transform your content marketing with your school’s academic research

Using Academic Research for Content Marketing: A Guide for Schools

Presented by: Higher Education Marketing

1.  Why Research Should be Promoted 2.  Creating Engaging Content from Academic Research 3.  Presenting Research Content on Your Website

4.  Where Does Research Fit in Your Social Media Marketing?

5.  Benefits of Including Research in Your Content Marketing Strategy

Overview

Universities have been the site of some of the greatest discoveries in human history: �  Stephen Hawking proved the existence of singularities while at

Cambridge in the 70s

�  Astronomy research at Berkeley led to the idea of dark matter in 1998

�  Milton Friedman developed free market economic theory at the University of Chicago

�  Much of Sigmund Freud’s innovative psychiatry work was done at Vienna University

Despite this, schools often neglect to promote their research as part of their content marketing strategy.

Source: HEM – Using Your School’s Academic Research to Transform Your Content Marketing Strategy

1. Why Research Should Be Promoted

Promoting research in your content marketing can: �  Help the school gain wider media recognition �  Enhance the reputation and prestige of the institution

�  Demonstrate the expertise of faculty and students

�  Show prospective students the exciting projects they could be working on at your school

�  Provide a steady stream of quality, informative content


1. Why Research Should Be Promoted

“We’re all ‘research-led’ universities now- except when it comes to marketing purposes”

-Peter Reader Director of Marketing and Communications, University of Portsmouth

Good academic writing doesn’t always equal good student recruitment content! An effective research related post should: �  Provide a concise synopsis of the topic

�  Be presented in language prospective students, who may not have much knowledge of the area, can understand. Keep it simple!

�  Avoid using academic conventions such as qualifying statements, including long reference lists, as this can detract from readability

When framed correctly, academic features can open prospective students’ eyes to the exciting possibilities that studying at your university can bring!


2. Creating Engaging Content From Academic Research

Academic research can lend itself to a variety of content formats, including: �  Blogs

�  News articles

�  Interviews with key researchers, students and faculty

�  Snippets of key points with accompanying photos �  Infographics

�  Videos

Posting different types of content will help you connect with a broader audience of prospective students!


2. Creating Engaging Content From Academic Research

Promoting noteworthy research on your website showcases your most innovative work to prospective students, and earns inbound links to boost your SEO.

3. Presenting Research Content On Your Website


Queen Mary University of London features research articles prominently on its homepage, establishing it as a priority and prominent part of the school’s identity.

Most schools also have a dedicated research section on their site. Including articles related to notable recent studies here can make it more engaging for casual visitors.



Duke University has a dedicated ‘research blog’, which includes shorter, more informal posts. This approach can help your content appeal more to new leads.

To help prospective students identify with your content, emphasize your current students’ role in your research as much as possible, using interviews and articles to tell their personal stories.



The University of Indiana-Bloomington’s research section features quotes, testimonials, and features about student contributions.

Specialized research content can also be featured on the dedicated pages of specific departments, for a more targeted lead generation approach.



Harvard University segments its research-related content into the sub-domains of its various schools and departments.

When used in the right context, social media can provide a great outlet for promoting research: �  Facebook can provide access to a broad audience with interests in

many different areas of study �  Twitter can be used to promote links to new research content

�  LinkedIn could lead to content being endorsed and shared by academic and industry leaders.

�  Pinterest is one of the best traffic drivers on the web

�  Tumblr can help your research content reach a young user base

�  Reddit users are one of the most educated and intellectual groups on social media


4. Where Does Research Fit in Your Social Media Marketing?

Example The University of Michigan’s Institute of Social Research uses its Facebook page to share its latest studies, and links to other research centres which have crossover appeal to its audience.


Setting up individual Facebook pages for various department’s will help you attract prospective students interested in that field of study


Example The Stanford University School of Medicine uses Twitter to promote vast amounts of content relating to its groundbreaking research.


Twitter can also be used to increase engagement by having researchers host Q&As on the site!


Schools can use sites like LinkedIn and Reddit to promote long-form, intellectual content, while platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest can include short, visual snippets of research work.


Example Princeton’s chemistry department has a great Tumblr page which includes memes, infographics and videos about its research.


Making research a pillar of your content marketing strategy should provide clear, measurable results, helping your school: �  Increase web traffic �  Get your content shared on different platforms

�  Generate inbound links from authority sites

�  Elevate your school’s academic reputation

With a little effort, you can show prospective students that your school is just as committed to new studies and innovations as the world’s best universities!


5. Benefits of Including Research in Your Content Marketing Strategy