Consider this your guide to creating higher ed messaging that will make your prospective students stand up and take notice.

We’ve covered why messaging matters for your higher ed brand, but how do you bring your higher ed messaging to life? What do you say to make your brand stand apart and above the others? How do you engage right-fit students with words alone?

Unfortunately, there’s no magic formula or simple combination of words that will make your messaging resonate with your prospective students. If there were, marketing your brand would be much easier… but then you’d sound just like everybody else (and nobody wants that). 

However, there are steps you can take to craft compelling higher ed messaging that’s authentic to your brand and engaging for your right-fit students. And we promise, following them is definitely worth the effort. 

1. Know your audience.

First and foremost, know who you’re talking to really well. We don’t just mean simple demographic details, like age, gender, and location. To write engaging higher ed messaging, you need to understand your audience on a much deeper level.

• What are they looking for in an institution? 
• What are they trying to avoid?
• What are their hobbies, interests, and unique skills?
• Who do they want to be when they “grow up?”
• Why are they continuing their education?
• What kind of support do they need to achieve their goals?

These questions are just a start, but take the time to get to know your audience as real students versus profiles on a page. And you don’t need a fancy marketing research campaign to do it! 

Just get out on campus and talk to your current students. Eat in the cafeteria, and strike up a conversation with a nearby table. Hold a weekly or monthly group session at your on-campus coffee shop where you can discuss various topics with different members of your student body. 

Keep going out and gathering feedback until you know your prospective student audience (and how to talk to them) like the back of your hand. 

2. Know your brand platform.

If you have a brand platform, consider it the North Star for your higher ed messaging. (If you don’t have one, we can help with that.)

Your brand platform serves as a guide for all things marketing, including how you present your brand through your words, content, and actions. It outlines everything you need to write and speak for your brand, including your:

• Brand Pillars: The unique attributes that collectively combine establish the foundation of your brand
• Brand Promise: A short statement summarizing what your institution can offer that no one else can
• Reasons to Believe: Tangible proof points that support your brand pillars and your brand promise
• Brand Persona: Characteristics that define how your brand presents itself to your different audiences
• Brand Story: A summary of your brand essence, combining all the above elements to reflect the heart and soul of your brand

So if you feel stuck when writing higher ed messaging for your institution, turn to your brand platform. The foundation of creating compelling messaging is there, and it could be the spark you need to write content that resonates with your right-fit students.

3. Call your audience by name.

Your right-fit students are special. So make them feel it with personalization and messaging tailored to their interests and goals.

It may seem like a small step, but think about it: Your prospective students receive dozens of pieces of content (if not more) from multiple institutions across the country. All vying for their attention. All touting similar benefits and features and reasons why their institution should be the top pick.

But if you call your student by name, you’re showing that you took the time to get to know them. That you already consider them as part of your community. That you care. 

And if the content they receive goes beyond generic information and reflects details about the subjects and programs they’re actually interested in, then you earn even more points and credibility. 

Now you’re not just saying that your institution offers a personalized experience for every student. You’re living it.  

4. Be true to your institution.

In the world of influencers and viral marketing gimmicks, authenticity reigns supreme. Students these days (especially Gen Z) can sniff out a fake or phony right off the bat. And if you try to pass off your institution as something for everyone, then you’re fighting a losing battle. 

Instead, focus on what makes your institution truly unique, and don’t shy away from elements that you think may not appeal to a mainstream crowd. 

• Embrace your location, whether it’s rural or inner city or somewhere in between. 
• Celebrate your size, whether it’s thousands of students or less than a few hundred. 
• Wear your values on your sleeve, whether they’re academics, faith, service, innovation, athletics, all the above, or more.

Because *those* will make your institution stand out from the rest, even the others that are sort of like you. 

Own who you are, and be proud of it. The right-fit students will follow. 

