You need both an Agency AND a Professional Photographer! A strong online presence is a top priority for all schools. A website, social media pages, and other digital platforms, such as email newsletters, are all essential tools for communicating with prospective students and parents. Quality content is key to success in digital marketing, particularly when it comes to higher education photography. High-quality images can make or break a marketing campaign. You could work with both or either a higher education digital marketing agency or a professional photographer, but both will give you the guidance you’ll need to get you pointed in the right direction. Photography, in particular, has become an essential component of higher education marketing campaigns. This article explores the significance of photography in promoting higher education institutions and schools, highlighting how it can evoke emotions, enhance storytelling, showcase campus life, and establish a strong brand identity.

Let's dive into the importance of photography in digital marketing in higher education campaigns.

1. Eliciting Emotions

Authentic photography has the ability to stir emotions and create a lasting impact on viewers. In higher education marketing campaigns, captivating photographs can evoke feelings of curiosity, aspiration, and excitement in prospective students. By showcasing images of students engaged in academic activities, participating in campus events, or experiencing the college lifestyle, photography can ignite a sense of belonging and encourage individuals to envision themselves as part of the institution's vibrant community.

2. Enhancing Storytelling

Storytelling lies at the core of effective marketing campaigns, and photography serves as a powerful tool for visual storytelling. Through carefully curated images, higher education institutions can convey compelling narratives that highlight their unique features and offerings. Photographs showcasing research breakthroughs, community service initiatives, and student achievements provide tangible evidence of an institution's impact and can inspire prospective students to choose it as their educational destination.

3. Showcasing Campus Life and Facilities

Prospective students are not only interested in the academic programs offered by higher education institutions but also the overall campus experience. Photography plays a vital role in visually presenting the campus life and facilities available to students. By capturing images of well-equipped classrooms, state-of-the-art research labs, libraries brimming with knowledge, and recreational spaces, universities can provide a glimpse into the daily life of students and make a compelling case for why their institution stands out from the competition. It’s about capturing the lifestyle of the typical student.

4. Fostering a Sense of Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are critical aspects of higher education. Photography can help demonstrate an institution's commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. By featuring images that reflect a range of cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds, universities can showcase the richness and inclusivity of their student body. These photos not only celebrate diversity but also send a powerful message to prospective students that they will be welcomed and valued within the institution's community.

5. Establishing a Strong Brand Identity

In a competitive higher education market, developing a distinct brand identity is essential for success. Custom photography plays a vital role in establishing and reinforcing a strong brand image for an institution. Through consistent use of imagery that aligns with the institution's values, personality, and target audience, universities can create a recognizable visual identity. Whether it's through a specific color palette, composition style, or visual theme, photography helps institutions differentiate themselves and leave a lasting impression on prospective students.

6. Engaging Social Media Audiences

Social media platforms have become integral to higher education marketing, and visual content is highly effective in engaging social media audiences. Photography can capture attention, encourage interaction, and drive engagement on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. By sharing visually appealing photographs that depict campus life, events, and student achievements, institutions can spark conversations, attract followers, and amplify their reach. The shareability of images also allows users to become brand advocates and spread the institution's message further.

7. Humanizing the Institution

Photography has the power to humanize educational institutions by showcasing the people behind the scenes. Whether it's faculty members teaching in classrooms, students collaborating on projects, or alumni making a difference in their fields, photographs can bring life to the institution's story. By capturing genuine moments of connection and achievement, photography highlights the human aspect of higher education and helps prospective students connect with the institution on a personal level.

Photography is an essential component of higher education marketing campaigns. Through evoking emotions, enhancing storytelling, showcasing campus life and facilities, fostering diversity and inclusion, establishing a strong brand identity, engaging social media audiences, and humanizing the institution, photography plays a pivotal role in attracting prospective students and conveying the unique value proposition of an educational institution. By harnessing the power of visual storytelling, universities can effectively communicate their strengths, create a lasting impact, and inspire individuals to embark on their educational journeys.

How to Plan and Coordinate an Amazing Professional Photo Shoot for Your University’s Digital Marketing Campaigns

Are you a marketing or admissions director looking to create compelling photos that showcase the essence of your school? Well, you've come to the right place! Here's how to plan and coordinate a photo shoot that will captivate your audience and bring your school to life.

Step 1: Pick the Perfect Day

When scheduling your photo shoot, choose a day that isn't bogged down with special events or costume days. We want to capture the authentic, typical moments that happen at your school. Showcasing a regular day will give potential students and their families a realistic glimpse into what their experience could be like.

Step 2: Spread the Word

Let the students and teachers know about the photo shoot ahead of time. Encourage students to freshen up their appearance, dress their best, and be ready to shine in front of the camera. Their enthusiasm and visual presentation will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the marketing photos.

Step 3: Seek Out Vibrant Classrooms

Identify the classrooms and teachers where lively class participation is happening. These are the spaces where the true essence of your school comes alive. Look for classrooms with engaged and expressive students, as these moments naturally create powerful and captivating photos.

Step 4: Embrace Spontaneity

While it's important to have a solid shooting plan, don't be afraid to let spontaneity guide you. Leave some space in your schedule for those magical moments to unfold. Keep your eyes open for unexpected scenes or interactions that catch your attention. Often, these spontaneous shots end up being the most impactful and memorable.

The Key to Exceptional School Photos

When it comes to capturing the essence of your school in photos, focus on close-up action shots. These images hold more emotion and create a stronger human connection with the viewer. Look for moments of personal interaction between teachers and students, as these interactions naturally evoke emotion and draw the viewer in.

Additionally, well-lit shots of joyful students engaged in the educational process will always be a hit. Whether it's a science lab, an art class, or a club meeting after classes, these moments are easily identifiable and help solidify the purpose of your marketing photos.

Valencia Osceola Campus Photography

We recently worked with Valencia College in Central Florida. In this case, we're working with real students plus models to create a journey over of all the campuses. We want to show how the students work with the teachers and one another, and showcase the architecture of each campus at the same time. The goal is always to keep things as natural as possible to create that "slice of life" story our clients are looking for when they hire us.

Valencia West Campus Photography

Education lifestyle shots always look great with the combination of models and real students. One way to do that is to use some models and do a all call at every campus for students to participate. Valencia students and teachers response was overwhelming! In the end we ended up with 66 models and even more than that for volunteers. Everyone who participated was great to work with and we couldn't have asked for a better group!

Valencia East Campus Photography

The goal of this shoot was to get as much variety at each of their campuses so they could create a large solid stock library for their own internal marketing and advertising departments. Having a stock library of original lifestyle photography specific to your business no matter how big or small could create some enormous benefits. Below are a few from the East Campus of Valencia College.

If you’re interested in learning more about our lifestyle photography work you can check out our lifestyle advertising page here.