You see them everywhere, teens and young adults with a smart device in their hand. The current population of 17-24-year-olds are wired; they don’t know a world without tablets or smartphones. What does that mean for your marketing strategy?
Effective marketing, no matter your target audience, means being visible where they are searching. For the young adult market, that means being found via voice search.
Forbes reported that over half of all 17-24-year-olds used voice search every day in 2017. Whether it’s checking the weather via Alexa or Echo before heading out the door or getting answers for a term paper on their smartphone, these tech savvy users prefer chat and text over static webpages and online articles.
How do you adapt to this trend?
1. Content:
Content is key when it comes to voice search. Creating a strong content library increases your exposure in search results as well as build brand awareness. Offering content that speaks to the current questions, positions you as a helpful resource and not just another institution pitching your programs.
Build out topics that your audience is asking about; instead of general financial aid information, which every institution offers, have more specific content about costs per session, how to budget for expenses outside of basic school costs, or how to manage a part time job while attending classes full time. You’ll likely have more connection and interaction.
2. Language:
How do you ask your friends for a recommendation? We don’t string together two or three keywords and hope they understand. Voice search is the same way. Google estimates that over 70% of voice searches are done in natural or conversational language and that percentage is expected to grow.
“What schools near me offer an accelerated program in IT?” or “Find colleges in the Washington area with child development programs.”
Look to your frequently asked questions gleaned from student visits or your existing social media accounts for content topics. Take note that the “to-do” list for adapting to this trend is limited, because the impact of voice search heavily relies on the content and language.
Remember, content marketing isn’t about you. It’s about your audience and what they care about. Answer their questions and they’ll be back for more.
For assistance improving your keyword list, ad copy, or ad extensions for voice search targeting, Contact TeamMDT today. We love to talk paid advertising, lead nurturing, direct mail, and everything that helps reach those who can benefit from your establishment.
