BY Anthony Campisi | August 30th, 2022

Video content: What’s the right mix for your digital advertising strategy?

So, you’ve thought about using video content in your school’s digital advertising strategy, but you’re not sure how to get started. What’s the right length? How can you use videos on social media? In a past article, we covered embracing the video advertising trend. Here we go into more detail on how to do it for your school.

TYPES OF VIDEO

Short-form video

A short-form video is ideally less than 90 seconds. The content is designed to quickly convey top-level points or address a question. It will include a call to action that is clear and drives your prospect to learn more, ultimately landing them in your CRM for future communications. You can use these for simple tasks like showing a facility, explaining a program track or introducing clubs or activities. You can also use willing faculty members to give a class synopsis or explain the benefits of a capstone project. Although 90 seconds may not seem like enough time, there’s a lot you can do visually to convey your message so you don’t have to talk quickly or condense your script. Another option for short-form videos is to break up an existing long-form video into 30-90 second snippets so you can utilize them separately within your digital advertising campaign.

Long-form video

A long-form video is ideally less than 5 minutes. The content is designed to provide a deep dive into a topic that needs more explaining. For example, you may choose to cover your MBA specializations, differentiate your Executive MBA tracks or create a tutorial on your admissions process. These videos may also provide space for you to roundup alumni success stories or provide a window into the type of students that attend your program. Regardless of the topic you choose, be sure to create visual interest by varying your backgrounds and infusing other digital media like photos or drone footage. Five minutes is a long time for viewers to dedicate so you want to be sure you are holding the attention of your prospective students.

Recorded events

In addition to creating strategic video content that aligns to your marketing pillars, you can richen your YouTube channel by adding recorded webinars with admissions staff, sample classes with faculty or program staff discussing frequently asked questions. Although you may not promote these videos via social channels or as part of your digital advertising, creating a library of useful tools can increase your credibility and serve as a resource for prospects.

TOPIC IDEAS

If you’re thinking about getting started with video, or you need to expand your short- or long-form video offerings, here are some ideas to help you with the brainstorming process. Try either scripted or unscripted videos on the following topics.

• General campus tours
• Facilities tours done by students
• FAQs based on top search terms for your school
• Student/alumni success stories
• Get to know the faculty/staff
• About the program

QUICK TIPS TO LEVERAGE VIDEO:

• Load all videos onto your YouTube channel with proper tagging so you can leverage SEO.
• Categorize your channel by what your users are looking for, i.e. general school info like campus tours, program, faculty, student testimonials, success stories, etc.
• Create a plan to disseminate your videos as part of your larger digital marketing strategy. For example, choose a topic to focus on each month and push out themed content across all social channels. Link to videos within your digital ads. Prominently place your videos on the website with corresponding topics so they are easily searchable and appear relevant.
• Ensure your videos have a clear CTA that will drive prospects to take action.

If you need help determining how to use video content in your school’s digital advertising strategy, GPRS can help. We have worked with over 60 schools and have insights into program branding and how competitive schools are using digital advertising to position themselves in the market. Contact us today to start the conversation.

BY Anthony Campisi | August 10th, 2022

Highlighting career services in your marketing

The recent GMAC corporate recruiters survey states that 92 percent of corporate recruiters and 95 percent of staffing firms expect to hire MBA graduates this year. What’s more, 87 percent of corporate recruiters say they are either confident or highly confident in business schools to prepare students for success in their organization.

This is great news for students, and even better news for business schools. With the market holding a place for them, they can be assured that their investment will pay off. But even though availability is high, the success of your students is based on them selecting the right match for them. Allowing them the opportunities to explore their options while in school and ultimately select a firm that is the right fit for them requires coaching and guidance. If your school offers career services, now is the time to highlight the process so it can help prospects understand how you’ll help them compete and forge their unique career path.

Employment and internship report

Consider pulling together data for the past 2-3 years that showcases the industries, firms and titles of students hired from your school. You can include metrics such as internship offers, job offers post-graduation, salary, firms, locations and job types. This gives a well-rounded view of the results of your program as it relates to the end goal – a job that will recoup their investment and pay dividends for the future.

Employer testimonials

If you work with loyal employers or recruiting firms that have routinely hired your students, consider asking them to give a testimonial. Hearing from an employer what types of attributes your graduates display will inspire and encourage prospects who are considering your program.

Alumni profiles

Utilizing alumni with impressive career successes can be one of the biggest sellers of your program. In past blogs, we’ve discussed using alumni profiles to tell your story. To highlight your career services, ensure that your story shows the guidance they received from your career coaches along their journey. Also be sure to showcase how well networking can work.

Career coaches

Hearing from the career coaches themselves can be important for prospects considering your program. To give your coaches a forum to communicate their approaches, you can try a blog on interview tips, a brochure outlining the process and even a dedicated portion of your website to outline how prospects can construct a career plan.

Career paths

While some students seek out business school with a defined career goal in mind, many are looking to create a new path. Perhaps your prospects like their industry but want to shift their functional role. Others may want to shift careers completely, or get promoted into a new area of their company. Career pathing is perhaps one of the most intriguing elements of business school as students find new interests and explore their strengths. Be sure that you are communicating how you will help guide them on their journey to give them confidence to select your school.

If you need help determining how to highlight your program’s strengths, like career services, in your marketing – GPRS can help. We have worked with over 150 programs and have insights into program branding and how competitive schools are using digital advertising to position themselves in the market. Contact us today to start the conversation.