Capitalising on Student Influx – Flyers v Social Media

Oct. 10, 2012 - PRLog -- The influx of new students, or ‘freshers’ into universities around the country has seen many businesses clamouring to take advantage of the vast numbers of potential new customers they could gain. Every conceivable type of business, from music venues to extra language courses and from fast food restaurants to theatre companies will be attempting to capitalise on the arrival of huge numbers of new students into the popular university areas. The University of Kent is one of the institutes combining online and print initiatives, including using leaflets, posters and flyers, in order to help their new students settle in, and help them make the most of what the local businesses have to offer them.

The poster and flyer printing undertaken by both the Medway and the Canterbury campuses which both fall underneath the banner of the University of Kent is aiming to produce informational and promotional booklets and leaflets to inform newcomers to the area of the services available. The manager of communications at the university, Miles Banbery, believes that a mix of traditional and more technologically advanced promotional schemes are the best way to approach this critical time of year. “There’s no one thing you can do that all 20,000 students will love you for,” he says. “You’ve got to do a bit of Twitter, a bit of Facebook, a bit of live stuff, a mobile app, a leaflet, a poster. We’re not doing all those things just to try and get a critical mass of people to see what is going on.”

The University of Kent is not the only university utilising such methods. From concentrated student areas in the bigger cities, including London, Birmingham and Manchester, to the smaller towns which predominantly house a student population, such as Preston, Durham, York and even Oxford and Cambridge, will all be using any means necessary to encourage students to get involved in university life, and to take advantage of the offers available to them.

Indeed, reaching out to new students through printed A5 flyers is an appropriate and effective way to ensure that as many ears and eyes as possible are reached. Although they are growing in popularity, social media platforms are not yet accessible by all, so using the simple methods such as promotional flyers can ensure that a wider audience is reached. Larger flyers can include comprehensive price lists so that prospective customers know exactly what they’re getting, and smaller flyers can be used creatively to build interest or intrigue in a launch night, a venue or a certain special offer.

Many students are also picking up on the cost-effective method to encourage new students to join university societies or clubs. Every conceivable group, from sports societies to university political support groups will need to recruit new members to replace the ones who left after graduation, and using high-quality flyers courtesy of an online flyer printing service to show their sincerity and determination is a strong and effective way to garner new members.  

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