Making a case for video in higher education marketing

Many colleges who invest in videos to market their higher education institution experience low views, shares and engagement. There may be many reasons as to why these videos don’t return results. However, this does not mean that one should stop using video as a marketing medium. There are many compelling reasons to continue to use and expand on a video marketing strategy. Here are a few of those reasons:

1. Video consumption is on the rise: Video is one of the most popular ways of consuming content on the internet. It’s not surprising that YouTube is now the number 2 search engine in the world. People watch 3 billion videos a day on YouTube and over 450 universities have established a channel on YouTube EDU. With Facebook and other social networks incorporating more and more video content, these numbers will continue to rise.
2. Video production has become easier than ever before: Good quality video recorders are available on cell phones and availability of cheaper and more compact video recording technology has made it possible for students, prospects, faculty and staff to produce videos. The introduction of YouTube, Vine, Instagram and other video hosting platforms has made it even easier to post them online. Colleges and universities should tap into this opportunity and get great user generated content which can potentially be used as marketing material.
3. Video content gets ranked on search engines: Another compelling reason to invest in video is that video content ranks well on search engines. Due to the nature of its interactivity, it is easy to view and consume. As students conduct much of their college search online, it is crucial to reach them in as many ways possible. A recent survey by Uversity shows that nearly three-quarters of students use social media to research colleges. The same survey also shows that YouTube comes in second, only to Facebook, as one of the sites which prospects use to research colleges / universities that they are considering attending. Well-optimized, interesting video content will get ranked on search engines and reach prospects who otherwise may not have found that information.
4. Videos increase click-through rates and conversions: Embedded videos on websites, paid landing pages and email have resulted in improved click-through rates (CTRs), engagement metrics and conversions. Videos on landing pages have shown to improve conversion by up to 86% and those embedded in emails have resulted in increased CTRs, more time spent on the email and increased shares of the email.
5. Videos can be used as a branding tool: Student testimonials, virtual tours and campus videos are all ways of selling the campus experience to prospects. Students can get a feel for campus culture from these videos and connect with it.

How are you using video in your digital marketing strategy?