It’s out with Millennials’ ‘adulting, aesthetic, blessed, it me’. And it’s in with the ‘it slaps, vibing, understood the assignment’ of the Gen-Z. Trends come and go, language changes shape, and students grow up. That’s a fact of life in the education industry, especially for higher ed institutions.
Does that mean you need to tack in every slang possible for your social ads? Our say: Big yikes.
There’s nothing more cringey than trying to blend in with the crowd. So is all hope loss for your ads? Not at all! Fam, we got you covered in this article.
Video
These days, videos are the most preferred medium by Gen-Z students. You can see so many amateur videographers and content creators whose works spread like wildfire among their peers. Just take a look at the sprawling use of TikTok.
The best part of using videos is that you can convey a lot—from humor, to information, showcasing your campus stunning visuals, to day-in-the-life of students. It’s not just with young students, in 2022, around 66% of consumers report watching videos to learn about a brand or product.
You need to remember, however, that not all videos are created equal. There are some formats and lengths that students prefer. Always opt for concise yet insightful videos.
Take a look at this chart which showcases how most people view videos:
Priorities
Like each generation, the context in which they grew up in shapes their world views and subsequently, their priorities. You can just know what they need or want by examining these students’ actions—whether it’s their purchase pattern, the trends that rise, what they are saying, etc.
To make it easy for you, we’ve listed down some notable features of Gen-Z which might help improve your marketing campaigns in the future:
Mental Health and Wellness
Now, more than ever, students are aware of the importance of prioritizing their wellness. That means you need to cultivate the same importance from your social ads to your websites, platforms and environments.
Celebrating Diversity
We live in a diverse world. Students come from different backgrounds—races, gender, socio-economic status, etc. Since your organization is a huge decision made by people, they want to know that you can be trusted with their future.
Higher ed institutions have started with diverse brochures and implementing programs for unprivileged groups, etc. But how can you rise out from the crop?
In the bigger scheme of things, Gen-Z students opt for institutions that really care for them. If you align your messaging with these priorities, you’ll be sure to find more interested parties checking you out.
On Trends
This generation of students are very much savvy and business-minded. At the same time, they’re empathic and concerned about the future. For more information on Gen Z students, take a look at this neat article.
Just looking at the digital habitats they inhabit will make you knowledgeable on how they communicate and the things they value. Sure, it’s good to hop in on trends from time to time. However, without a solid foundation of a way to reach them and effective communication, you might miss your chance in educating tomorrow’s leaders.
Schools take care of the students but who takes care of the schools? No worries. We can cover your company’s advertising needs. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’ll provide you with an extensive audit on what you can improve and immediately implement. No payment. No cap!
