Midterms, essays, finals… being a student is a TON of work. So much work, in fact, that a lot of students simply don’t have the time to look for the services that you provide.
So when things get stressful, it’s important to be where the students are. Here, we have five tips to alert students that help is available.
Tip #1 - Ask professors to tell students about your tutoring program at the start of class
A professor’s vote of confidence can go a long way to helping students seek help. Bonus if they include the program details in their course syllabus.
Tip #2 - Plug Nimbus in your LMS system so that students associate Nimbus with academic importance and relevance.
When students are looking at course work or starting to prepare for an upcoming test is when searching for a tutor is likely to be front-of-mind. Make it easy for them to get to the resources you provide by plugging them directly into your LMS.
This also gives students that aren’t on social media the resources more directly.
Tip #3 - Invest in advertising and promotion
Not everyone reads their emails — and sometimes they may even go to the dreaded junk folder – so it’s important to increase the variety of ways you get the message out.
Social media adverts are a relatively cost-effective way to advertise your opportunity. You can make them as targeted or as general as you want, and connect with students in a more fun, informal way. If you have the time, try getting creative! Have past tutors post short videos of why they like working with your team or make some cool graphics advertising the top perks of being a tutor.
Is the budget too tight this year for paid adverts? Try having student ambassadors (or tutors) announce the opportunity at the start of target classes, and reach out to students you interact with to see if they may know anyone who’s interested. For virtual classes, have ambassadors record a short video that teachers can play at the start of class.
*Promotional partners can be found throughout the institution, administration, student unions, student groups and more can be leveraged in sharing one message.
Tip #4 - Have students share their own stories
We all have trouble asking for help sometimes. Seeing other, successful students or alum who previously asked for help can make it easier to take that first step.
Ask previous students to record a quick video or write a brief blog about why they sought out a tutor and what they got out of the experience and share through your promotional tools to help create a culture where asking for help is accepted.
Tip #5 - Get support from Nimbus
At Nimbus, we have a wealth of recruitment services, marketing resources and other files to help your program succeed while also saving you time. Check in with your Nimbus partnership representative to see what resources we can tailor to your needs.
Peer-to-peer tutoring and mentorship programs can also help students form valuable, lifelong connections to their community — the trick is to make them easily accessible. Nimbus’s platform easily integrates into your institution’s learning management system and can connect students with the support they need in a few easy clicks. With Nimbus’ help, 60% of our partners have been able to expand their current student success programs or add new services that meet students where they are. Our dedicated team can help inform you (and your student interns) on where to focus your marketing efforts and can even provide custom materials and strategies to ensure your program’s success.
