TikToks and Instagram Reels: Using Short-Form Video in Higher Education Marketing
Ari Badlishah (she/her), Digital Engagement Officer at The University of Edinburgh
TikToks, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and the like have a reputation for featuring “silly” or “cringey” dancing and lip-syncing. Initially, the thought of using this content form may challenge the concept of traditional education marketing: corporate, polished, and serious.
But as we all know, it’s hard to grab people’s attention nowadays. Long gone are the days where educational institutions primarily advertised through thick physical brochures – you have to aim to get on a prospective student’s #ForYouPage to be seen. The mediums for distributing content are ever-changing, and education marketers must move with the times. Short-form video is what is working today, whether organic or paid.
Short-form video can provide deep insight into student life, showcase the history and reputation of your university, and capture beautiful graduation moments. Discover why and how you can embrace authentic and engaging short-form video for education marketing.
Takeaways:
In today’s cluttered media landscape, engaging short-form video is a content form that works
Don’t fear short-form video – be open to innovation that may challenge traditional education marketing
Authenticity is key for short-form video... the less it looks like an ad, the better.
Bio
Ari Badlishah lives and breathes content creation - making Instagram Reels about exciting road trips, sketching the waves in the ocean, and writing poems about the seasons changing. She feels fortunate to create content regularly as part of her marketing role at the University of Edinburgh.
Ari has 3 years of experience in marketing-related roles at UK universities and delivers monthly webinars on TikToks / Instagram Reels to her colleagues. She has also marketed various initiatives relating to secondary and tertiary education, self-development, sustainability, youth engagement, and community empowerment.
