A recent article by René Shimada Siegel for Inc. magazine highlighted the reasons why personal, face-to-face time can still be a benefit in this modern, ultra-connected world. The piece gave “5 reasons why you need to meet in person”, which included these benefits:
- Being off the record
You can learn a lot more from clients one on one and in the flesh than over the phone or skype. - Small talk
It might seem like irrelevant chatter, but small talk can help create bonds and lasting relationships. - Making a good impression
A good impression at a face-to-face meeting can often go a lot further than an email or a conference call. It also lasts longer in the memory. - Body language
This should go without saying: you can often read a lot more from someone’s body language.
You might think that these are not relevant when it comes to education marketing, but we’d argue that there are some very important points here for college marketing departments. If you’re putting in a lot of effort to boost your online presence and improve your share of social media voice (and in the process, maintaining an active community presence on a number of social media platforms), you shouldn’t turn your back on good old fashioned face-to-face meetings.
In fact, one should compliment the other. Search engine optimization, Google Adwords and a comprehensive social media plan can help your college or university promote:
- Open houses
- Campus tours
- Seminars
- Workshops
- Special campus events
- Charity events
- And more
All of these can give prospective students the chance to see what your school has to offer with their own eyes. It also gives your recruiting and marketing departments opportunities for face-to-face meetings with prospective students, scenarios where Miss Siegel’s advice can be handy indeed.
What do you think?
