Only a short while ago, higher education institutions didn’t need to think much about brand reputation. But all that has changed in today’s fast-paced world
Your website could be the most powerful advocate for your higher education institution’s brand reputation — if you know how to leverage its full potential. In this article, we’ll go over a few ways that your website and your brand reputation can be a match made in heaven.
1. Build a website for a mobile-first world
If experts today insist that websites be built with a mobile-first mindset, it is because human behavior — especially that of today’s college students — reflects that reality.
For many college students today, the smartphone is the primary tool for carrying out a range of activities, including choosing between higher education institutions and seeking enrollment. According to a study carried out by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), 55% of students acted after seeing a relevant ad on their mobile phones.
Therefore, colleges stand a better chance of meeting their enrollment goals and other student-facing targets by creating websites and digital assets that take advantage of this new reality instead of going against it.
A few ways you could go about weaving this mobile-first ideology into your enrollment plan and other endeavors include:
Keeping your ads and other creative work simple and designing them mainly for small, mobile screens.
When sharing web content and other messages, prioritize platforms that students access primarily through their mobile devices, like YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Spotify.
2. Leverage social media to lead students back to your website
In a mobile-first world, choosing the right platform to reach prospective and existing students can go a long way towards influencing your brand reputation and the success of your marketing campaigns.
While some platforms may be more popular with some age groups than others, and more suited for some purposes than others, you want to make sure that both your website and the platforms you choose are mobile-first.
Try the following to ensure you’re making the best use of social media to lead people back to your website:
Invest energy where a large number of your target audience spends their time online.
Be open to the latest trends and tactics across different platforms. Not only does this boost effectiveness, it also showcases your institution’s brand in a positive light.
You can boost your school’s brand reputation by simply sharing details about your higher education institution across social media. Share info about upcoming events, alumni updates, student bodies, faculty spotlights, hashtags for the school, departments, and clubs to get a conversation going.
3. Enforce consistency using your website for better brand reputation
Your brand reputation depends on more than just your logo and colors, although those are also of vital importance.
A great brand reputation also relies on creating a good, strong impression from every interaction between the public and your institution. As such, your website plays a key role.
In a world where channels and touchpoints are consistently growing and changing, your website remains the one constant property where you have enough control. Use it to present the character and values you want to associate with your higher ed institution.
Tips for building your brand reputation through your website:
Go beyond visual aspects to pay attention to messaging, tone of voice, and content. Does your content reflect the right personality for your college’s brand? How does your content make people feel? Does it inspire confidence and make them want to click and know more about you?
Make sure your website works in tandem with a strong social media presence, and that both agree in tone, colors, and overall branding.
4. Provide answers to key questions
You can use the institution’s website, emails, and blogs to answer key questions that prospective students might have about the institution and the opportunities it offers. Contrary to what many people believe, there is evidence that suggests the majority of students enjoy consuming college website content through articles and texts.
You can boost your brand reputation by thinking outside the box and answering the deepest concerns on your prospects’ minds through your website. Do your research and really put yourself in the shoes of your target audience to uncover what they are asking their friends and what they are looking for when they sit down to use Google.
Long-tail keywords can play a significant role in uncovering the hidden queries and concerns that students express online.
The following tips can help you answer key questions in a way that is meaningful and impactful for your brand reputation:
Do your research and get to know the audience you are speaking to in order to know the sort of content you should be putting out. Use the type of language they use and trust. Take the time to explain any references or issues that need to be clarified.
Keep things brief and make sure the content is easy to read and skim through by making use of formatting best practices like subheadings, numbering, and bullet points.
5. Place your website at the core of your marketing
To keep a handle on all that is going on and properly track key marketing metrics, you want to centralize your marketing efforts. This helps you keep track of spending and campaign results.
Taking a centralized approach helps you align KPIs, measure your marketing efforts, and fine-tune your brand image and reputation.
Need help? Call KWALL.
Your website could become your strongest brand advocate by a mile. But it could be a bit overwhelming to get things right, and that’s where KWALL comes in. At KWALL, we specialize in designing and building websites that support higher ed brands and boost enrollment campaigns. To learn more, contact Kwall today.
