In higher ed, we are lucky. Our consumers are walking in our buildings, engaging around campus, participating in extracurricular activities, sitting in our classrooms, and living right in front of us. We have a myriad of opportunities to be able to observe their behavior, dig into their wants and need, figure out what we do well and what we can do better, and gather first-hand accounts of how they experience our brand.

While nothing takes the place of a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative brand research study to help understand market perceptions, set strategy, and establish brand benchmarks, there are many ways our marketing teams can gain insight into our students, and they are right in front of us.

Here are 5 budget-friendly tips for getting closer to your customer and becoming a smarter marketer:

Tip #1 - Get Out from Behind your Desk

One of the best ways to understand how current students experience your brand is to observe them in action. Allow time for ethnographic research. Block your calendar weekly. Walk the campus. Pay attention to where students congregate, eat lunch in the student union, stroll the library, or visit the bookstore. What insights can you glean from your examination and how does that information translate to your brand content, voice, and tone?

Tip #2 - Experience Life as a Student

Become a student: Get to the heart of the academic experience by auditing a class. Consider attending both an undergraduate and graduate class, as the markets vary. Does your university have a signature program? Are they hosting a guest lecturer? What is the most/least popular class? How do your observations align with student satisfaction and retention data? Showing your commitment to understanding the academic brand experience will help you better articulate your brand's academic differentiators AND build trust, respect, and a seat at the table with your academic counterparts.

Tip #3 - Participate, Participate, Participate

Universities and colleges are constantly hosting events. And while it is physically impossible for you and your team members to attend all activities, consider a holistic calendaring approach to ensure marketing representation at a variety of engagement touchpoints. In addition to being a catalyst for social and marketing content, participating in events creates additional opportunities to know and understand student and stakeholder behaviors.

Tip #4 - Attend Recruitment and Alumni Events

As more and more institutions have migrated to centralized marketing structures to bolster brand-building, strengthen functional expertise, and remove resource redundancies, criticism has increased that marketers are getting too far removed from their target market. To combat these perceptions (and in some cases, reality) ensure you make recruitment and alumni touchpoints a priority. Campus tours, college fairs, roadshow events, high school visits, new student orientation, parent's weekend, graduation, alumni events, and homecoming are all opportunities for marketers to observe how materials and tactics are received by your audiences and offer insights to adjust accordingly. And participation will help build a common sense of purpose and understanding between the Marketing, Admission, and Advancement teams.

Tip #5 - Map the Customer Journey

If you and your team are engaged and committed to the above activities, mapping the customer journey should be easy, and the benefits can be transformational. As a marketer, you will provide an outside-in perspective of your brand experience, help identify and prioritize activities that make the greatest impact on your customers and the institution, improve internal collaboration and alignment, and create a strong and valued customer-first culture.