It’s hard to gain the attention of college students because they are bombarded with marketing messages throughout the day and are continually multi-tasking with technology and gadgetry. A simple message with easy to follow calls to action are the best way to go.

There is, of course, the danger of trying to speak the language of a college student, simply put. There is no universal language for students on campus so don’t think that throwing in words or phrases like “Drop it like it’s hot” or “Fo’ shizzel” are going to make you look cool on campus. These attempts are far more likely to make an organization look like a dork, which will ensure that your recruiting efforts will fail. The best policy is to use the words of your own organization’s culture. Today’s college youth will appreciate your honesty and transparency and, therefore, will be more receptive to it.

So, how do you instill optimism in your prospective recruits? Create a dialogue. And reinforce your organization’s legitimacy throughout the year with all your marketing. Text messages provide a way to start this dialogue and keep it going throughout their college careers. Here are some tips from Campus Media Group for creating legitimacy in your messaging once you’ve gotten them to click through to your site:

• Make sure they are fully aware of how your company or school will make their lives better by stating the benefits.
  
• Provide “proof” – facts and figures that back up any claims or promises you have made.
  
• Show testimonials of previous recruits and briefly state their stories of success.
  
• Ensure that they see the value of your school/company by comparing salaries/benefits of your competition.
  
• Present a “you have nothing to lose” or “ask us anything you want to know” type invitation to prospective recruits to assure them you are waiting to hear from them.
  
• Create a sense of urgency (“Positions/applications are filling fast!”).
  

There are a lot of recruitment messages out there and students hear about them all the time. There is a level of skepticism that exists inherently with any marketing message and recruiting messages are no exception. Many students are jaded by having pursued opportunities that were too good to be true and found themselves being headhunted by recruitment agencies who want to be paid for placement, getting duped into multi-level marketing schemes or even worse – bogus home-based jobs such as stuffing envelopes. Make sure you can and will deliver on the promises you make in your SMS. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. If
your organization is autocratic, don’t pretend that it is the model of democracy. If your organization struggles with diversity, don’t feature the faces of diverse people in your ads as the recipients will quickly discover your lack of candor and punish you for it by not responding to your message or, even worse, by blogging or otherwise communicating with their peers about the inconsistencies between your message and the truth. Be honest. Acknowledge your goals. Your honesty and transparency will build much needed trust and respect among today’s skeptical college crowd.