How to reach young people aged 17-23?
Sogndal Folk High School thought they were hitting their target group, but young people have changed. Tiktok and Snapchat weren't enough - it was time to change the way they communicated.
Sogndal Folk High School's main target group is young people between the ages of 17 and 23, who have the potential to take a full or half year at a folk high school.
This year has seen a new UNG survey from Opnion, a report with insights that will make it easier to understand young people. What do they care about? What is important to them? What values and attitudes do they have?
With the new report, it became clear that it was time to make some changes to the way folk high schools communicate. Marketing must be based on the target group. And the better you know them, the better you can communicate.
- "We saw in the report that the focus of young people has changed. Our own communication was perhaps no longer as effective, so we contacted Gasta for help in making changes," says headmaster Ole Karsten Birkeland.
Tiktok and Snapchat were not enough
We have worked closely with Sogndal Folk High School for many years, where the collaboration has been about improving and adapting.
We have adapted the website as a team, and in the spring of 2023 we launched a new digital advertising initiative. We used Snapchat and TikTok to reach out, and the focus was on choosing the right channels and focusing more on video.
But the choice of channels was not enough. You must not forget to think about what and how you communicate. What emerged in the new report in 2024 has meant that the school has had to adapt further. They now communicate in a different way, have changed what images they show and how they sell the different lines. Outdoor life and friendship are not long enough in themselves.
Marketing must be based on the target group. The better you know them, the better you can communicate with them.
Lists of what you want to learn provide more focus on "what's in it for me".
New lines adapted to the interests of today's students. Not just skiing, but golf and padel, for example.
What are young people actually interested in?
Schools have become more clear about "what's in it for me". Young people want to know what they get in return for investing their time and money in something, what professional expertise they get. They want to know details about what food they will be served, how they will live and the academic content of the various courses.
This has resulted in new and better content on the website.
At the same time, it was clear that the lines they offered were no longer sufficient. It was time to make changes to the lines on offer. Not least, young people have become more value-based and more concerned about the climate and the environment. This must also be reflected in our communication.
- Our communication is now more in line with young people, and we hope that this will have an impact on next year's application figures. We're very pleased with the changes ourselves," says Principal Birkeland.
The student catalog has been updated and is more in line with other communication. There is more focus on values and the environment.
How the school has adapted
To better meet the spirit of the times, Sogndal Folk High School has, among other things:
Made changes to the lines they offer - new names and new content
Updated the sogndal.fhs.no website in terms of design, function and content
Clarified subjects and expertise, also among employees
More focus on values and the environment
Re-create the physical study catalog in a new look
It's great to collaborate with a school that is constantly evolving. We hope that our efforts are reflected in the search chart!
