College students are a huge demographic in the US, consisting mostly of 18 to 24-year-olds. That means you have a lot of time to develop branding and marketing specific to this group to see what will really stick. They are constantly online, consuming content, shopping, and engaging with peers.
If you want an easier, more direct way to get feet in the door, offer discounts if a student provides their student ID at the time of purchase. You can often get those types of deals listed in a coupon catalogue handed out in Student Unions or in Move-In Day packets. Since college came into existence, kids have been creating their own lingo for academia and partying. While I would not recommend trying *too* hard to speak their language, catching students’ eyes with clever marketing and ad copy is a must. If you have run social ads before, you probably already know that it is a great way to reach Millennials and Zillennials. There are easy ways to engage college students on social media.
College kids are still pinning coupons to their fridge or digging them out when it is time to order food. I cannot tell you the number of coupons just like this that were stacked in my kitchen drawer in my college apartment. If you are trying to build up your social following or your email listserv, or simply get a lot of students engaged with your business, host a giveaway. Just like emphasizing exclusive discounts for colleges, if you have more than one university in your area, make a little friendly competition like this 5K did.
Pay attention to the students who are loyal patrons of your business. Think of your student ambassadors as nano-influencers. While not college-student-specific, Aerie is great at leveraging user generated content on their social accounts. Meet college students where they are and with what they are consuming. Most likely, the students you’re targeting have a student-lead newspaper, weekly newsletters, or even a popular online student forum or app. Similar to reaching out to student ambassadors, look for student-run social media accounts to offer sponsored posts.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath