Scotland’s colleges collaborate on new national #ChooseCollege campaign

Wendy Grindle outlines how CDN have been successfully running their #ChooseCollege campaign this spring.

The new national #ChooseCollege social media campaign was launched in March to highlight the importance of Scotland’s colleges, and to encourage potential students to ‘Choose College’!

Phase one of the campaign saw six-weeks of national social media activity to raise the profile of Scotland’s 26 colleges, and to highlight all the opportunities that going to college offers new learners, as well as those looking to retrain.

Choose College is the result of the successful collaboration of CDN’s Marketing and Communications Network, which consists of marketing and communications staff from colleges all over Scotland. A team of college marketing creatives drawn from the Network has enjoyed meeting regularly via Microsoft Teams to share ideas, plan the campaign and put it into action. The campaign is supported by promotional videos, images, key facts and case studies featuring college students, college staff and graduates.

Over the six weeks between March and April the social media activity focused on a different theme each week:

• Choose to Upskill
• Choose to Retrain
• Choose to do Something Different
• Choose a Degree
• Choose a Career
• Choose an Apprenticeship

Coming together as one collective voice has proven to be even more effective than anticipated. By posting key messages using the #ChooseChollege hashtag the campaign ‘shouted out’ loudly about all that Scotland’s colleges have to offer – and the campaign statistics (below) highlight just how powerful the college sector can be when it works together:

Some of the many social posts included:

 
 
 
Phase two of Choose College is already underway, with a fresh group of events and marketing specialists from the CDN Marketing and Communications Network coming together to create the very first Choose College Virtual Showcase event. This takes place on Wednesday 26th May and is designed to attract potential college students and encourage them to explore what’s on offer at college. Colleges from across Scotland will showcase:

• College courses and pathways
• Support services
• What college life is like.

Visitors will also have the chance to browse a virtual exhibition, and to ask college staff questions. Find out more about the Choose College Virtual Showcase.