5. Stay consistent.

Consistency is key when it comes to effective messaging. It builds credibility and trust with your audience who have come to expect what your brand looks and sounds like. That’s why it’s important to ensure that no matter where your brand shows up, its messaging is always consistent. 

Seems simple, right? Well, keep in mind that a lot of people are going to be writing and talking on behalf of your institution: 

• Marketing team
• Enrollment office
• Admissions
• Department heads
• Student leaders 
• Tour guides

So how do you mitigate a department going rogue? A solid brand platform and shared brand guidelines can help ensure that your entire team (not just the marketing or enrollment office) is on the same page when representing your brand. 

Collaboration among the different departments can also increase consistent messaging across different campaigns and platforms, working together to create a cohesive experience for your prospective students. 

6. Execute. Evaluate. Refine.

Your marketing efforts can’t live and die on one campaign alone. Your brand and higher ed messaging should always be evolving and improving. 

Once you execute a campaign, gather feedback from your various stakeholders and audiences. Track and analyze results. Test and evaluate. Then identify different areas of improvement for your next campaign or content piece, whether it’s word choice, consistency, compelling calls to action, etc. Rinse and repeat.

Remember a good marketer’s work is never done, and every new campaign is an opportunity to make the next one even better. 

A little effort goes a long way when crafting higher ed messaging for prospective students. With these six simple(ish) steps, you and your team can create content that will attract and resonate with right-fit students.

In the fast-evolving landscape of higher education, universities and colleges face the constant challenge of staying relevant and engaging with their audience. In an era dominated by digital platforms, a strong online presence is not just desirable, but imperative. 

Success lies not only in creative brilliance, but also in strategic collaboration with various departments during brand, web, and digital projects.

The Importance of Holistic Collaboration

Effective collaboration is the cornerstone of successful projects. In the context of higher education, where institutions are multifaceted with diverse academic departments, administrative units, and student services, it’s crucial to bring in the right stakeholders from the outset. A holistic approach ensures that the brand, web, or digital project aligns seamlessly with the institution’s goals, values, and unique identity.

1. Bringing Academia into the Fold

When embarking on a branding journey for a higher education client, involving academic departments is paramount. These departments are the backbone of the institution, each contributing to its distinct academic flavor. 

Collaborate with faculty and department heads to understand the unique selling points of their programs, research achievements, and educational philosophies. Incorporating these insights into the branding strategy ensures a genuine representation of the institution’s academic excellence.

2. Navigating the Administrative Landscape

Administrative units play a crucial role in shaping the overall university experience. Admissions, student affairs, and alumni relations are key areas that can significantly impact brand perception. 

By collaborating closely with these departments, advertising agencies can tailor strategies that resonate with prospective students, streamline the admissions process, enhance student life, and foster a strong sense of community. Administrative collaboration is particularly crucial in digital projects like website development where user experience is paramount.

3. Student-Centric Digital Initiatives

In the digital age, a university’s website is often the first point of contact for prospective students. Ensuring a seamless and engaging online experience requires collaboration not only with the IT department, but also with student representatives. 

Conduct focus groups, gather feedback, and involve students in the decision-making process to create a website that reflects their needs, expectations, and aspirations. This collaborative approach not only enhances the digital presence, but also fosters a sense of ownership among the student community.

The Power of Cross-Functional Teams

Successful teams recognize that cross-functional teams are the key to unlocking the full potential of higher education projects. By bringing together experts from design, marketing, technology, academia, and administration, a comprehensive understanding of the institution is developed. 

This holistic perspective not only leads to more effective brand communication, but also ensures that the website and digital initiatives align seamlessly with the institution’s overall vision.

Conclusion

In the realm of higher education advertising, success is not just about creating eye-catching visuals or implementing cutting-edge technologies. It’s about understanding the institution’s DNA and weaving it into every aspect of the brand, web, and digital projects. 

