By now, you’ve probably heard of a new app called TikTok, though you may not know exactly how it works. To summarize, TikTok is a short-form video-sharing platform that has taken the world of social media by storm. Part of TikTok’s success can be attributed to its advanced in-app video editing capabilities, funky trends, and content shareability. For a more in-depth discussion of the structure and increasing power of TikTok, head to our previous blog post, Why Tik Tok Should be Included in Your Marketing Strategy. In this article, the final in our TikTok for Marketing series, we’re shifting our focus to how, and why, you should utilize TikTok to promote your higher education institution.
The How
When attempting to reach prospective students, the goal of marketing is to highlight the amazing experiences students can and will have at your college. More importantly, you’re aiming to showcase why your college is better than your competitors while encouraging prospective students to make the final decision to enroll. Being a video-based platform, TikTok is an excellent way to achieve these goals. There are many types of content on the app that your college can take advantage of. Gone are the days of laggy, boring, virtual campus tours. Using TikTok, you can create exciting campus tours, dorm tours, or videos that highlight unique locations on campus that current students love. The best part, if these videos go viral, is that they can potentially be seen by thousands of prospective students. Other types of content that can draw in students include videos from sporting events, club activities, and student “takeovers” that showcase a day in the life of a typical student at your school. From an administrative standpoint, you could even use your TikTok to disseminate important information to the students regarding admissions, financial aid, and other relevant deadlines.
Why It Works
There are numerous reasons why these types of TikToks can be beneficial in your university’s marketing plan. Most importantly, as in the examples shown previously, these types of videos showcase snippets of what a student’s life could be like at your college. They create a sense of FOMO that will motivate prospective students to apply to your institution. Aside from drawing in new students, TikTok can also be a great way to create an engaging campus community. TikTok is a highly social platform that encourages users to like, comment, share, and participate in viral trends. You might consider posting a dance challenge for your students to participate in, or create a filter branded with your mascot or school logo to increase school spirit. Logistically, TikTok can be incredibly useful to implement due to its audience targeting abilities. In Higher Education, your target audiences are fairly specific. Luckily, TikTok allows paid users to create audiences based on demographics and interest information, ensuring your content is reaching the right viewers, whether that be high school students, transfers, or adults looking to further their education.
If you’re a higher education institution looking to increase your number of applicants or if you simply want to increase your college’s presence in the community, TikTok is an ideal place to start. At Paperkite, we have experience running marketing campaigns on TikTok for our clients, and we would love to help your organization grow using this new and exciting platform. Let’s Talk about how we can help you showcase your university in a way that will increase interest and grow your applicant pool!
