However, offering private accommodation in today's climate presents a range of obstacles, particularly when it comes to finding the right occupants to meet occupancy targets.
Historically, accommodation providers find themselves scrambling for sales at the last minute and resorting to costly incentives. Whilst the demand is strong in many cities, this is not the case in others, yet we see this familiar behaviour every year. Recognising the importance of accommodation for students and what they look for when choosing one, means there is a tremendous opportunity to engage with this audience early on and provide the much needed support in their search for the perfect place. This is where UCAS can help, we are a trusted brand and media partner with a wealth of resources to support your data and marketing requirements throughout the lifecycle of student decision-making.
Supporting students throughout the university journey
In the UK, the university application process typically begins during sixth form at the age of 17. From that point on, UCAS remains a constant presence in students' decision-making process for the next 18 months. Even after students start their university journey, UCAS continues to offer guidance, especially when it comes to accommodation becoming a priority once again when looking for homes in their second and third year.
This ongoing relationship with students allows accommodation providers to communicate directly with their target audience throughout their time at university. For providers, this means they can gradually build awareness and consideration over time, making it easier to convert potential residents when the need arises. Utilising our unique data set over a number of years means accommodation provider’s marketing campaigns can tell a story and evolve throughout the journey to starting university rather than focusing purely on sales messages at key times of the year. In turn, this can create a truly trustworthy brand that is there for students every step of the way.
Leveraging data and targeting expertise
One of the key advantages of partnering with UCAS is its unparalleled data set, which enables precise audience segmentation and targeting – in short – UCAS knows which universities students have applied to and selected as their firm or conditional choice, and subsequently where they have accepted a place and are studying.
With such detailed insights, providers can achieve pinpoint accuracy in identifying the best audience for their properties. UCAS knows who the provider's target audience is in detail, which takes the guesswork and wasted spend out of marketing strategies. UCAS' media ecosystem offers multiple avenues for reaching and engaging with students, including bespoke social campaigns, display advertising across UCAS platforms, retargeting, email marketing, and direct communication.
Unrivalled reach and impact
UCAS provides access to nearly 2 million applicants, current students, and graduates. Through multi-channel campaigns, accommodation providers can maximise their visibility and impact among this vast audience:
- Display advertising: Showcase your brand on ucas.com, utilising targeting options based on location and demographics to refine your audience and increase relevance
- Paid media: By leveraging verified data, UCAS can extend the reach of the accommodation provider’s message across popular social media platforms and Google products. Additionally, remarketing strategies allow for tailored messages to individuals based on their previous interactions with your brand.
- Targeted email campaigns: With bespoke audience definitions, UCAS enables direct and effective email targeting, yielding substantial results.
- Insights and research: UCAS' extensive data can be utilised to extract valuable insights or conduct customised research, helping accommodation providers understand decision-making behaviours, define target audiences, or test propositions before going to market.
- Events: UCAS organises events across 40 UK cities, reaching approximately 150,000 attendees. These events provide unparalleled opportunities for engagement with prospective students.
- Forecasting tool: UCAS' forecasting tool Uni AI analyses trends in higher education data to project likely accommodation needs geographically, helping providers make informed decisions.
As the most trusted brand in education, UCAS offers unique access to a vast pool of applicants, current students, and graduates. By partnering with UCAS, accommodation providers can connect with the next generation of students and position themselves as reliable and supportive resources throughout their university journey.
With UCAS' unparalleled data set, targeted advertising options, email campaigns, research capabilities, event engagement, and forecasting tools, accommodation providers can confidently navigate the challenges of the current climate and effectively reach their ideal audience, establishing long-term relationships and meeting the evolving accommodation needs of students.
Get in touch at accommodation@ucas.ac.uk and connect with the next generation. We look forward to hearing from you.