Expanding Reach and Engagement with College Students Using Influencers

Challenge

Coegi collaborated with agency partner, True Media, on a key initiative for Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). The client needed to reach current college students (aged 18-24), specifically those in STEM fields who are undecided about their careers. Previous marketing efforts focused on standard website traffic generation and career messaging; however, they were looking to expand into additional tactics that would connect with students in an authentic, trust-inspiring way.

Highlights

Millions
of impressions served to those potentially interested in Optometry field

Thousands
of post engagements driving an authentic connection between ASCO and potential students

31 pieces of content
created and amplified efficiently across channels

Solution

Our teams leveraged the power of social media influencers to provide a new way of engaging with the target audience. Recognizing the influence of peer recommendations on college students, we partnered with a selection of young Optometrists and Optometry students (3 creators in total). These creators produced a mix of 31 pieces of content, including standard branded messages alongside a unique UGC (User-Generated Content) challenge. The UGC challenge encouraged viewers to share their top six “sights to see” and tag others in the Optometry community, aiming to spark a viral trend on Instagram and TikTok. Paid amplification was utilized on both platforms to further extend the reach of the influencer content and build genuine connection with relevant individuals beyond the creators’ core followers.

Results

Organically, we drove nearly 3,000 organic engagements at a 7.9% engagement rate through the 31 pieces of content. 

Through amplification on Instagram, we achieved over 1.2 million impressions at a CPM (cost per thousand impressions) of $7.71, generating over 70,000 post engagements. Similarly on TikTok, boosted content delivered nearly half a million impressions at a CPM of $3.97, with over 2,000 post engagements. Amplification not only allowed the content to reach a broader audience of relevant individuals, but also drove greater attention and consideration as evidenced by the content engagement. 

While the success of the UGC challenge is still to be determined, the initial results from the boosted influencer content are promising. 

Key Takeaways

• Influencer Selection: Partnering with creators who are both relatable and relevant to the target audience (young Optometrists/students) proved effective.
• UGC for Engagement: The UGC challenge fostered audience participation and could potentially lead to a viral trend, further amplifying the campaign reach.
• Paid Amplification Benefits: Utilizing the Paid Partnership tool on Instagram and TikTok allowed for seamless content integration and audience expansion beyond the influencer’s followers.

Overall, this campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of influencer marketing in reaching and engaging with a specific audience of college students. The combination of relatable creators, engaging content formats, and paid amplification strategies hold promise for driving brand awareness and consideration within the Optometry field.

Want to explore ways influencer marketing can boost your strategy? Contact our strategists today!