If you search the Internet for information about college viewbooks, there’s quite a bit of information about how unhelpful they are. Much of what I found can be summarized in the following words:
- They use glitzy advertising – you see what their marketers want you to see
- They are expensive to print
- Most students just “flip-through” them at first
- They are the most useless piece of information a college will send you
Ouch. That hurts to hear when most colleges and universities around the country use just that to attract new recruits. So why bother to put much effort into your viewbooks? Well, it’s true that many viewbooks can be deceiving, but they can also be incredibly informative and helpful for students who want to see what you’ve got to offer.
You must make your viewbook stand out. So how do you do that? Make your informative information stand out with personalization and relevance.
Here are some tips to help you stand out, and how you can use personalization and relevance to enhance your viewbook even more.
Be informative, but brief.
Don’t ramble on for pages about any one topic – talk about topics that matter to
your students, like financial assistance, for example. Now imagine that the information you provide is both personal and relevant to a particular student – wouldn’t that get your attention?
Speak with a student voice.
You want to be on the same level as your students without talking down to them. So why not let some of your current students do the talking? Show testimonials for various programs. Better yet, once you know what a particular student is interested in, you can make it personal and relevant by including a testimonial of a current student in that program.
Use an attractive design.
Graphics and photos are important – great campus shots, with and without students, are a great way to grab the attention of the student, but make sure you have good info to keep them interested. Use gender and even ethnic based photos to help make the viewbook personal and relevant to the prospective student.
For more intriguing tips and insider information on the world of college viewbooks, using personalization and relevance, join us for our next webinar on May 18th. Registration information will be posted as soon as it’s available.
