As an education professional, you understand the importance of ensuring that your university's students receive the care and attention they need to thrive academically and personally. At the same time, you also appreciate the critical role that marketing plays in attracting new students to your institution. What if there was a way to combine these two areas, leveraging your wellbeing provision to supercharge student recruitment? Let's look at how this can help attract new students and provide key considerations for your support and marketing teams.
Firstly, let's talk about why marketing your wellbeing provision is so important. In recent years, the wellbeing of university students has become a key focus area for higher education institutions. With rising mental health concerns and a growing emphasis on work-life balance, students are increasingly seeking out universities that offer robust wellbeing programs. In fact, a recent survey found that wellbeing provision is one of the top factors influencing students' choice of university. By doing this effectively, you can differentiate your institution from competitors and attract students who are looking for a supportive and holistic academic environment.
Wherever your university is on its journey to improving mental health outcomes, marketing your support provision is now considered one of the five key elements of any successful university recruitment strategy. Your marketing and recruitment teams should consider:
- Promoting the HEI’s commitment to making mental health a strategic priority and spotlighting the progress and improvements being made.
- Embedding wellbeing messaging in the heart of your marketing, recruitment and onboarding campaigns.
- Developing tailored campaigns specifically for high-risk student groups. The OfS has some excellent resources in its Equality of Opportunity Risk Register.
- Sharing self-service wellbeing and mental health support resources with prospective students.
- Detail needs at the recruitment/enrollment stage and ensure this information is stored centrally so that the student does not need to input the information more than once.
- Signposting resources, such as managing anxiety, ahead of applicant interviews and exams.
- Ensuring wellbeing and mental health support is a key component of the enrolment and onboarding process.
So, what are some key considerations for your support and marketing teams when marketing your wellbeing provision? Here are a few ideas:
Develop a comprehensive understanding of your wellbeing provision. Before you can effectively market your wellbeing provision, you need to understand what it is, how it works, and who it serves. Work with your support team to create a detailed overview of the programs and services offered, including any unique features or benefits. This will help you craft targeted marketing messages that resonate with prospective students.
Use student testimonials and case studies. One of the most effective ways to market your wellbeing provision is to showcase its positive impact on students. Collect testimonials and case studies from current and past students who have participated in your wellbeing programs and use these in your marketing materials. This will provide social proof and help prospective students see the tangible benefits of your well-being provision.
Leverage digital channels. Today's students are digital natives, and they expect to find information about universities online. Ensure your wellbeing provision is prominently featured on your website and social media channels. Consider creating dedicated landing pages or social media campaigns focused specifically on wellbeing and use targeted digital advertising to reach prospective students interested in this area.
Partner with influencers and ambassadors. Partnering with well-known influencers or student ambassadors who are passionate about wellbeing can effectively reach new audiences. These individuals can help promote your wellbeing provision on social media, create content highlighting the different programs and services, and even speak at recruitment events or open days.
Measure and track your results. Finally, it's important to measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and track your results over time. Use analytics tools to monitor website traffic, engagement on social media, and other key metrics. This will help you identify what's working well and what could be improved and make data-driven decisions to optimise your wellbeing marketing efforts continually.
For more information on our Student Support and Wellbeing solution and to see it in action, please head over to our website - Student Support and Wellbeing | Tribal (tribalgroup.com)
TOPICS:
