In today’s digital landscape, influencer marketing has turned into a powerful tool for brands across various industries, including higher education. I attended a webinar by Sprout Social highlighting key insights and strategies on how universities can effectively leverage influencer partnerships to enhance their marketing efforts. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the valuable takeaways from the session.

Influencers as independent media companies

Influencers have grown to become independent media entities with their own loyal audiences. This autonomy is crucial for authenticity. Influencer collaborators should allow influencers to communicate about the institution in a way that feels genuine to them, even if it means being subtle about the promotional part of the deal.

Authenticity over exclusivity

Expecting exclusivity from influencers requires a substantial investment in the relationship. Building genuine connections is more important than demanding exclusivity. Audiences can easily sense when a partnership is inauthentic or merely trend-chasing, which will likely backfire.

Relationship building

Rather than purely transactional agreements, focus on cultivating relationships with influencers. This could involve inviting them to campus events, providing resources like books, or supporting their creative needs. Building these relationships fosters long-term loyalty and more authentic promotion.

Engaging experiences

Creating experiences that influencers want to attend and share with their friends can lead to organic, engaging content. This experiential marketing approach can be particularly effective in higher education, where showcasing campus life and events can attract prospective students.

Sustainable and measurable results

Influencer marketing doesn’t yield instant results. It’s essential to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) over time. Metrics such as donor acquisition, sentiment, trust and engagement can provide a clearer picture of success.

Influencers as creative extensions

Treat influencers as extensions of your creative team. Allow them the freedom to innovate and move away from traditional marketing approaches. Their unique perspectives can add fresh, engaging content to your campaigns.

The role of social media managers

Making the social media manager a recognizable part of your brand can help resonate with your audience. For example, we ask our student content creators get in front of the camera to create content. However, consistency can an important factor. When personnel changes occur, it can impact the brand’s continuity. Balancing this approach requires careful consideration.

Inclusivity year-round

Inclusivity should be a year-round commitment, not limited to cultural heritage months. Post updates even after these months to emphasize ongoing support and celebration of diversity.

Content strategy

Try to keep a clear distinction between influencers and content creators. Avoid reposting influencer content directly as it may be deprioritized by algorithms. Instead, collaborate with influencers to create unique still images and other content that can be used across various platforms like email and web.

Higher education focus

In higher education, marketing is about selling an experience rather than a product. Winning trust is crucial, and this can be achieved through heartfelt engagement, changing the conversation around four-year degrees, and highlighting the authentic experiences of current students.

Finding the right influencers

This could be an opportunity to utilize third-party tools as well as TikTok search engines and community engagement to identify potential influencers. Evaluate their interaction with followers, brand safety, and overall fit with your institution’s values. Keeping a spreadsheet of potential influencers can help manage and organize your outreach efforts. This can take a lot of time, so make sure you have the resources to properly identify influencers that fit your brand.

Student ambassadors

Programs like the BGSU Ambassador program highlight the effectiveness of leveraging student personalities as influencers. Encouraging ambassadors to post on their own social media and resharing their content can foster a sense of community and authenticity. Some university’s also add a social media post requirement in student ambassador contracts.

Budgeting and resources

Budgeting for influencer marketing can be challenging. Focus on students who can benefit from resume-boosting experiences and offer them resources and swag. Prioritizing ambassadors for certain campus resources can also incentivize participation.

A note on micro vs. macro influencers

In the world of influencer marketing, micro-influencers are gaining significant value. Nano-influencers, with 1,000-10,000 followers, generate over twice the engagement of their macro-influencer counterparts. While nano-influencers excel in engagement, macro-influencers maintain a broader reach. Use this info to inform your social media strategy.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing offers an authentic way to engage with prospective students and build trust in higher education. By focusing on relationship-building, authenticity, and long-term strategies, we can create meaningful connections with our audiences and drive sustainable results. Embrace the creativity and individuality of influencers to showcase the experiences we offer.