, we were able to ride the wave of MiraCosta’s creative marketing strategy and put forth additional tactics to take the college further.
Effective storytelling is at the heart of a community college’s ability to reach students and boost enrollment. For more insight into finding your story, listen to the Higher Education Coffee & Conversation with Andy Goodman, Director of the Goodman Center. And when you’re ready to turn your story into compelling, converting ads, contact Graduate Communications.
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