Need a map? Music? Guided meditation? A budget? To know which bar around you is offering the cheapest drinks? There’s an app for that. Phones have become the unnatural extension of our arms for a good reason: there is a world of information within our grasp. There is an app for almost everything imaginable, but which apps can help a college student manage their busy lives?
The students are back in school and feeling the stress of a new semester. They want to graduate on time, but more than a third are worried they won’t. How can you help? Use the students' love for their phones — 92% of 18-29-year-olds own a smartphone — to show them the solutions that are available to them.
Bring students into the store with an App-y Hour event, and introduce them to apps they can use to help them stay organized, alleviate stress and save time.
If you have a tech store, get the associates involved in the event.
Event
Plan a one-hour event at 6 or 7 p.m. Provide snacks, and display your store’s study books, planners and organizers within eyesight of the event. Also, include a technology display if your store carries those products. Go over the different apps that are available to students and how they can use them to enhance their college experience.
Choose apps to highlight, or use the ones on the attached App-y Hour Menu. Print the app menu for a handout students can take home after the event. Also, consider attaching a store coupon to the handout.
Pro tip:
MBS' On The Go app is a powerful marketing tool that allows your store to become the ultimate source of pricing information as well as show your commitment to competitive pricing and the latest technology.
Marketing
Post flyers around campus and put them in customers’ bags at checkout. Also, get the word out on social media. This isn’t a sale. You are offering students a service intended to help students and build their trust in the bookstore.
Facebook post
Twitter post
Instagram post
Pro tip:
Do a Facebook Live or Instagram Live video during the app presentation. Not only will you reach more people, but it will entice more students to come to your next event.
Do follow-up social media posts highlighting different apps that cover student pain points that weren’t in the presentation. Make sure to mention that they should follow you on social media during the event as well.
Good luck! Let us know which apps your students like the best.
