University marketing

Whether it is attracting prospective students, demonstrating teaching and research expertise ahead of funding bids or highlighting community engagement work, university marketing teams need to communicate the value of their institutions at every level. These resources cover effective ways to reach and appeal to potential students, how to demonstrate institutional values and expertise and how work with academics and staff inside, and outside, your university to showcase news-worthy work.

A group of students pose for a selfie

The best way to market a university? Start with the students

University students can be lifelong brand ambassadors for their institution. To harness the power of word of mouth, create an environment where students feel they belong

Youssef Chetioui

Al Akhawayn University

The Venice skyline at dusk

Seeing is believing: how to make internationalisation count

Simply being international is no longer enough in higher education. Internationalisation needs to demonstrate impact and return on investment – and to do that, it needs to be seen, writes Michael Scott

Michael Scott

The University of Warwick

Donut with a bite out of it

How to create snackable social media content

What makes an engaging post that delivers your key message? Here’s what university social media creators should do and what they should avoid when creating short-form content

Evan Atkinson

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Man in hard hat shaking hands

How to create a win-win university-industry partnership

To reap the benefits of industry-academia collaborations, researchers and higher education institutions need to be clear about goals from the outset, understand each party’s differences and communicate

Darren Fast

University of Alberta

Blocks showing two-way communication

Cut through the noise with impactful internal communications

Internal messaging needs to reach the right people and inspire action – whether that’s getting responses to a staff survey or changing recycling behaviour. Here, Kelly Hibbs explores practical strategies to build trust and clarity

Kelly Hibbs

University of Southampton

A student filming herself on her phone

The dos and don’ts of bite-sized social media content

Learn how to create honest and authentic content that showcases community and creates a sense of belonging – invaluable for both prospective and current students

Amy Edwards, Sarah Markillie

University of Chester

A teacher live streaming from a smart phone

Go live on social media to engage with prospective students

Meeting prospective international students in person isn’t always possible. Here’s how to create engaging live streams on social media, from selecting valuable content to structuring sessions and encouraging interaction

Alex Fenton

University of Chester

Male mature-age college student

What makes a university extension programme stand out?

A holistic approach to extension courses that includes easy access to information, personalised support, workforce development assistance and end-to-end engagement will help institutions shine in a crowded market

Jaimie Rush

University of La Verne

Viral Instagram post

The power of positivity: how a simple question went viral

The viral success of a social media post offers insights on how universities can use simple, authentic and emotionally resonant content to drive engagement and strengthen community

Andrew Lam, Riley Phillips

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Close up of a microphone

Make your annual report sing

An annual report is a useful tool for promoting your institution’s work. Here’s how to coordinate its publication and get it seen

Ana Fuster , Perla Téllez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Students celebrating graduation

Market orientation must be an institution-wide endeavour

As higher education becomes increasingly global, universities must adopt a market-orientated philosophy, balancing student needs, national priorities and competitive differentiation, writes Emily Owen

Emily Owen

THE Consultancy

Webinar image

Campus webinar: How to boost the public perception of higher education

Hear how universities can demonstrate the value of their research, teaching and social impact beyond academia, from senior leaders at Campus+ partner institutions in the US and Canada

Steven W. McLaughlin, Nader Jalili , Rahim Somani

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities, SMU Lyle School of Engineering, University of Northern British Columbia

Young man trekking in Tasmania, Australia

From island to screen: marketing the campus experience to future students

When competition to attract students comes from other institutions, not just in your region but around the world, universities need effective marketing tools and a targeted message to stand out

Courtney Geritz

University of Tasmania

A student at her laptop with earphones on

Key strategies for successfully marketing an online course

Highlighting multimedia aspects, networking opportunities and the value of your course’s credential value are some of the ways institutions should be marketing their online education offering

Valeria Adriazola

Dalhousie University

A student filming himself speaking to camera

How small university marketing communications teams can make a big impact

Aligning comms with brand identity and recruiting alumni are among several ways lean marketing communications teams can boost their institution’s profile

Ellie Campbell, Kate Stanbury

London Metropolitan University

Student athlete with a gold medal

Using sports storytelling to raise an institution’s profile

How the University of Stirling leverages student athletes’ stories to create impactful content and drive engagement

Greg Christison

University of Stirling

A woman studying at her laptop

Promoting online courses: five effective marketing strategies

Several ways to promote Moocs and other online courses, including a focus on email marketing and paid advertising

Luke Howard, Ari Badlishah

The University of Edinburgh

Student working on a laptop outside

Don’t forget online learning in your university marketing

University marketing often focuses on the campus experience, so what should institutions do to make prospective students aware of their online course offering?

Ari Badlishah

The University of Edinburgh

Too many universities are practically identical

Sea of sameness: why universities have trouble with branding

Universities need to better embrace commercial opportunities and stop trying to be all things to all people, says Paul Baines

Paul Baines

University of Leicester

Image showing people engaging through social media communications

Why universities in emerging countries should invest in social media marketing

Why should higher education institutions in emerging countries invest in social media rather than flashy marketing campaigns to develop brand credibility and brand equity? Charitha Harshani Perera, Rajkishore Nayak, and Long Thang Van Nguyen explain

Charitha Harshani Perera, Rajkishore Nayak, Long Thang Van Nguyen

Northumbria University, RMIT University Vietnam

Empathy is a big part of authentic leadership, along with open decisionmaking

Authentic leadership isn’t new – but we need it more than ever in higher education

For leadership to be effective, we need to understand our own limitations and listen to others to learn how to overcome them, say Sarah Jones and Alasdair Blair

Sarah Jones, Alasdair Blair

De Montfort University