According to a recent poll, 48% of Gen Z prefer email communications from brands, while 24% prefer online ads. Marketers have long viewed paid social or viral content on social media as the holy grail for connecting and engaging with Gen Z. However, there is a significant opportunity in a more traditional communication method: email.

University marketers know this already. By and large, many have seen some good returns on their email campaigns. What is troubling for the sector, however, is the decline in engagement across emails from students. According to Niche, the acceptability of weekly emails has plummeted from 81% to 39% in a matter of just three years. But, interestingly, only 15% of students said universities were sending information that was very relevant to their interests and what they cared about most. Of those who have received at least some relevant information, 87% said it influenced them to consider the university that sent it more strongly. So in a nutshell, it seems when emails provide value at the right time, they can be very influential. 

This comes at a critical juncture for universities, as the demographic cliff means a smaller pool of students and higher competition for email inboxes. As students become more fatigued and irritated by frequent emails, the crux of email strategy shifts to quality over quantity. But then again, this is where the focus always should be.

Optimizing email cadences

The first issue universities need to address is the frequency of their emailing. With data suggesting emailing once a week can be detrimental to brand affinity, it would be an assumed easy fix to go down to emailing every two weeks instead. But it’s more nuanced than that. Understanding individual expectations around communications is simpler than one might perceive. For example, using simple checkboxes when collecting email data can let students choose their preferred email frequency. That way, HEIs can then enter students into the preferred email cadence for them and show that the process is a two-way communication from the start.

If you’re mid-way through the recruitment cycle and perhaps it’s a little too late for a process change, then a clearer unsubscribe button may be the way to help universities get the right information to the right people. While conventional wisdom suggests keeping your email list as large as possible, removing students who no longer wish to receive emails will help you refine your audience and better understand them. The outcome from the unsubscribed students will be the same, as it’s likely your email is being sent to the trash anyway. Those who remain subscribed are likely to be open to receiving information, which makes your recipient list more laser-focused. 

Personalization

From a student funnel perspective, a lot of personalization stops once students part ways with their valuable contact information. Considering that 53% of Gen Z prefer emails that align with their values, email offers an opportunity for universities to personalize their student marketing. Instead of having specific landing pages feed into one overall email cadence, cater your email content based on the circumstances in which the student provided their email. Perhaps it was a course-specific landing page, your student life page or a financial aid info page. In any case, ensure that alongside more generic emails, students are receiving the information they wanted to learn about in the first place.

Storytelling

Once you’ve got an understanding of what a student wants to hear, how you communicate your message is the second half of the battle. Gen Z audiences won’t buy into contrived and polished brand communications; they buy into authentic narratives. Instead of rattling off statistics about your university’s sustainability efforts, get a student leader to talk about the changes they’ve seen or even helped implement themselves. Or, instead of simply stating the level of student support you offer, have a student share their personal experiences. 

Remember that your audience wants to hear real stories from real people, and this rule applies to email communications too!

As students navigate the admissions journey, they will rely on different sources of information based on their preferences. Spamming students with emails when they prefer to scroll social media or liaise with their university counsellors will only hinder your cause. A robust email strategy helps identify the most effective communication method for each individual, fostering personal connections rather than relying on generic email blasts.

If you’re looking to revamp your process and need guidance on your student marketing, get in touch.