Top 5 ways to Increase Student Footfall in Education Fairs

Maybe this is your first time setting up your booth at an educational fair and presenting, or you are someone who goes to these events periodically, but one question that you both are looking forward to is: how to increase student attendance at your booth? 

We are here to help you out with this question by providing you with the 5 best ways to attract more students and make your event high-yielding. Additionally, we will share a list of a few national and international education fairs that will take place later this year and are unquestionably worthwhile at the end of this blog. So, do carry on till the very end. 

1. Know your Target Audience 

Before creating any plans for yourself, consider the perspectives of the students who are coming to the fair. The students are attending the fair for a few major reasons, such as 

• They want to gather information on various universities. 
• They are seeking an opportunity to speak with admission officers or representatives from universities in person.  
• They want to decide after comparing multiple universities at the same place and time. 
• They want tips for their application and selection process
• They will assess the scholarships offered by various universities. 
• They want to get connected with the alumni of different universities.
• Discover new programs that they weren’t aware of. 

Now just answer a simple question, will the students be going to a booth that will offer everything listed above or will they go to a generic one?

Of course, they will turn their heads towards a booth that will tell them, “What’s in it for them?” 

And all you have to do is that. Just give them what they are here for and seek the maximum attraction towards your booth. 

2. Align your goals and work on your challenges 

You are attending a fair with a diverse group of students, so you need to have everything and anything, but the budget also needs to be considered. You need to have a promotional plan, but the source and cost of promotions also need to be considered and so on. 

As you see here, with every planning pointer, you will have a consideration pointer. 

So to avoid wasting time in considering things and then getting them clear, you should first align your goals and then create a plan. 

Set a checklist of goals you want to achieve with this event, along with the challenges or the points you need to consider. This exercise is the most crucial point in the whole event, as it decides your further action plan. 

You can refer to the table provided below and mention your very own goals and challenges; you can also add a column for the action plan. 

3. Create a solid promotion plan 

Your prospects are students, and these days, the easiest way to reach them is through social media. But here is the catch! 

You can’t just go out and put up a design template telling people to come to the fair! Instead, you have to make a solid plan and a social media calendar to approach your target audience and expect a high engagement rate. Basically, you have to create a buzz among them regarding the event, so much so that their excitement will bring them to the event.

Some major points that can strongly influence your digital promotions are: 

• Automate email campaigns and reach out to the right people at the right time. This can be done hassle-free using a good education CRM
• Invite your target audience through Facebook events. Various groups are available on Facebook for international fairs such as IEF, and national education fairs such as India Education EXPO. 
• Add a banner regarding the event to your website. 
• Run paid advertisements across google, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms. 
• Create engaging content like reels and short snippets related to the event on Facebook and Instagram to promote your event presence and encourage students to visit. 
• Promote using customized WhatsApp messages that also include the registration link. 

4. Offer something to your target audience

We all love offers on things we shop for, coupons when we dine, and vouchers for online stuff. Just like this, your target audience too will love it if you offer something in return. 

The incentive or offer that you are going to provide to your students needs to be mentioned throughout your promotions as it will provoke them, thereby increasing your attendee ratio. 

Now, the question here is what kind of incentives or offers you can provide. 

The offer you can provide can be as simple as a door prize, so people will engage through draws, raffles or incentives. 

Other than that, you can provide direct offers, such as, if they attend the event and choose your institution right there, they will get an instant discount on the tuition fee. Also, if they sign up for an on-campus visit, they will be provided with a concession on their hostel fees.

Students who show a strong interest in sports or extracurricular activities may be given a free lesson on those subjects by an expert in the field.  

5. Go beyond the known methods

Education marketing is quite different from event marketing. Attending education fairs and making the most of them is a tough job, you need to hustle extra to get the results. You need to think smart as well as with a tint of creativity. You need to think like a prospective student and try to reach and communicate with them in their own way. In the crowd of thousands at the fair, you have to stand apart. 

A few points you should consider: 

• Use the same content & design in the backdrop of your booth that was used in the promotions to create a sense of familiarity among the students. 
• Try to invite some alumni of your alma mater, so the students can interact with them and engage in a conversation. This will in turn create a buzz among other students present. 
• Provide a diary, a pen, a card, a key ring, or anything with your institute’s name infringement. This will create a brand memory and a lasting impression on the student’s mind. 
• Don’t let anyone go unanswered from your booth, clear their confusion with utmost patience. 
• Don’t act salesy just be a good guide to the students, they will definitely connect back stronger.

Conclusion

Attending education fairs and making the most of them is a tough job. But with the right marketing strategies and the correct approach, you can definitely achieve your goals. However, the grind does not stop here. Post the event, you need to provide your prospective students with a feedback form so that you know what they were expecting from you and to what level you have satisfied them. 

Also, it is always a good idea to keep a track of your entire event. Every single metric should be recorded such as how many attendees were there, how many sessions were held and their impact, how many students visited on-campus, etc.

However, the grind does not stop here. Post the event, you need to provide your prospective students with a feedback form so that you know what they were expecting from you and to what level you have satisfied them.

Once you are done with the event, it is advisable to manage the lead influx with some post-event activities to have insights on your entire event and record every significant metric such as how many attendees were there, how many sessions were held and their impact, how many students visited on-campus, etc.