Strategic collaboration with academic departments, administrative units, and student representatives ensures that advertising agencies deliver campaigns that resonate deeply with the target audience. By working hand-in-hand with the diverse stakeholders within a higher education institution, advertising agencies can elevate their projects from mere campaigns to transformative experiences that we can collaborate with you and your university team today. 

Picture this: You’re a student trying to choose a college or university to attend. You’re overwhelmed by all of the information, each school claiming to be the best this, the top-ranked that, and all of them are promising that “Your journey starts here.” It’s… a lot. So, how do you make an impression on students drowning in a sea of options? Enter brand messaging!

Brand messaging is like your institution’s personal elevator pitch. It’s the way you communicate your unique values, mission, and offerings to prospective students and stakeholders. 

And why does that matter? We’ll break it down for you:

1. The right brand messaging will get you noticed (in a good way). 

Brand messaging is an opportunity to share the real you with the world: what makes your institution the unique, fun, exciting experience you and your students know it to be. And it will quickly become a pillar of how people recognize you. Your tagline becomes a rallying cry, your mission becomes a mantra — and it’s how the world will see your institution moving forward. 

Consider your brand messaging as a chance to put your best foot forward. How do you want to be perceived? What words do you want people to think of when they hear your school’s name? That’s the foundation of your brand messaging. 

2. You’ll hook more right-fit students with messaging that resonates.

Students want to go where they feel welcomed; where they feel seen, heard, and comfortable. And while they may have outside influences helping to make their decision, like guardians and mentors, it’s ultimately up to them where they wind up. They’ll be looking very closely at your programs, your class schedules, your campus life, and — most importantly — how it’s all presented to them.

The research they do, whether they realize it or not, is giving them an idea of what to expect when they’re on campus. If they’re reading something bland and generic, there’s a good chance they’ll believe their experience will be bland and generic. But if they’re reading something exciting, inspiring, and aspirational, well… who wouldn’t want to go there?

3. Authentic brand messaging builds trust and street cred.

Here’s a pro-marketing tip: Always, always, always honor your brand. Especially in your brand messaging — it’s kind of a cornerstone of who you are and what students and stakeholders can expect from your institution. If you’re making a promise, you need to ensure that your institution can follow through. That’s what builds credibility and respect in your brand, which strengthens trust, connection, and sense of community with your audience. 

So, rather than trying to be something you’re not, embrace who you are. Because what may seem like a deterrent for some students (small or large, rural or inner-city, traditional or progressive) could be the exact reason why your institution is the perfect fit for others.

4. It’s how you stand apart and above the rest. 

Think of brand messaging as your higher ed institution’s secret weapon. It’s how you communicate who you are and what you stand for to your various audiences: students, alumni, faculty and staff, and stakeholders. And it’s how you differentiate yourself from what all the other school’s are saying. 

By staying true to your brand, you can effectively communicate what makes you different and why students would want to attend your school. You can capture the unique experience of your campus life, the values that your institution instills in its students and faculty, and what students can expect for their time there and beyond. Because attending college is about more than just classes and courses (which everyone is offering) — it’s about the kind of experience you can provide and the lessons learned both in and outside of the classroom. 

In a world where colleges and universities are a dime a dozen, having a clear, compelling, and fun brand messaging can make all the difference to students trying to find the right fit. It can help you stand out, build trust and credibility, and create a deeper connection among your students, alumni, faculty, and staff. And from there, things can only go up.

At GMB, we collaborate with clients to create a core messaging platform that includes essential components like the brand pillars, brand voice, vocabulary, brand essence, personality, and reasons to believe. Once these elements are defined, we use them to create the brand identity, which is the visual component of the overall brand strategy. For brand design and brand messaging to work seamlessly together, we keep the following concepts in mind: 

Keep it Consistent

When it comes to brand design and brand messaging, consistency is key! It’s essential to make sure that the brand messaging and visual design reflect the same set of values. For instance, if one of those values is “confident,” then the design could feature images of secure and self-assured people. 

