Marketing to College Students through Shared Interests via Social Media

Marketing to College Students through Shared Interests via Social Media

March 25, 2014

It is a tendency for people, specifically college students, to gravitate towards others who share their interests, which creates a prime marketing opportunity for businesses. One secret to marketing successfully via social media is to focus on people’s shared interests and passions, or what is known as the “interest graph.” It is the interest graph that should guide marketing strategy and technique, rather than the social graph. Marketing to people who have similar interests carries a greater value proposition than marketing to those who don’t, even though they may be socially connected. After all, most college students are on a tight budget and therefore are particular in their purchases and won’t buy just anything simply because some friend from high school did. Recommendations of products and services from people who they may not be connected to socially, but who share their interests and passions can be much more influential.

Recently, Land’s End developed a campaign called “Pin It to Win It”, in which they asked potential customers to follow and browse LandsEndCanvas.com and pin their favorite items to Pinterest boards for a chance to win gift cards valued at $250. Although Pinterest is considered to be a social network, it doesn’t rely on the social graph which contains a network of personal connections, but rather but the interest graph which maps people and their interests. But, Land’s End still utilized Facebook to promote the contest and display the winning Pinterest boards. In this case, the area of shared interest was the brand itself, not just the particular clothing items.

Here are five simple ways you can use the interest graph to advance your marketing agenda towards college students via social media:

1.       Run a “Pinterest Lottery” where you ask users to repin numbered images you have posted. Each week select an image at random and enter those who have repinned it into a drawing for a special prize. College students are always looking for freebees and give aways!

2.       Repin images from Pinterest members on your company page. This will provide inspiration, attract attention, and support social sharing between college students.

3.       Use of Pinterest is not limited to products, but can be used for business services as well. It is a way for reports, blogs, and infographics to be circulated among students.

4.       Use hashtags to draw attention to marketing campaigns, seasonal promotions, special events, and contests. Speaking in hashtag has become second nature to college students and is something that they not only can relate to, but also get excited about.

5.       Make your customers’ lifestyle and taste graph a top priority, then find ways to appeal to that in the content you create and share via social media. College students will be more likely to support a company who has both creative and seemingly personalized advertisements.

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