Generation Z

Reduce Print Costs: Striking the Balance Between Print and Digital in Higher Ed Admissions’ Marketing

The trends vary. While every institution has their own take on the strategic use of print pieces for prospective students, each grapple with the same considerations. What is the right balance between print and digital? Where in the recruitment cycle? What kind of pieces? Does Generation Z even look at print? Is it really just for parents?

In our Gen Z Labs user testing sessions, the students are pretty adamant. They only prefer print pieces:

  • if they asked for it
  • if the information is specifically relevant to their interests
  • if it’s brief, factual – not too ‘salesy’
    *Oh, and they like stickers, too.

Our CVB Clients tell us that print is here to stay, though how they use it is evolving. Many are shifting away from expensive, one-size-fits-all print viewbooks. Instead, they start the recruitment cycle with inexpensive print pieces (postcards, tri-fold brochures) inviting prospective students to create their own CustomViewbooks. Once more qualifying information about the prospective student is captured, a targeted print piece is sent, with content relevant to the prospect’s interest. For many of our clients, this streamlined approach has resulted in reduced print production costs.

“CustomViewbook has played a significant role in reducing our print costs. We don’t use very much print anymore, and are making our main piece even smaller. Our bigger main piece is for out-of-state. Our smaller bread-and-butter pieces are driving students to create their own CustomViewbook. When we have VIP visitors to campus, we print out the Viewbook itself.”

“Print is here to stay but its purpose is changing. Because there is a big shift to digital, we use print pieces as something special and extra-personal to get. We use them less often.”

“There are shifts happening but not as quickly as you’d might expect. People are still using quite a bit of print, maybe shorter pieces and not as frequently.”

We get it – print and digital communications should work hand-in-hand!  CustomViewbook has two customizable print designs available for our clients, (a hand-out piece and a self-mailer), each working to build awareness and drive prospects to create their own CVB.  And, we can help clients track the effectiveness of these print campaigns with specific source URLs.

Want to learn more about how CustomViewbook can help make your print strategy more effective? Contact Mary Pannullo (mary.pannullo@customviewbook.com) and schedule a demo, now.

 

To Engage Generation Z, Mobile Is The Medium

The smartphone is an extension of the self for the generation that has grown up living and learning online. Their experience and perception of you via your website, right at initial inquiry, is a key touchpoint to compel engagement with them.

The numbers tell the story! More than 80% of Generation Z own a smartphone. At initial inquiry, nearly 4 out 5 of your prospects will be viewing your website through a 5” lens. 

A third of those students will even submit an Application via their smartphone. (Chegg: Mobilizing Admissions: The 2016 Social Admissions Report)

GenZers have grown up in a culture of short, fast, on-demand transactions and immediate pay-off. It’s all around us now – think Snapchat, Instagram, Amazon 1-click. Unlike the generations that have grown up in the transition to the online world who have been willing to learn new systems and tolerate bad design, GenZers expect a user interface to be intuitive and mobile apps to just work. Testing shows that they will “just move on.” So, when it comes to engaging GenZ, designing for mobile interaction is a must.