Utilise the most powerful tool in Marketing—video

April 23, 2020

Video content has become the focal point for any powerful marketing strategy, regardless of what industry you are operating in. However, creating exciting and relevant videos are especially critical for organisations within the Education sector because of their key target demographics: ‘Generation Z’ and Millenials.

Here are 3 big reasons as to why video is necessary for reaching prospective students:

1. A study run by Microsoft found that the average attention span of a human has reduced to a mere 8 seconds, which means that we have a lower attention span to that of a Goldfish (9 seconds). This highlights the impact digitisation is having on our brains, meaning people now want information FAST. If not delivered in a clear and digestible manner, information simply cannot be processed.
2. Over 80% of traffic across the internet is predicted to consist of video content by 2021 (which is less than a year away). Therefore, in order to stay competitive, organisations must learn how to create quality video content. 
3. ‘Gen Z’ spends an average of 3 hours on social media a day which means, you guessed it, loads of video is consumed daily. With over 100 million hours of video consumed per day on Facebook and over 250 million daily stories on Instagram – using video to engage with your audiences is a no brainer.

So what are the top players doing to stay ahead of the game? 

Instant Experience ads have become a great way to capture the attention of prospective students, whilst keeping leads within the platform. Due to the immersive nature of this tool, the video formats allow you to deliver information without the nuisance of redirecting a user to another page. Victoria University has pioneered this development, with increased quality and feel to their social media branding and presence. 

UGC Videos are the best way to portray first hand, authentic experiences across social & video channels such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok & YouTube. 

How Flinders University used student-generated video content

Flinders University has proven that UGC provides results. Through an array of both stories and on-feed posts, student-curated content is a simple and easy way to deliver info fast, pushing the key selling points through a trusted and reliable first-hand perspective.

 

How the University of New South Wales used TikTok videos

Utilizing new and innovative video styles and platforms became a huge part of the University of New South Wales marketing strategy. They were an early adopter of TikTok, curating an immersive and stimulating TikTok page, with 11.6K Followers and 498.4K likes! UNSW recognised TikTok as an opportunity to connect with their target market without the distraction of competitors. They were able to successfully utilise the platform’s 15-second video sharing capabilities with humorous, relatable, and even informative video content.

@unswsydneyDay 8 got me in the bath, but my boss said we couldn’t put that on TikTok 🛁 ##onlineclass ##university♬ Make me famous – onlybubble69

How Kangan Institute used UGC videos

Meanwhile, Kangan Institute developed a series of lead gen UGC videos, executing their brand personality through fun, inviting ads which highlighted both brand messaging and their unique selling points. These videos were able to give prospective students what they needed to know about Kangan Institute and the reasons they should study there.

 

 

 

How the University of Melbourne used personalised video

Another game-changer is Hyper-Personalised Videos. The University of Melbourne was an awesome leader in this space a couple of years back, developing personalised videos that included the prospective student’s name, meaning that videos speak directly to the individual, breaking down the barrier of separation between the user and the platform. This is a great way to grab the attention of a prospective student, whilst making them feel special.

Note – we couldn’t actually find the version with students names added in, but we’ll let your imagination do the work!

Get into the video frame of mind

At the end of the day, videos are an eye-catching, entertaining, and engaging medium. One video can provide a potentially massive return on investment across multiple channels and should be a crucial part of your campaign.

A picture may paint a thousand words but when it comes to your campaign, one video could obtain a thousand leads. 

Interested in using video content in your next campaign? At Social Garden we have a content team that can support your student ambassadors in generating content or cut up current assets to produce new content for you – even while we’re all practising social distancing.