This consistency helps create a strong brand cohesion that extends across different marketing channels. By consistently delivering a message that aligns with the brand’s values and visually representing those values, it becomes easier to establish a connection with the target audience.

Connect on an Emotional Level

Brand design and brand messaging are not just about standing out but also creating an emotional connection with prospective students in higher education. The brand messaging communicates the brand’s values, personality, and brand voice, while the visual design sparks an emotional response. 

Let me give you an example – suppose the brand is known for being “bold,” using a bright and bold color palette can trigger an emotional response by using different colors. Orange can convey braveness, purple can convey ambition, and so on. This creates a lasting impression and a connection that students are more likely to remember when considering their options.

Stand Out from the Competition

When it comes to higher education, it’s crucial to stand out from the crowd and avoid getting lost in the shuffle of sameness. Clear messaging and distinctive visual design are essential in setting higher education institutions apart. 

By emphasizing the commitment to quality, a brand design can use elements sparingly and opt for elegant typography instead of a clutter of generic fonts and design styles. Just like Apple, they have nailed it! Their brand design is a perfect reflection of simplicity, innovation, and modern design. They use clean lines, minimalist design, and a sleek aesthetic that sets them apart from the rest. 

Make a Lasting Impression

Brand design and brand messaging work hand in hand to create recognition. When the messaging and design work together seamlessly and emotionally connect with consumers, it becomes easier for them to remember and recognize the brand. 

Let me give you an example – we recently designed a campaign that used a large, bold font along with impactful and concise messaging. It was placed on an airport terminal billboard, and it easily stood out in the busy environment. When a brand catches a prospective student’s attention like this, it’s more likely that they will choose that institution over others.

In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive world of higher education, standing out from the crowd is more important than ever. One way to achieve this is through original design that is truly unique to you. From an agency perspective, original design is essential in creating a distinctive brand identity that will resonate with your target audience and set you apart from your competitors.

The Importance of Original Design

Original design is critical to creating a strong brand identity that communicates your values and vision effectively. It helps you establish an authentic voice that resonates with your target audience and makes a lasting impression. Unique design can also play a critical role in driving engagement and building trust, as it demonstrates your commitment to excellence and attention to detail.

However, creating an original design is not easy. With so many institutions vying for attention, it can be challenging to come up with something truly unique. How do you avoid the same generic marketing designs to stand out in a sea of sameness? How do you push the envelope creatively without alienating your audience? With the right approach, it is possible to create designs that are truly original and reflect your unique identity.

Five Tips for Creating Original Design in Higher Education

• Understand your audience.

The first step in creating an original design is to understand your audience. You need to know who you are targeting and what their needs and desires are. Conducting research and gathering insights into your target audience’s behavior and preferences can help you create designs that resonate with them.

• Define your unique identity: Authenticity is key.

You need to know what makes your institution different from your competitors and what values and qualities you want to communicate through your design. This can involve creating a brand strategy that outlines your institution’s unique value proposition, tone of voice, and key messaging. Above all, you need to be authentic to who you are.

• Collaborate with creative professionals.

Partnering with experienced designers, writers, and other creatives can help you develop concepts that push boundaries and challenge conventions. They can also help bring your unique identity to life through visual and written storytelling.

• Embrace innovation.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with new approaches, techniques, and technologies. This can involve exploring new design trends, experimenting with new mediums, or leveraging emerging technologies like augmented reality or virtual reality to create immersive experiences. These are all things that will help you stand out from your competitors.

• Iterate and refine.

Creating original design is an iterative process. It takes time to develop concepts that truly capture your unique identity and resonate with your audience. Therefore, it is essential to iterate and refine your designs based on feedback from your target audience and other stakeholders. This can involve conducting user testing, focus groups, or surveys to gather insights that inform your design decisions; then you can refine that information through your core working group.

In conclusion, original design is critical to creating a distinctive and authentic brand identity in higher education. With the right approach, it can help you stand out from the crowd and drive engagement and growth in a highly competitive landscape.