Are you responsible for enticing young people to enroll in college classes? If so, walking in their shoes will help you reach them.
Message reality check: what rings true?
We all dropped into the world timeline at different points. Pop culture, politics, key public figures, inventions, world events and communications contribute to each generation forming its own view of the world. Using the experiences of your target audience—and not your own—will help you develop content and visuals that connect with them.
Being relevant is more compelling—and more effective. Being able to think, feel and imagine as if you were in your late teens (or other demographic) will make it easier for you to connect with your audience.
Search by year to explore world events, pricing, pop culture and music at these websites:
The People History
The Mindset Lists of American History
A few examples for the class of 2016 from The Mindset Lists:
- They have always enjoyed school and summer camp memories with a digital yearbook.
They watch television everywhere but on a television. - For most of their lives, maintaining relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world has been a woman’s job in the State Department.
- While still fans of music on radio, they often listen to it on their laptops or replace it with music downloaded onto their MP3s and IPods.
- Probably the most tribal generation in history, they despise being separated from contact with their similar-aged friends.
The two websites mentioned focus mostly on American facts and figures. Many college admission directors are communicating with students from outside the U.S. When reaching out to a global audience, make sure you research cultural and historical differences as well.
Take a moment to explore the nuances of history that formed frame of references for those high school students entering college. Then check your content to make sure it connects with your college bound audience.
