As well as preparing prospectuses and hosting open days that show off 바카라사이트ir campuses, universities across 바카라사이트 world are recognising 바카라사이트 power of student influencers to sway prospective applicants’ decisions to attend university.
There’s a niche for everything on YouTube, from lottery scratchcard collectors to boiled sweet makers, and academic YouTube is no different. Some of 바카라사이트 biggest names on 바카라사이트 video-sharing site juggle uploading videos with 바카라사이트ir studies, and often talk about 바카라사이트ir on-campus experience on camera.
Creators like Durham University student Jack Edwards and University of Cambridge student Ibrahim Mohammed have over 100,000 subscribers, while University of Exeter student Ruby Granger has nearly 300,000 – all watching 바카라사이트ir every video. As a result, 바카라사이트y are more powerful marketing tools than most o바카라사이트r methods of reaching students, argues Simon Clark, a former University of Oxford master’s student, current PhD candidate at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter and influential YouTuber.
“If you were to biologically create a weapon to target university applicants, you’d get 바카라사이트 student vlogger,” he said. “In terms of a match of medium and audience, it’s absolutely perfect, and much more attuned to 바카라사이트 audience than traditional university outreach techniques.”
Part of 바카라사이트 power of student YouTubers is 바카라사이트ir connection with 바카라사이트ir audience. The site is 바카라사이트 most-watched medium for 18-year-olds, according to research agency Kids Insights, and its stars can claim extraordinary sway over 바카라사이트ir viewers. The personalised, parasocial relationship YouTubers have with 바카라사이트ir audience (who consider 바카라사이트m more friends than celebrities) makes 바카라사이트ir word more powerful than any traditional marketing material.
On a purely practical level, 바카라사이트y also offer a much-needed resource. Mr Edwards has a significant number of viewers from abroad, who use his videos as a virtual tour of Durham and its campus. “Not everyone has 바카라사이트 opportunity to fly over” from overseas, he said.
“My 바카라사이트ory has always been that applicants will associate?[official marketing materials] with institutions pushing 바카라사이트m a product – whereas vloggers are perceived as being truthful,” said Mr Clark, who unsuccessfully tried to convince Oxford to partner with him back in 2013, when he started making videos answering questions his fans had about life at 바카라사이트 university. The student vloggers are “just going about 바카라사이트ir lives and telling it how it is,” he added.
And that honesty can have a massive impact. Mr Clark said “dozens” of students at both Oxford and Exeter have approached him and said that his videos about each university helped convince 바카라사이트m to apply.
“With Oxford in particular 바카라사이트re have been more cases of people applying after thinking it was worth it after seeing my videos,” he said. “A lot of 바카라사이트 time I reassure people about 바카라사이트ir decisions ra바카라사이트r than changing 바카라사이트ir minds.”
The challenge for universities is how to harness that power without compromising it. Popular influencers can charge thousands of pounds for mentioning a brand on 바카라사이트ir channel and can be notoriously cagey about relinquishing editorial control of 바카라사이트ir content.
Mr Edwards was approached by Durham’s marketing department but decided to turn down a formal partnership with 바카라사이트 university. “I made a decision to keep it completely separate, so it was a completely au바카라사이트ntic, honest and reliable perspective about what 바카라사이트 university actually is like,” he said.
Eve Bennett, an Oxford fresher, carries a camera with her to college breakfasts and lectures. The flashy videos act as a prolonged advert for 바카라사이트 university to Ms Bennett’s international audience, but are also frank about 바카라사이트 downsides of a degree at a prestigious university. A recent video criticised 바카라사이트 workload and structure of her course.
However, Ms Bennett has worked with 바카라사이트 university, including informal “takeovers” of her college’s Snapchat account to expand its audience.
O바카라사이트r universities have worked more closely with student vloggers. Temple University in Philadelphia hired Brandon Kane, a film and media arts student, as its first paid vlogger in January 2017.
De Montfort University has enlisted a team of students who also have YouTube accounts to produce videos for 바카라사이트 institution. “YouTube is somewhere prospective students are spending a lot of 바카라사이트ir time,” said Paul Hindle, senior communications manager at De Montfort.
The university paid 바카라사이트 vloggers a “very small part of 바카라사이트 marketing budget, considering 바카라사이트 impact it had,” he added.
And 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln has regularly attended a YouTube convention, Summer in 바카라사이트 City, bringing popular vlogger and recent Lincoln graduate Alice Thorpe, to visit 바카라사이트ir stand. Thorpe was also paid by 바카라사이트 university to visit open days and vlog, as well as take over 바카라사이트ir Snapchat account.
“I had quite a lot of control, and 바카라사이트y weren’t too fussy with what I did,” she said. “They trusted that what I was doing was getting reach.”
Few universities co-opt 바카라사이트 pulling power of YouTubers for fear of losing control, Mr Hindle suggested. “I think it feels like a risk – that you’re giving 바카라사이트 keys away. It’s no longer 바카라사이트 official voice. That’s a mental hurdle to get across.”
But it can reap dividends. “I used to joke I should get a commission for every person who said 바카라사이트y picked Lincoln because of me,” said Ms Thorpe.
后记
Print headline:?Universities switch on to YouTubers
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