What Makes Student Testimonials Crucial for University Recruitment Marketing?
By Morgan Northmore, Digital Marketing Coordinator at Noetic Marketer. Morgan specializes in crafting digital content and social media strategies that help higher education institutions connect with prospective undergraduate students and drive enrollment.
Key Takeaways:
Student testimonials are vital for university recruitment as they provide authentic social proof and build trust with prospective students.
Featuring diverse voices—including current students (undergraduate and graduate), alumni, faculty, and program leaders—offers a well-rounded, credible perspective on the institution.
While both written and video testimonials have value, video formats typically result in significantly higher engagement, better message retention, and increased website traffic.
Strategically showcasing testimonials across the university’s website (homepage, program pages, alumni sections) and social media platforms maximizes their impact throughout the student journey.
Making the process of gathering testimonials simple—through events, direct outreach, website forms, and social media campaigns—encourages participation and increases the volume of valuable content.
Choosing a university is one of the most significant decisions a prospective student will make. They seek reassurance and authentic insights beyond official brochures. Student testimonials bridge this gap, offering relatable stories and firsthand accounts of campus life, academic experiences, and potential outcomes. This builds crucial trust and allows potential students to envision themselves as part of your institution's community.
This guide explores why testimonials are essential for higher education marketing, who to feature, the most effective formats, strategic placement, and practical methods for gathering compelling stories to boost your recruitment efforts.
The Importance of Testimonials in Higher Education Marketing
Why are testimonials crucial for university recruitment?
Testimonials are crucial for university recruitment because they provide authentic social proof, build trust, and offer prospective students a relatable glimpse into the campus experience and potential outcomes of joining the institution.
When students consider higher education, they face a complex decision involving not just academics but also culture, community, and future career paths. Official marketing materials provide information, but testimonials offer validation from peers and trusted sources. They allow graduate students, in particular, to connect with faculty and understand program expectations and career results.
Furthermore, testimonials powerfully reinforce an institution's brand values by showcasing real experiences that align with its mission. Authentic student voices are key. For instance, a Noetic Marketer campaign for an Ontario-based business school focused on showcasing alumni success and program value, contributing to a 119% increase in total domestic applications over four years.
Selecting the Right Voices for Your Testimonials
Who should universities feature in testimonials?
Universities should feature a diverse range of voices in testimonials, including current students (undergraduate and graduate), alumni, faculty, staff, and program leaders, to provide a well-rounded and authentic perspective. Highlighting different individuals allows you to showcase various facets of your institution and appeal to distinct audience segments.
Current Undergraduate and Graduate Students: Featuring both undergrads and grads allows you to target different audiences and showcase distinct experiences: undergraduates often focus on student life and campus activities, while graduate students emphasize career advancement and close work with faculty.
Students in Different Faculties/Programs: Showcasing students from various departments provides specific insights for prospects interested in particular fields and demonstrates the breadth of your institution's offerings.
Respected Alumni: Alumni stories offer powerful proof of long-term value, demonstrating career outcomes and the lasting impact of their education. They also strengthen the alumni network. Gathering alumni testimonials should be a priority.
Program Leaders: Featuring leaders from academic, leadership, arts, or sports programs highlights extracurricular opportunities and niche communities, which can be significant deciding factors for students seeking specific experiences.
Faculty, Administration, and Staff: Testimonials from professors and staff provide insight into the learning environment, institutional culture, and the support systems available to students. Highlighting faculty can particularly influence decisions about specific courses or programs.
Choosing the Best Format: Written vs. Video Testimonials
What is the most effective format for student testimonials?
Both written and video testimonials are effective, but video often yields significantly higher engagement, increases website traffic, and improves message retention, making it a highly impactful format for recruitment marketing.
For example, check out this student testimonial video from Ultimate Medical Academy, where a graduate describes how their online program impacted them personally. YouTube video formats like this allow viewers to see and hear the person’s passion, body language, and tone—adding authenticity beyond text.
Another example comes from Indiana University’s School of Education, which has a dedicated page for student video testimonies across various programs.
Written testimonials are timeless, easy to collect, and versatile for use across various platforms. However, video testimonials create a stronger emotional connection by allowing viewers to see and hear the individual sharing their story. Video allows for visually showcasing the campus, facilities, and atmosphere, enhancing authenticity. Video's impact is clear. For example, a Noetic Marketer brand campaign for an Ontario university utilized engaging visuals and saw a 12% increase in website engagement time.
