What if your next brand campaign didn’t come from a strategy document, but from a sophomore with a ring light sharing their favorite things about their dorm room?
In a content-heavy landscape, today’s students want realness. They want peers they can relate to, not polished scripts or staged testimonials. That’s where user-generated content (UGC) shines—it builds trust, drives engagement, and tells the campus story from the inside out.
Why UGC Works
UGC performs better than brand-created content across almost every channel. It’s honest, spontaneous, and student-driven—exactly what prospective students are scrolling for. From messy dorm tours to real conversations about homesickness, UGC shows the good, the awkward, and the human.
- Trust & relatability: Prospective students are more likely to believe peers than paid ads.
- Performance: UGC leads to higher engagement and lower cost-per-click across paid and organic channels.
- Scalability: You don’t need a production budget—just the right prompts and a phone.
5 Prompts to Inspire Content
These simple ideas spark authentic stories:
- “What I wish I knew before choosing this school.”
- “Top 3 hidden gems on campus.”
- “A real day in my life here.”
- “My favorite professor and why.”
- “Something I didn’t expect—but love.”
Where UGC Fits Into Your Marketing Funnel
Use these across your Instagram Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or even email drip campaigns. Bonus: repurpose the content in your admissions presentations and print collateral.
Website:
Embed short-form student videos on program pages, admissions pages, and campus life sections. Let a real student answer “Why this school?” right where the question is being asked.
Email Strategy:
Feature UGC in admitted student nurture campaigns. A subject line like “A student’s take on campus dining ” or “Why I almost didn’t choose [School]—and why I’m glad I did” drives curiosity and opens.
Social Strategy:
Create a weekly content spotlight (“Student Story of the Week”), and let real voices drive engagement and reach.
Events & Virtual Tours:
Use UGC as supporting material in both live and virtual admissions events. Instead of just listing features, show students living them.
Paid Ads:
UGC is ideal for retargeting ads. Students who’ve visited your site are more likely to click on authentic student content than a generic banner ad.
Curation, Not Control
The secret to strong UGC is to guide it—without overproducing it. Offer brand-aligned prompts, maintain light visual standards, and moderate for tone and values, but don’t strip away the rawness that makes it work.
At Boal Media, we help colleges build strategic UGC ecosystems: from prompt ideation and student outreach to moderation systems and brand integration.