If you have a product that can be targeted at a student audience, you’re lucky. However, marketing to students calls for some ingenuity. In this article, we’ll focus on the most effective platforms to reach out to Gen Z.   

 

Why Market to Students? 

Why market to them, anyway, if they don’t have money to spare? Well, students may be in dire straits sometimes, but saying they don’t spend at all would be an exaggeration. 

 

If we look at college spending statistics for 2021, an average college student in the US spends more than $2000 monthly. Surely, the larger part of this sum accounts for essential expenses like tuition, rent, utilities, etc. Ordering essays at EssayHub and similar services falls into the same category of essential expenses for many. But this is just a small part. 

 

Actually, personal spending outweighs spending on academic needs, statistics show. Basically, it means that students do have money to buy your product. 

 

Moreover, marketing to college students can be the beginning of a lifelong customer-brand relationship, because most people tend to stick with the products they’ve been using for years. Examples are galore: Apple, Spotify, Adidas, Maybelline, you name it. 

 

But where do you find this gold mine of an audience? Hang on – we’ll tell you. 

 

Best Platforms to Engage Students 

The answer is simple: on social media. Digitally native youngsters may have forgotten how to turn on the TV and have installed an ad blocker years ago, but they still check their social media newsfeeds. So, where best to reach them? 

 

Instagram 

Visual social networks are best to showcase your products, and Instagram, with its eye-catchy images and lengthy captions may well be the best option overall. Besides, figures speak for themselves: a staggering 71% of young people aged 18-29 use Instagram, a new Pew Center Research study shows.  

 

Add to that the recent improvements the platform has introduced, like tagging products or introducing reels, and you have the perfect place to engage with the student audience.  

 

YouTube 

YouTube is currently the second-largest search engine behind Google, and this probably doesn’t need any proof because you can tell from your own experience. This platform is overwhelmingly popular with many age groups, but students are visiting it even more frequently for educational purposes.  

 

What they love about YouTube are explanatory videos. Surely, assignments like an economics essay can be ordered at https://essayservice.com/economics-essay-writing-service, but to grasp the concepts, you really need someone to explain clearly. Someone like a youtuber. 

 

Facebook 

Facebook is for boomers, you may argue. Well, in fact, not only for them. According to the latest data, Facebook continues to be very popular among younger generations – particularly, Gen Z. The figure is as high as 70% for adults aged 18-29 – not bad for an 'outdated’ platform! 

 

However, marketing on Facebook has its specific features, and you need to pick the products carefully. All things about education will be the perfect fill, whereas pizza discounts are more suitable for elsewhere.  

 

TikTok 

TikTok is a big deal right now, and it’s grown into a serious player in the marketing field, too. Something that started out as a trifle for silly vines has now become a platform for practically everything, from the same peculiar dances to foolproof essay writing advice. 

 

While TikTok still hasn’t matched the popularity of the platforms mentioned above, it’s already being used by more than 40% of Gen Z and is currently one of the three most popular social media channels among adults under 30. If you want to hit with precision, aim at student communities.   

 

Snapchat

Another super-popular platform that youngsters love is Snapchat. Being used by 65% of 18-29-year-olds, it is definitely worth your attention if you want to market to students.  Moreover, Snapchat is already largely used by colleges and universities to boost enrollment. 

 

Yet again, marketing on Snapchat has its peculiarities. It is in many ways similar to TikTok. However, the content has to be brief, fun, and to the point.  

 

Reddit 

Have you ever asked or answered anything on Reddit? Even if the answer is no, you’ve probably read something there, have you? Then you must have an idea of how powerful this platform may be if handled properly. 

 

While less popular than the big sharks like Facebook or YouTube, Reddit is particularly attractive because of the way it functions: basically, it’s just a good old forum. Moreover, the platform has shown “statistically significant” growth recently, being the only other platform besides YouTube to do so.   

 

Gaming Platforms 

Last, but not least: something that Harvard Business Review calls “digital campfires” – smaller, less conspicuous online destinations that draw in students because of their “exclusivity” and “coziness”. There are a handful, but the most powerful ones are online gaming platforms. 

 

Millions of students play Fortnite, Roblox, Among Us, and other online games, and you can reach this audience if you think up a clever strategy. Consider teaming up with a gaming influencer, producing quality video content, and recognizing girls as equally avid gamers.  

 

Wrapping Up 

Marketing to students can be very rewarding, especially in the long run. However, many brands and entrepreneurs struggle to engage this audience for various reasons like using the wrong channels and, therefore, failing to reach out. 

 

Our list above, based on solid statistical figures, will help you find your way around and catch the elusive Gen Zers. But remember: the question is not only where, but how… anyway, this is a whole different topic!