If there’s one event that all students look forward to, it’s the college fair. Not only is it exciting to explore the possibilities in front of you once you graduate from high school, but actually getting the opportunity to talk to reps from your dream colleges is thrilling.
In reality, though, only a few students know what their dream university is which makes a college fair even more useful, and your stall at the fair even more important. Universities come to these college fairs with a game plan – they’re looking to put forward the best face of their university so that more and more students apply for admission. And this means that to make your stall a success, you’re going to have to promote it.
Here are 4 ways you can promote your stall at a college fair:
1. Pre-event Postering
While bringing your A-game to the college fair is of the essence, it’s just as important to engage in pre-event marketing to build some hype around your stall. And what better mode of pre-event marketing than bringing out the trusty poster? One thing’s a fact – college students love posters – which is why they’re always on the lookout for new ones to stay updated with all the events happening on campus. And designing and displaying a poster advertising your stall using PosterMyWall’s college fair poster templates will elevate your marketing game like nothing else!
Not only are the templates super easy to use and free of cost, but they’re also fully customizable, allowing you to achieve the aesthetic that you’re aiming for. Once designed, simply put up your posters around campus – be sure to target dorm buildings – and your stall will be a hit at the fair!
2. Bring Cool Merch
Pens, notepads, badges – whatever stall you visit at a college fair, these are pretty much the staple merch items that you find. And while it’s always nifty to add a new pen to your collection, elevating your college merch is a great way to build some traction for your stall.
Distribute pens that have a roll of sticky notes wrapped inside them, a notepad that tears away to reveal a 3D model of your college campus or even small tech items such as earphones or mini speakers emblazoned with your college logo. Remember, the more attractive your merch, the more likely you are to attract interested students to your stall.
3. Connect Digital
Colleges and universities are looking to connect with students at college fairs, but most of them will be going down the paper route – collecting resumes and handing out brochures. You can stand out by connecting digitally – have a number of tablets or laptops set up where students can enter their emails, submit digital versions of their resumes, set up meeting slots with university representatives, and even take a virtual campus tour.
Not only will you be able to create an entire database of students, but you’ll also have piqued the interest of many possible applicants, making your college a hot topic!
4. Bring the Right People
Of course, every member of your team is valuable, but each person has their own strengths. And it’s important that you make the right decision when selecting who to bring to your college fair stall. Quality-wise, your team should be confident, people-friendly, enthusiastic, and welcoming – the warmer you are, the more at ease students will feel when talking to you.
It’s a good idea to bring your college counselor, people from the admissions team, and maybe even a student or alumni who can give potential students an inside look at life at your college. The bottom line is, whoever you decide to bring should be up to date on the university’s application process, key features, degrees offered as well as specific concentrations, and what extracurricular activities and support are available to enrolled students as well as, of course, financial aid matters. Not only will a well-informed team make the college fair experience smoother, but it’ll also appear positively with interested students.
So, if you’re looking to promote your stall at a college fair, then these tested tips and tricks are what you need. Just be sure to make adjustments and personalizations according to your college and you’ll be good to go!
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
