What if the secret to attracting more students lies in the collaboration between Students' Unions and university marketing teams? In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked partnership that can transform the way Higher Education institutions engage with prospective students.

Students' Unions: the perfect way to highlight campus life

We speak with Fay Harris, Deputy CEO of Membership Services at Keele University Students’ Union, and Ian Pain, Director & Co-Founder of The Crowd Agency. Together, they unpack the complex relationship between Students' Unions and universities, and ways they can work together more effectively.

Students' Unions are an invaluable resource for showing the real life of students on campus, and marketers can tap into that to build trust with prospective students during open days. We also look at how marketers can highlight events and societies to enhance the student experience in marketing materials and drive student numbers.

In This Episode

• How Students' Unions work and get funding
• Why there’s a gap between unions and the marketing team of the university
• Why trust is a key part of marketing and how marketers can balance it with meeting objectives
• Tips for university marketers to develop a strong relationship with Students' Unions
• Tips for making open days more engaging
• Best ways to incentivise student groups to get involved
• Leveraging alumni for promotional materials and open days
• How Students' Unions and marketing teams can work together for open days
• The different approaches to open vs. applicant days

Quotes

• “Students' Unions often might not be comfortable with the idea that what they run is a marketing tool; they focus on delivering great services for students.” - Ian Pain
• “There's a need for trust between marketing teams and Students' Unions to show authenticity while presenting the institution's best side.” - Ian Pain
• “A good relationship between marketing teams and Students' Unions means we can effectively showcase the great student experience at Open Days.” - Penny Eccles