Newsletter #50: Bristol University makes accommodation about community; Trump’s starting a social media network; There’s a TikTok channel churning out deepfakes of Tom Cruise
✏️ From the Education Marketer desk
Most Clicked #3: I chat with Nathan, Matt and special guest Amy Cousins (Newcastle University) on Newcastle’s approach to SEO, Facebook’s dumpster fire and Slippery Rock University inking its president. Watch
Blog post: How to host virtual college events in 2022 + 8 stand out examples. Read
📰 HE news
There’s a baby boom coming down the tracks. Unis are projected to see a 15% increase in students applying for university by 2035, but I’m not sure the pressures will be as pronounced as forecast. The online education market is projected to reach a total market size of over $319 billion in 2025. That’s up from $187 billion in 2019. I’ve previously reported on Google sweeping into the US higher ed sector with cheaper, shorter qualifications that map directly with careers and eat the lunch of some big tech feeder unis. It’s a growing trend and set to continue well into the next decade. For these students, the equity of education is changing. We may see more trade the 3 to 4-year campus model for a greater emphasis on lifelong learning. This isn’t a new concept, but being able to learn online affordably (and on-demand) is certainly new for our times. 10 years ago, we learned new skills to progress or change careers. Today, we learn to keep our jobs. Read
The government is considering plans to reduce access to arts degrees based on grads not being able to pay back their student loans. Sure, I can’t think of a better way to deliver on the promise of “removing barriers to growth facing the [creative] sector” than by stopping people from getting educated altogether. Why is it always the arts? Creative subjects are the first to see funding cuts, yet the people we celebrate in business and industry are those who see the world differently. Creatives make great leaders, they are enterprising and entrepreneurial, but (and here’s the rub) they don’t always take the most direct route. Read
💻 Digital marketing news
Donald Trump is launching his own social network: TRUTH SOCIAL. Okay, here we go… Judging by screenshots and early access reports, it’s a bastardised version of Twitter. Tweets are “TRUTHS”, Retweets are “ReTRUTHS” and the feed will likely contain “UnTRUTHS.” The bigger story though is that Trump is also launching a media company: TRUMP MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY GROUP. This includes a new streaming service set to “rival” Disney+ and Netflix, as well as a news media outlet. Terrifying, but it’s a fascinating media and content business model. More companies (and some universities) are leaning into being “media owners” and growing communities, but I’ve never seen a new entry on a scale like this before. One to watch. Social media isn’t just the big five anymore. TRUTH SOCIAL app | Company overview
A recent leak of creator earnings on Twitch revealed that the top 1% of streamers earn more than half of the platform’s revenue. It’s not so different for newsletters and podcasts. The top 10 newsletters on Substack make $20 million a year and for podcasts, almost all revenue goes to the top 1% of shows. It’s pretty bleak for the 17% of UK children hoping to become an influencer, and the 87% (!!!) of US young Americans planning to make money through posting content. We desperately need a content creator middle class! But for brands, it could be a positive story… The arms race to social commerce is hot and platforms are rolling out new ways for teams to leverage huge legacy followings - for universities, there’s an opportunity beyond turning on ads for your YouTube channel. Twitter’s new Super Followers feature, plus its recent dive into community marketing could be good for Alumni teams exploring new revenue streams, but the real strategic win would be to invest in up-and-coming creators already speaking with your audience. With the number of creators more than tripling since 2019, you might be surprised what media properties (blogs, email lists, websites) you can pick up for the cost of an advertising campaign. Read
Morning Brew has prepared a snapshot of where we are with cookies and solutions in the works, but spoilers - signs are pointing to a first-party data strategy. You know the game is over when your “global chief innovation officer” is dusting off their contextual advertising handbook. But not all advertising is heading to the apocalypse: Apple’s ad revenue has tripled since it introduced its privacy changes to iPhone, as well as wiping $142 billion off Snap and Facebook’s revenue streams. Read
🏫 What unis are doing
University of Bristol has a new set of student-led accommodation videos that, yes, explore how much storage is under the bed, but also its campus community. After a tour of their flat, hosts take us outside and introduce other students living in their halls, plus share spots around campus that are meaningful for them. Even if the kitchens are suspiciously clean, it’s a nice way to get across the personality of student accommodation, rather than reducing it to a fixtures and fittings list. Kudos. Look
London Business School is using its YouTube channel as… Well, a channel. A small, specialist institution, it doubles down on its niche and invites members of its community to speak on diversity, finance and leadership. By having a clear idea of what its YouTube channel is for (thought leadership), it’s grown its subscriber list to 159K and typically breaks 1K views on its video content. And that’s without high fidelity thumbnails or a regular publishing schedule. Look
You may remember a couple of issues back that I reported on Syracuse and Louisiana State University jumping into NFTs for “collectable college sports moments”. Well, it’s catching on. 7 more universities, including Virginia Tech and University of Utah, are now exploring how they can create fan experiences and community perks via digital assets. There’s definitely something here and it’s developing fast. Read
🧑🎓 What students are saying
“Everybody in here is pretty adamant on staying until our demands are met. Our demands are not demanding, they’re very simple. I feel its basic rights as a student-based off the tuition we pay.” Howard University students on campus living conditions. Reports of rats and roaches quickly turned into TikTok videos telling prospective students not to apply. Overview | TikTok
👾 Culture shock
Nokia released its 3310 again. Presumably, for someone. Look
Cooler Screens give your local supermarket that distinct “Gibson” feel. Look
This TikTok channel churns out deepfakes of Tom Cruise. Yes, none of these are real. Look
