I have worked in student accommodation marketing for 12 years and one thing I have learned is no two cycles are ever the same.
There are so many variables with demand being the most obvious driver of success. I have seen PBSAs who fill with little effort every year suddenly find themselves in a more vulnerable position, whether it be due to a drop in student applications or a new building opening nearby.
Building your online reputation is an essential comfort blanket, regardless of proven track record and enables you to future-proof your buildings and your brand should your situation change.
StudentCrowd fills a very unique space in the market, featuring 100% of undergraduate degree courses, universities and accommodation halls integrated into one platform so students can make all the important decisions in one place.
Verified student reviews are the focal point and have offered trusted, authentic guidance to over 11 million students in the past decade. Studentcrowd.com receives over 1.9 million user sessions per year. 99% of our users find us organically, 66% are domestic and 34% are international.
We provide all of the essential information students need for choosing their accommodation including property rankings based on non-bias student preferences.
But what’s the real value for you as the customer?
Increase direct bookings - Students get the best experience when booking directly with PBSA operators: we generated on average 130 referrals per PBSA building with enhanced profiles last year.
Lower cost per booking - Our PBSA partners frequently report that we are their lowest cost per booking. David Chadderton, Marketing Director at Homes for Students stated: “we have tracked the customer journey all the way through from beginning to end and we can categorically say that StudentCrowd brings us somewhere between 20 to 35 times ROI dependent on the site and the city. We feel that this is incredibly good value for money for us, and it helps students make a better and more informed decision when they’re on that booking journey.”
Streamlines your marketing - Reduces the need to advertise or list information on a multitude of different platforms, so you can save time and money and focus on the important stuff..
Let students do your marketing for you - The student voice is your most powerful sales tool and reviews are a major influencing factor in student decision-making.
Balances resource versus outcomes - Our proactive customer support package means you get to spend more time on achieving your goals without getting bogged down with extra admin.
Are you A Level results day ready?
In 2023 cycle 554,465 students were placed with 74,990 students (13.5%) placed through clearing (direct and main scheme).
Regardless of acceptance route, a large number of students will be waiting for their A Level results before choosing their accommodation. Whilst most students will have their top picks ready to spring into action most students placed through clearing will be starting their research from scratch condensed into a very short time period.
That’s why now is the perfect time to join the crowd and turn your profile into your most powerful marketing tool.
To learn more, visit our PBSA page or get in touch today.
