Direct Mail Tips for Student Recruitment
With so much communication being online these days, direct mail can be tricky. Despite this, a great marketing campaign that uses direct mail has the ability to see wonderful results. You may find that direct mail is far more valuable and relevant than you once thought with the following tips.
Be specific to the student.
With so much junk mail being sent and received, no one wants to get a canned one-size-fits-all packet from the school of their dreams. The mail must be relevant to the potential student rather than something that is sent to all high school seniors. Rather than sending direct mail in bulk, narrow down the mailings to something the student wants to read. Perhaps this is about the major they are interested in or the sport they want to play. Determining the best information to share is vital to capturing attention.
Make important items stand out.
Use bold, italics, underline, color, highlights, and more to make certain parts of the letter stand out. It should be eye-catching and exciting to read. Students will remember a letter that included elements that excited them.
Highlight the benefits.
Although a neon highlighter is helpful, emphasizing the benefits of the school or program is also important.
- Use bulleted lists to make the benefits stand out.
- Describe the benefits in a well-written and captivating paragraph.
- Headings can help to catch attention so that students know the benefits upfront.
Why should the student choose your school over all other schools offering the same things? Tell them why.
Do not overstuff the envelope.
Too many direct mail packets seem as though the school is trying to save on postage. Although sending various documents in one large packet may seem ideal, it can be overwhelming for the potential student. With so many pieces of mail in one shot, it can be hard to know what is essential. Less can be more, especially in this case.
Use the envelope wisely.
Your envelope will have the address and stamp as required; every other space on the envelope is wasted paper if it is not put to use. Make it attention-grabbing and exciting by using the envelope wisely.
- Use bright colors
- Ask a thought-provoking question
- Show a photograph of happy students
Take advantage of the P.S.
So often, high school seniors are excited to get items from potential colleges. As they read the letter sent to them, they may want just a little extra at the end. Use this desire for more and provide it!
Offer various options for responses.
Even though the initial contact was via direct mail, the school should accept the students’ responses in many forms. Social media, email, text, phone call, or snail mail should be options for the students to take. In this modern world, students and schools alike tend to like (and are used to) having the options available.
Make Changes as Needed
Don’t expect your first direct mail attempt to be the best. University marketing campaigns can always withstand improvements. Track the response rate and other factors. Ask students what they responded most to. Think about what could be holding students back. By analyzing direct mail, schools can improve and see more remarkable results. There can be a lot of work involved in a marketing campaign like direct mail recruitment. However, help is available! Kirkwood Direct has a team of experts in direct mail marketing and would love to help you with your next campaign. Contact us today to get started!