Tag: advice

In this article:

  • Student marketing interns are a great way to learn from your target demographic about pain points they’re experiencing, while also taking a weight off of your shoulders.
  • Task students with creating social media posts, devise flyers and posters and hang them up, make class announcements, collect emails and host booths at club fairs.
  • Not only can this work take a load off of your shoulders, but can also help further your program goals of helping student develop communication and leadership skills

So you’ve started your own tutoring program, but getting the word out has been challenging. You don’t have a huge budget, and you could use some help with those extra tasks you need to check off your list.

We have a solution for you: hire a student marketing intern!

Students are the target demographic

Save time and money by hiring students to do the marketing work you need. By connecting with a student, you don’t have to worry about wasting time relaying basic information when you can get the insider scoop on your target demographic from the people who are in it themselves. They know what their peers look for in a tutor, and have insight into the marketing issues that arise in your campus community. Seeking out the services of a student can generate a level of trust in your brand that comes only through authenticity.

When interviewing potential student marketers, why not ask them about their own experiences in finding a tutor? Allowing them to reflect on their experiences can show you exactly where your pain points are and will also help you identify a student who has first hand experience with the program. These students are an invaluable resource when it comes to not only communicating the message, but also making sure the message is heard.

What can students do?

You can have your student marketing intern create social media posts (canva is a great free tool they can use), engage with other students on your various platforms, devise flyers and posters and hang them up, make class announcements, collect emails and host booths at club fairs. 

The Nimbus analytics tool also makes it easy to manage surveys and offers in-depth analysis of data, such as what subjects are in high demand and the sorts of feedback students are giving tutors. This information is easy to collect through your administrative console, and can be put to great use by your student assistant! Use this data to recruit more subject-specific tutors, approach other students who may also be looking for help, and inform professors to encourage them to connect their classes to the tutoring program.

Students can do so much — all it takes is some training on your message and brand.

Further the impact of your program

Students are keen to develop skills and know what other students are looking for in a tutoring service. You can further the impact of your program by helping students develop soft skills like communication and planning, while also letting them take a chunk out of your workload.

Conclusion

Keeping up with the demand for your tutoring program can be difficult – Nimbus can help. With our help, program administrators reduce their workload by 52%, which has allowed 60% of our partners to expand current or add new student success programs. 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 success.

Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can help!

In this article:

  • Children as young as seven start to associate asking for help with appearing incapable
  • Methods of helping students access tutoring despite internalized feelings of shame include: lowering barriers to asking for help, finding processes that allow students to avoid the the vulnerable “I need help” conversation; stressing privacy; and having students and faculty share their stories about getting help.

Research suggests that as early as the age of seven, children link asking for help with appearing inept. This fear follows us through to adulthood and can be a significant barrier to young adults trying to prove they are ready for total independence.

To overcome the stigma, some tried-and-true tricks to getting student to ask for help include:

  • Lowering barriers to asking for help
  • Avoiding the the vulnerable “I need help” conversation
  • Stressing privacy
  • Having students and faculty share their stories about getting help

These tricks can help your institute create an atmosphere where students feel safe and comfortable seeking out course help when they need it.

Lower the barrier to asking for help

One of the key ways to get students to ask for help when they need it is to lower the barriers to entry, according to Scientific American. This means not only overcoming the time barrier – i.e. how much time & effort it takes to find a tutor – but also the social risk. T.A.s privately asking students if they understand the material, Professors hosting regular office hours, etc.

When it comes to finding a tutor, having a system that is easy and quiet to navigate goes a long way to get the help they need before they lose their nerve.

Avoid the vulnerable “I need help” conversation

A digital interface may assist students who are anxious about admitting to a respected faculty member that they’re having trouble with the course material. Instead of a vulnerable conversation, a digital interface allows students to simply book what they need and come to the tutoring session with all parties coming to a safe, private location already understanding the assignment.

If a digital booking interface isn’t what you’re after, publicizing an email or a Dropbox where students can submit what they’re looking for may also help make it easier for some students to reach out when they need to.

Stress privacy

Have a conversation with tutors about your organization’s privacy policy. Many tutors may not be aware that student’s names and what they’re seeking help for shouldn’t be publicized (though conversations or elsewhere) without permission.

Including the policy in advertising materials — i.e. “Tutoring sessions are private. We will never share your name or session info without your permission” — may seem small but could go a long way to helping a student feel comfortable asking for help.

Have students share their stories

So far all of these tips have been about helping mitigate feelings of embarrassment when asking for help, but what about smashing any stigma to pieces?

Try a marketing campaign where previous tutees share why they sought out tutoring and the benefits it had to their course load or stress levels. Videos, posters or even class visits can help students understand they’re not alone. Programs could also try having people of interest share their stories of seeing out help, like favourite professors or student athletes.

Creating a culture change no doubt takes time and will have to be repeated with every new cohort of students coming in, but the results could be extremely positive.

Conclusion

Nimbus learning can help with all of this. Our easy-to-use platform helps students easily search for and book a tutor, while also cutting down on administration tasks. Our partnership success team can help recruit and train tutors, assist with marketing campaigns and whatever else the program needs.

Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can help.