Now is the time for Colleges to invest in PR
India has more than 800 universities, 40,000 colleges and 12,000 stand-alone institutions in India and approximately 6% of India’s GDP is utilized in the educational sector with approximately 20 million students passing out. Despite these high numbers, only a few hundred colleges and universities are in the top league with the rest in the second and third rung. Some of them have even also closed as they were unable to garner adequate number of students!
The trend of students chasing colleges to get admitted are passé’. How does one break this impasse?
How can one ensure they attract students and their parents to opt for their college or university?
It is obvious that the public at large opt to first apply in the top rung universities, colleges or a business school after completing their +2 exams. Let us not ignore the fact that the window to get an admission from a college is anywhere between 60 to 75 days only in an academic year.
Though there are many ways to attract students and their parents utilizing cost effective and expensive in your face marketing and advertisements (full page ads, tv ads, social media promotions, bus backs, bill boards, testimonials, pamphlets, newspaper inserts and finally celebrities endorsing the college and much more), it has been found, one of the most effective and time tested methods that have resulted in a good turn out of students/parents in a college is utilizing a public relations agency.
Enter Public relations agencies:
Apart from the regular and traditional marketing and communication channels mentioned above, every college should hire a Public Relation Services agency and should preferably be one of the best public relations agencies in your city (Best PR agency in Chennai).
Stand apart from the rest of the herd?
Utilizing a Public relations agency of its services will ensure usage of different methods to ensure that more and more people know about their engineering/standard college or university.
A key role of the public relation agency is to create a positive image in the minds of the potential students and their parents. This can definitely be achieved with time and patience as it is a matter of building a name, reputation and endorsements.
Basis research studies, it has been found parents/students choose colleges when they spend quality time researching and understanding what a college offers.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, with all options of advertising except print, television and social media only available due to Covid-19 and the effective lockdown pan India, parents and their wards are urged to spend quality time reading and understanding which college is ideal for them.
In this Covid-19 scenario, some of the time-tested methods employed by a public relations agency to garner interest for admissions are:
1.One on one interviews in a reputed television channel(s) interacting with a knowledgeable and reputed anchor highlighting what the colleges offer in terms of:
- Infrastructure
- Fees
- Faculty
- Courses
- Transportation
- Environment
- Hostel and its facilities
- Job prospects
2.Advertorials and select interviews in newspapers in English and Tamil dailies highlighting the college’s salient features
3.Word of mouth positive publicity is the most effective way of ensuring parents are convinced this college is the most ideal and best suited for their wards
4.Participating in education fairs (post Covid-19 & Lockdown) and spending quality time with the counsellors to understand about the college
5.Alumni and related associations wherein passed out students talk positively about their student life and experiences
6.Attending or sponsoring seminars, workshops, trade shows, events also make a positive impact for the college.
All these and more are possible if a public relations agency is employed as they have the know how and based on the college/university can suggest a mix of plans that is the most effective and best suited for the college and the students/parents at large.