Consider these statistics on video effectiveness:
89% of people say watching a video has convinced them to buy a product or service (source)
78% of consumers say they’d most like to learn about a product or service by watching a short video (source)
96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, and 89% say it convinced them to make a purchase (source)
93% of marketers say video helps them achieve a positive ROI, and 89% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool (source)
78% of consumers want brands to use more video content in 2025 (source)
People are 58% more likely to make a purchase from businesses that use next-generation video, such as personalized or interactive video (source)
Viewers retain up to 95% of a message when watching a video, compared to only 10% when reading text (source)
If creating video testimonials, follow these best practices:
Use high-quality equipment for clear video and sound.
Keep videos concise (roughly 1-3 minutes) to maintain engagement.
Prepare talking points, but avoid overly scripting to ensure authenticity.
Have a clear goal for each video (e.g., showcase a program, highlight campus life).
Add text overlays or graphics to emphasize key messages.
Use professional editing for a polished final product.
Using both written quotes and dynamic video testimonials provides a balanced, robust strategy.
Strategic Placement: Showcasing Testimonials Effectively
Where should universities display student testimonials?
Universities should display student testimonials strategically across their website (homepage, program pages, alumni pages, dedicated testimonial pages) and social media platforms to maximize visibility and impact at different stages of the prospective student journey. Your target audience spends significant time online, often turning to social media and websites for information and validation.
Effective website placements include:
Homepage: Feature high-impact testimonials from recognized individuals (e.g., successful alumni, respected faculty) to establish credibility immediately.
Example: On Miami University’s home page, there’s a section titled “Student Spotlights” where current and former students share their experiences and what the university has meant for them.
Program Pages: Display testimonials relevant to specific programs from students or faculty within that department to provide targeted social proof.
Example: Shippensburg University’s English Department uses video and written testimonials on its program page.
Campus Life/Activity Pages: Use testimonials (especially video) focused on student life, clubs, or extracurriculars here to give a feel for the community.
Alumni Page: Dedicate space to alumni stories that showcase career paths and long-term benefits.
Example: Stanford’s GCE/IEPA program features dedicated alumni testimonials (text + images) to show program outcomes and long-term impact.
Blog Posts: Incorporate relevant testimonials within blog articles to strengthen arguments and add authenticity.
Dedicated Testimonial Page: Create a central hub where prospects can easily find a collection of testimonials. This page can also include a submission form to gather more feedback.
Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn are ideal for sharing both video clips and written quotes, sparking conversation and encouraging engagement.
Gathering Authentic Testimonials
What are the best ways to collect student testimonials?
The best ways to collect student testimonials include leveraging school events (in-person or virtual), conducting active outreach via email or phone, using dedicated website forms, and running social media campaigns. These efforts contribute to effective lead generation by building trust and showcasing the value of your institution. The key is to make the submission process as simple and easy as possible.
Consider these methods:
School Events: Set up testimonial booths or interview stations at events like homecoming, orientation, graduation, webinars, or even sports games.
Active Outreach: Directly email or call satisfied students, accomplished alumni, or engaging faculty members, asking them to share their experiences. This is also an excellent opportunity to request Google Reviews, which boosts your school's SEO and online credibility.
Cold Outreach Email Template:
Hello [Name],
As a valuable alumnus/alumna/student/faculty member of the University of [Your University Name], we want to thank you for being part of our community.
As you know, thousands of prospective students are trying to figure out if [Your University Name/Specific Program] is the right choice for them. Your perspective could make a real difference.
It would mean a lot if you could provide us with a brief written testimonial about your experience. Your story could help students across the globe make the best decision for their future.
If you would like to help, please reply to this email with your testimonial. Alternatively, you can leave us a review on Google here: [Link to Google Review].
Thank you,
[Your Name/Department]
4. School Website Form: Include a dedicated, easy-to-find form on your website where individuals can submit feedback or testimonials directly. Consider using tools like VocalVideo to make video testimonial submission easier.
5. Social Media Campaigns: Run contests or social media campaigns asking followers to share their experiences (e.g. #MyUniStory) using a specific hashtag or via direct message.
