Social media marketing has become a necessary resource in the realm of student recruitment but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a constant challenge to stay on top of the latest trends. It sometimes seems like a giant game of tag, chasing students and prospects to the next hot platform for a chance to communicate with them. - See more at: http://www.higher-education-marketing.com/blog/snapchat-big-trend-student-marketing?

1. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 1
Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in
Student Marketing?

2. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 2
1) Make Your Story Snappy
2) Snapchat Recruitment Strategies
3) Conclusion
Overview
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student Marketing?

3. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 3
 The major appeal of Snapchat is that sent photos and micro-
videos “self-destruct” one to ten seconds after being viewed
(determined by the sender), thereby eliminating the potential
long-term consequences of incriminating photos later being
seen by parents, teachers, employers, etc.
 The company seems eager to find a viable revenue model as it
enters its third year, and provides a business development team to
help brands get started.
 It already has access to users’ personal information, such as age
and location, that can potentially be leveraged for targeted
messaging in the future.
 The “My Story” feature, launched last fall, will likely be of most
interest for colleges and universities. It allows users to combine a
series of image or video “snaps” in chronological order to tell a story,
promoting the message universally to all their followers.
1. Make Your Story Snappy
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student Marketing?

4. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 4
 In this fast-paced world, services like Snapchat that can
quickly, easily and succinctly transmit messages have an
intuitive appeal, but best practices are still emerging
regarding its marketing potential.
1. Leverage other networks & provide an inside look at
campus life
 A good first step is to announce and promote your Snapchat feed on
your other social networks and then begin posting pictures to
accumulate a following – perhaps an inside look at campus, insights
into programs and extracurricular activities or quick news tidbits.
 Due to the vastly more ephemeral nature of Snapchat compared to
other social media networks, the timing of posts is particularly
important to engage the highest possible number of followers.
Offering a daily snap at a certain time will develop expectation
among your followers and increased interaction for education lead
generation.
2. Snapchat Recruitment Strategies
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student Marketing?

5. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 5
2. Generate excitement with exclusive previews
 Snapchat can be a great tool for creating a perception of exclusivity,
such as providing sneak previews of a new building or logo design.
 The student demographic takes pride in being trendspotters, being
the first to break news to their followers, and the tease of a brief
snap (or a strategically timed series of snaps) might be enough to
ignite a wave of excitement that propels a story to go viral.
 Companies like McDonald’s, for example, have successfully
introduced a new product and launch date with exclusive and
interactive touch points throughout the day, concluding their
Snapchat Story with a request for friends to follow them on Twitter.
2. Snapchat Recruitment Strategies
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student Marketing?

6. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 6
3. Offer discounts or other incentives
 Some pundits observe that the introduction of ads that risk infringing
on the fun social elements that initially brought the service popularity
could be its downfall.
 Facebook has experienced some backlash since targeted ads began
cluttering newsfeeds and privacy advocates have recently asked
U.S. regulators to halt its $19 billion acquisition of messaging service
WhatsApp until there is a clearer understanding of how the company
plans to exploit the personal data of the latter’s 450 million users.
 That being said, studies have shown a majority of users responding
positively to promotions, discounts and coupons sent via Snapchat
in exchange for customer loyalty.
 Vanishing snaps can give new meaning to “limited time offers” for
university bookstore discounts, athletics tickets or even enrolment
referral bonuses for admissions departments.
 The key is keeping the tone fun and in the spirit of Snapchat
spontaneity.
2. Snapchat Recruitment Strategies
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student Marketing?

7. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 7
4. Encourage creative submissions
 One of the best marketing applications of Snapchat is to call on the
creative skills of your followers by inspiring submissions for contests
or job postings.
 A 10 second Snapchat video is a creative opportunity to accept
pitches for brainstorming ideas or some portion of a job interview.
Keep in mind that after the brief time limit expires it would be
impossible to reassess submissions, so it might be more of a PR
stunt than sustainably viable tool.
 Photo or micro-video contests can be effectively carried out with
Snapchat, cross-promoted with other social media channels,
capitalizing on timely events like a big game or graduation
ceremonies.
 Consider playing up the fleeting moments by providing incentives for
“the first 25 who send us a snap of…” or run a campus scavenger
hunt based on a series of clues that encourage interaction.
2. Snapchat Recruitment Strategies
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student Marketing?

8. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 8
 When it was first revealed that teens were fleeing Facebook
in favour of mobile apps like Snapchat, many found it
interesting but assumed that it wouldn’t be useful for
marketing initiatives.
 However, creative brands have already found success by taking
advantage of the uniquely temporary, casual nature of the platform.
 Consider enlisting the help of students that specialize in
“snapsterpieces” that will make your audience laugh with ridiculous
doodles on pictures, or other quirky flourishes that challenge
preconceptions and capture attentions of the younger demographic.
 As social media networks wax and wane in popularity, seek to
develop strategies for fluidly reallocating resources to make the most
of what is hot right now, as Snapchat certainly is.
 Admissions departments may be wary of another new platform to
divert their precious time but it is always advisable to understand
what your prospects are currently interested in and regularly freshen
up your marketing mix to better appeal to them.
3. Conclusions
Source: Higher Education Marketing – Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student Marketing?

9. Could Snapchat be the Next Big Trend in Student
Marketing?
Slide 9
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