You know this generation – the most likely to own a smartphone (89%); least likely to listen to the radio (at least in the traditional sense) (31%); and most likely to shop online (53%), all according to a guide from students at the University of Southern California’s online MS in applied psychology – and they’d know; they are students, after all.
However, despite the assumption that this generation gets all of their information from social media, there may be one viable news source that still surprises: campus media.
As noted in my previous blog post, Campus Media 101, students are still turning to campus newspapers, websites and radio stations for information because it includes one important element – it’s news for them, by them.
To reach these media points and their audiences, it’s not enough to be authentic. You also have to present information that’s relevant to college students’ interests. What follows is a brief selection of topics we know are resonating on campuses already.
Jobs and Workforce Trends
It’s no secret that the job market has been challenging for recent college grads since the start of the recession, and this year’s slight economic improvements don’t mitigate the worry college students – especially seniors – feel when contemplating life after school.
“Graduating in a weak economy has long-lasting economic consequences,” according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank focused on working America. “For the next 10 to 15 years, those in the Class of 2016 will likely earn less, and have more spells of unemployment, than if they had graduated when job opportunities were plentiful.”
Given these odds, college students want to read about how they can improve their chances of finding a job after school. If you want to engage students, you could consider some of the following topics:
- Do you tend to hire a lot of recent college grads? Provide tips and quotes from your HR department recommending what students can do to maximize their chances.
- Discuss earning potential or growth in your sector. It’s not just seniors who are interested in job-related content. Help a college student determine his or her career path based on the best earning potential and/or growth for that role or industry.
- How’s your company’s culture and diversity? Connect with one of the most socially conscious generations by showcasing your winning Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, diversity training, or workplace life.
Student Loans
On the heels of a discussion about recent college grads getting jobs is another hot-button issue: Student loans. The statistics are bleak, according to a breakdown from Student Loan Hero:
- Average student loan debt is more than $37,000 for the Class of 2016 — higher than it’s ever been.
- More than 43M people in the U.S. face student debt.
- There is about $1.3T in outstanding student loans in the U.S.
So how does this affect your content strategy?
For companies with financial planners, it may be worthwhile to share tips on how students can reduce their loans while still in school or how recent college grads may best be able to pay their debt while living within their means (and still having fun!).
Also, instructional content — such as how and why to refinance, when a student may be eligible for loan forgiveness, the various types of loan repayment plans (fixed, income-based, etc.), the best plan for each student, etc. — could be really useful for students, especially if shared via their on-campus media organizations.
And don’t forget to use multimedia! With the Instagram generation, even multimedia content in the form of charts and graphs can increase engagement with your audience.
Consumer Technology
It’s not all loans and jobs on college students’ minds these days; consumer technology – whether apps, content streaming devices or the latest entrant into the Internet of Things (IoT) – is excellent fodder for the generation with the highest annual spending power ever ($200B by 2017), according to a late 2015 Forbes article.
92% percent of 18-34-year-olds in the U.S. own a smartphone compared to 65% of those 35 years and older, according to a 2016 Pew Research report, with the percentage inching up at the Generation Z end of that scale (18-20-year-olds).
Given the dependence on mobile technology as both an item to consume (using a smartphone for social media or other means) and an item to further consumption of other technology (using a smartphone to purchase other tech), it is inevitable that technology is a significant topic for college students.
So what kind of news would they want?
- Product launches. With technology changing all the time, college students like to stay in-the-know on the products that could become popular on campus.
- Top 10 lists. Don’t have a new product coming out but you’re interested in reaching out to 18-22 year olds? Why not put together a top 10 list to show why your product or service is a good fit for their lifestyle?
- Sustainability initiatives. As we’ve already mentioned, millennials and Generation Z are both very focused on sustainability – from the companies they work for to the companies from which they purchase items, and the more they know about your initiatives and how they fit their beliefs, the more your content will resonate when they’re making purchase decisions.
When planning out a PR and marketing strategy that includes reaching college students, focus on connecting with those students via their on-campus media orgs, like student newspapers or radio stations. The content may be coming from you, but the message, when delivered by journalists their own age who can imbue it with a legitimacy borne of mutual interests, will see increased engagement.
Ultimately, reaching niche audiences like college students comes down to tailoring your content creation and distribution strategy to their wants and needs.
Take the above tips one step further by downloading Driving Audience Awareness by Targeting Your Press Release. Download our free guide now and learn how to ask the right questions that will get your story in front of your target audience.
Author Alexa Hoffman is PR Newswire’s senior product manager for US distribution, which reaches thousands of student journalists as part of the broadest group of US-based journalists, consumers, bloggers and investors in the industry. Follow her at @PRNlgbt, where she co-curates PR Newswire’s Twitter channel dedicated to LGBT news and culture and connect with her on LinkedIn.
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