Important Considerations:
Add Photos: Including a photo or headshot with written testimonials adds authenticity and a personal touch.
Get Permission: Always obtain explicit permission before using someone's name, photo, video, or written statement in your marketing materials.
Conclusion
Ultimately, student testimonials are more than just reviews; they are powerful tools for building trust and authentic connections in higher education content marketing.
By strategically gathering and showcasing diverse voices across multiple formats and platforms, universities can effectively demonstrate their value and create a compelling narrative that resonates with prospective students, driving engagement and enrollment.
Ready to Leverage Student Voices in Your Recruitment?
Implementing new marketing strategies requires careful planning and flawless execution. We offer customized, full-service higher education digital marketing services to fill your pipeline with high-quality prospects and applications.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation with our education marketing experts today.
Don’t miss our other posts on higher education digital marketing.
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What Are 5 Effective Marketing Strategies for Recruiting Undergraduate Students?
How Can Universities Use AI for Marketing?
What Are the 7 Key Challenges in Higher Education Digital Marketing and How Can They Be Solved?
What Are 9 Proven Strategies for Marketing Higher Education to Adults?
Key Higher Education Terms
A/B Testing: The practice of comparing two versions of a marketing asset (like an email or landing page) against each other to determine which one performs better.
Alumni Network: The community of former students who have graduated from an institution. Strong alumni networks provide valuable connections and their testimonials offer proof of long-term career success.
Audience Retention: A metric that measures how long viewers watch a video. High retention indicates that the content is engaging and relevant to the audience.
Authenticity: The quality of being genuine and real. In marketing, it refers to transparent and honest communication that resonates with audiences wary of overly polished messages.
Brand Identity: The collection of all brand elements that a company creates to portray the right image to its consumer, including its values, communication style, and visual design.
Call-to-Action (CTA): A prompt (such as a button, link, or phrase) that encourages a user to take a specific, desired action, such as "Apply Now" or "Learn More."
Chatbot: An AI-powered program designed to simulate human conversation and provide automated, instant responses to user inquiries online.
Click-Through-Rate (CTR): The percentage of viewers who click on a specific link or CTA within a video, email, or advertisement.
Content Marketing: A strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): The process of increasing the percentage of users or website visitors who complete a desired action, such as filling out a form or applying to a program.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): A system that helps manage and track interactions with current and prospective students, enabling personalized communication and automated marketing efforts.
International Student Recruitment: The process of attracting and enrolling students from outside the institution's home country, which requires specialized marketing and support strategies.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Specific, measurable metrics that align with marketing goals and are used to track the performance and success of campaigns (e.g., website traffic, cost-per-lead, enrollment numbers).
Machine Learning: A subset of AI where algorithms are trained on large datasets to identify patterns and make predictions without being explicitly programmed for the task.
Marketing Funnel: A strategic model that visualizes the customer journey from initial awareness to a final action, such as applying. It is typically divided into stages: Top-of-Funnel (Awareness), Middle-of-Funnel (Consideration), and Bottom-of-Funnel (Decision).
Natural Language Processing (NLP): A field of AI that gives computers the ability to understand, interpret, and generate human language.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP): A permit that allows eligible international students in Canada to stay and work in the country for up to three years after they graduate.
Predictive Analytics: The use of data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to identify the likelihood of future outcomes based on historical data.
Return on Investment (ROI): A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency or profitability of an investment, comparing the revenue generated against the amount spent.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.
Sentiment Analysis: An AI technique that uses natural language processing to identify and categorize opinions expressed in text as positive, negative, or neutral.
Short-Form Video: Video content typically under 60 seconds long and designed for high engagement on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Social Proof: Evidence from peers or credible sources (like current students, alumni, or faculty) that validates a decision or belief. Testimonials are a primary form of social proof.
Student Personas: Semi-fictional representations of ideal students based on market research and real data, used to tailor content and messaging to specific audience segments.
User-Generated Content (UGC): Any form of content—such as images, videos, text, and audio—that has been posted by users (students, faculty, alumni) on online platforms.
UTM Parameters: Snippets of code added to a URL to track the source, medium, and campaign that converted a lead, essential for identifying which marketing efforts are driving traffic and conversions.
Video Testimonials: Testimonials presented in video format, allowing viewers to see and hear the person sharing their experience, which often creates a stronger emotional connection and improves message retention.
