From education to employment

When 269 billion emails are sent per day, use direct mail to reach your #GenZ students

Universities and colleges rely heavily on marketing. For instance, during the clearing period, the correct marketing campaign can help fill the courses and ensure they run for the year. While most young people spend a significant amount of time online, direct mail marketing should certainly not be forgotten. In fact, opting for an integrated marketing strategy could see the numbers rise to staggering figures. As mentioned above, clearing accounts for 20% of all students and 60,000 of those found their place on a particular course through clearing. Numbers like the above mean you should cover all bases.

With that in mind, Washington Direct Mail – a leading UK mailing house – are sharing their tips on factoring direct mail into your educational marketing.

Generation Z

The millennials may have been the talk of the past several years, but it’s generation Z you should be targeting – accounting for an age range up to 19. Unlike their predecessors, generation Z is the first, true ‘online generation’. However, the over saturation of digital advertisements, lack of privacy and security has led to many within the demographic turning towards direct mail.

Gen Z may not be as unreachable through offline mediums as you might think. For instance, MNI reports that over 61% believe their generation would do better by ‘unplugging’ more. A further 41% of the demographic actively take time away from their phones and screens, with 83% also turning to print for trusted information. Together, those figures suggest capitalising on offline marketing could substantially help with brand awareness. In fact, this may be the generation to breathe new life into print.

How can I use direct mail?

Above all things, you must plan strategically. Pull together your desired objectives and goals to ensure you meet each one when the marketing campaign is in the hands of your prospects. For those using direct mail for clearing, for instance, analyse and research previous campaigns as to their success and failures. If there happens to be a tried and tested method available – with proven results – use it. Doing so will save you substantial time and resources.

Once you have a plan in place, use a mailing house. While you may want to produce the campaign in-house, it’s likely you may not have the specific equipment and staff to make sure the finished product is as effective as can be.

Consider brochures

A high-quality marketing brochure can perfectly complement your digital advertisements, and highlight any new resources, equipment or courses available for students. One thing to consider when appealing to students is trust. The students must know they can rely on your establishment to provide them with the necessary skills to move forward in their career. Unfortunately, digital ads do not convey the same trust and authority as that of direct mail – a well-respected marketing medium. Direct mail boasts a higher open rate than email marketing due to trust and transparency.

Similar, marketing brochures are physical, providing students with the ability to store and even pass on to friends. A digital advertisement could end up lost forever, but that’s unlikely for direct mail. With the right message, style and print finishing – your marketing brochure could prove hugely effective.

Dimensional mail

Dimensional mail is a relatively new and exciting method of marketing, with almost 20 times the penetrating power of ‘standard’ direct mail. However, dimensional mail is more costly when it comes to mailing house time and postage. Therefore, we suggest segmenting your students into high-value, and target those with dimensional mail. If you give your students a reason to visit, they will.

Ultimately, there are many advantages to using direct mail for education. You can begin to build the profile of your establishment and target those same prospects with personalised marketing. As mentioned above, direct mail also provides a higher response rate than email marketing. In a world where 269 billion emails are sent per day, your educational establishment must stand out.


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