Enrollment Managers: 3 Recommendations for Building an Influencer Marketing Campaign

According to the Digital Marketing Institute, half of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, and 40 percent have made a purchase after seeing a product on social media. 

Students, like consumers, are looking for authentic reviews of what it’s like to attend a particular institution, and they're searching for current student accounts to learn more. In response, more higher education institutions are enlisting their students to be social media ambassadors. As a graduate student completing Northwestern University's Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Policy and an admissions and financial aid professional, I have found two pieces of content that provide great insight into influencer marketing campaigns in higher education.  

In her Chronicle of Higher Education article “Colleges Find a Low-Cost Marketing Tool: Social-Media Influencers” author Grace Elletson highlights how influencer marketing campaigns are being used by a few dozen institutions around the country. She highlights an influencer-produced video series from the University of Central Florida, as one example, with student ambassadors providing advice to prospective students on the campus' best study spots and how to best transition to college. Elletson discusses how some campuses are leveraging their students' current social media following - a key player behind the "Campus Knights" video series is Sonali Prabhu, a student who entered UCF with 10,000 YouTube subscribers to her channel.

Photo by Rowen Smith on unsplash.com

Megan Rolfs recently launched the second iteration of #YourRedbirdLife, a social media influencer campaign, at Illinois State University. She discusses the challenges of launching the program, how students are compensated and the results of her program in Episode #100 of HelixEducation’s “Enrollment Growth University: Higher Education” podcast. As the director of marketing and communications for the student affairs division at Illinois State, Megan leverages influencers to spread the news of her division on campus. While some colleges offer swag or special perks as compensation for student influencers, Illinois State pays students for five hours a week. The school also requires students to produce a report on their social media activity and to sign an agreement outlining their expected social media conduct.

For higher education institutions considering launching their own influencer marketing campaigns, I would suggest three recommendations.

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•       Address Your Gaps - When choosing a diverse group of influencers, consider which audiences you’re not currently reaching, and strategically choose students who help you address those gaps.
•           Set Expectations - Now that you have your influencing team in place, clearly communicate what you expect of them, and compensate them to maintain their buy-in.
•           Let Authenticity Reign - Give your influencers guidelines, but lean into your students’ authentic voices.

If you’re thinking of taking the plunge and starting your own influencer marketing campaign, keep these three recommendations in mind to better structure your program.

Melissa Sersland is the associate director of graduate admissions and financial aid at Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in journalism from Northwestern. She is also completing a master's in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern. Melissa enjoys leveraging her journalism background to help higher education institutions more effectively communicate and engage their audiences.   

Agency Hiring Managers: 3 Ways to Make Sure you’re Hiring the Most Skilled Social Media Minds

A potential employee with a litany of certifications is a double edged sword- they may have a plethora of skills, or they may be trying to take you for a ride. As a senior at Northwestern University in the Integrated Marketing Communication Certificate currently pursuing a job in the digital media industry I have found two crucial articles that will give you the tools to make these difficult evaluations.

Though it was written in 2013, Jason Schmitt's article "Job Cred: Social Media Certification Revs the Resume" from the Huffington Post is a superb article that gives an overview of both free and for-pay programs that offer social media certifications. While some of the specific program references are a touch outdated, their analysis focuses mostly on the brands. For example, the article notes the importance of the then new HootSuite University and the growing importance of the SalesForce Marketing Cloud, both of which have only grown in importance since the article’s publication.

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Online Income Teacher takes a slightly different approach in its article, "Social Media Certification- Is it Worth Your Time?" However, the article works in concert with the first by providing a much more practical overview of the costs and benefits of online social media programs. While this article does mention a few specific programs (including HootSuite as well) it is much more concerned with giving you, the reader, the tools to evaluate the types of benefits that come from each style of programs. 

After synthesizing these articles with my professional and educational experience I have 3 actions I strongly recommend you undertake before making another hire:   

1) Identify your Needs: The SalesForce program will create a much more business-oriented employee than HootSuite. One is not better than the other- context is what is important. 

2) Evaluate Commitment: Not all programs are created equal. While some may be free and easy, others may require more time and even a little money from your savings. Understanding this is a great way to evaluate how passionate and committed and employee is about their career in social media.

3) Stay Current: New programs and trends are the only constant in social media. Staying up to date on these programs, and continually evaluating them, is key if a company wishes to stay current.

Social media skills are only growing in importance as more and more consumers looked to social media for recommendations, to air grievances, and to connect with like-minded individuals. Learning how this channel of communication can be best utilized is crucial for anyone in digital marketing industry and choosing the candidate with the right qualifications is vital when assembling a cutting edge social media team. This article is designed to give employers a taste of what programs are out there and how to evaluate these programs. However, but it is ultimately up to you to decide what suits your company’s needs best.     

Jack Doherty is a Northwestern University Undergraduate student majoring in Political Science with minors in Business and Marketing currently seeking employment in the digital marketing industry following his June Graduation date. Always open to new ideas, discussion and debate he can be reached through Twitter at @dohertyjohn617 or on his LinkedIn profile.