#college

How does one market to college students? They’re lazy, not willing to spend money on many things, and hard to put into one category. Social media is the key. It is always accessible and college students are always using it in everyday life. There are ways to market on campus such as “tabling” and “chalking”, but even then most businesses and organizations are using social media to let college students know about the student specials. According to entrepreneur.com, there are 5 tips to marketing to college students: 1. Consider mobile marketing. 2. Get to the point, fast. 3. Don’t try and be cool if you’re not. 4. Get your product right before bragging over it. 5. Win over mom and dad. These are the components that are necessary to keep from getting scrolled past or ignored by the typical college student.

With the future of advertising falling farther into social media, marketing to college students is similar to the media dependency theory by Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur. This theory bases itself on the Uses and Gratifications Theory and pinpoints the characteristics of college students because it is the best way to reach them and explains how dependent college students are on technology.

Technology such as smart phones are changing the way that college students are getting information and are being marketed to. Student discounts are being tweeted, bars are getting Instagram’s, and on campus events are creating event pages on Facebook. Social media now is the best way to grab a college student’s attention because it is quick, easy, and always shareable.

– Morganne McIntyre