Higher and further education needs marketing just as consumer goods and premium services do. People need to be convinced, emotional connections forged, and trust built.
When students are potentially paying hundreds for an e-learning course and thousands for a degree, they need to feel confident yours is the offer they will feel most comfortable with in the long run. Good copywriting is one of the major (we would say the major) mechanisms in the decision-making process.
While photo and video shoots feature regularly in marketing road maps, short and long form text content is often overlooked or considered as an afterthought. In this article we want to highlight the benefits of prioritizing copywriting in higher and professional education.
Good copywriting will:
Good copywriting is not about impressing everyone, but making more of an impression on those you do connect with. Focusing on your core values and speaking with an authentic voice for your organization qualifies prospective students and learners before they apply.
There’s no need to go super casual if it doesn’t fit your offer or institution, but remember that people want to know what you represent, not just in what you say but how you say it.
Show your true colors for bigger rewards. For example, the Museum of English Rural Life at the University of Reading took the world by storm with its now cult-status “Absolute Unit” tweet.
The MERL now has over 100,000 more Twitter followers than the University of Reading’s official account.
Whether it’s staking your claim as the leader in a certain field of research or making sure everyone knows your alumni are must-have hires, speaking with authority requires your claims to be accurate with a pinch of subjective pride. Good copywriting hits that mark.
Here Falmouth University backs up its claim as the number one arts university in the UK by combining industry proof with a call to action, saving space and increasing impact.
Once you start nailing your copywriting and develop a unique brand voice, you already differentiate yourself from a majority of schools out there. While e-learning platforms are often more experimental in their use of copywriting (like Dublin-based IOB for instance), there is still an opportunity to stand out.
Remember, language is a fully-stocked toolbox of words and phrases. Why stick to platitudes like ‘passion for the future’ or ‘inspiring graduates’?
This exceptional campaign from Drexel University cuts right to the chase and right through the noise of the competition. Young adults and aspiring professionals want everything done yesterday and this claim captures that impatient spirit perfectly.
A recent publication by OHO Interactive found that bounce rates on higher education websites are at the high end of average (55.69%). Potential students and learners need continued reasons to stay on your site. A great headline can hook them to read more, now they’re interested. A well placed button or action takes them to a dedicated page with more great, easy to navigate content.
At one point in copywriting history entire paragraphs were set aside in advertisements to exposit the virtues of a product. These days you need to be quick. Writing economically not only gets your point across faster, but also concentrates your message.
Writing with brevity has also been said to make word choices more vivid and deepen the subtext of your message.
London South Bank University have opted for ‘Rise’ as the root word of their new campaign.
This is a refreshing choice, as rise is a fertile word with plenty of connotations. It’s an effortless word with relatively few appearances promoting higher education offers (that we have seen anyway).
The call to action in the search bar is also a nice and rarely seen touch.
Talking honestly about your school or platform's benefits and even shortcomings can take your copywriting to a whole new level of approachability. Once you find your balance of honesty vs. self-editing, marketing and recruitment teams will find it much easier to not over promise or undersell the student or learning experience.
Here Indiana Tech were fully aware of the existing connotations with the word ‘tech’ and turned this threat into an opportunity with their ‘Go For IT’ campaign.
UCAS (University Colleges and Admissions Service) recently published in their latest Freshers Report that “Honesty, integrity and authenticity is the new currency” with Gen Z students. While this section of the report deals specifically with purchase decisions, higher education marketers should take note too.
Above all good copywriting should convince potential students and learners of the decision they have (most likely) already made.
In most cases, potential university students will know something about the school they are researching; digital learners will already be primed to develop new skills. The decision to attend your school or book an online course is almost made.
Good copywriting should provide the final push needed for them to take that mental leap and commit.
If you need some help on how to convince through copywriting Words On Brand are here to help. As a quick fix for now, Coppyblogger has a great article on this.
Good copywriting doesn’t need to be all buzzwords and talking like a teenager. A lot can be said for keeping it simple, informing your audience and letting them make the decision. This is particularly true with postgraduate students, faculty research and professional learning platforms.
Remember, good copywriting doesn’t just inform the audience by what it says, but also who says it. Don’t be afraid to get your students involved like the University of Bath did in this example.
So, you’ve spoken authentically and authoritatively, you’ve cut through the noise, and you’ve used the fewest words possible. Now you’ve got to communicate the benefit. Students, learners, customers or subscribers, call them what you will, all ask ‘what’s in it for me?’
This is where most schools and professional learning platforms fall down with phrases like ‘graduate for success’ or ‘discover your potential’. All well-meaning but ultimately void of value.
Phiture Academy has chosen to nail their flag to the mast and inform their target audience from the outset. They let everyone know who their service is for and how they will benefit from it.
Copywriting should be an on-going conversation within higher and further education marketing teams. Bad copywriting has just as much potential to turn students away as poor photography or uninspiring video testimonials. When done correctly it stands out a mile and lets potential students and learners hear what you really sound like.
