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May 15 2025

Today’s student search journey? 100% Asynchronous.

Jo McLaughlin

Drifting by Design: Rethinking the Student Decision Journey

If you work in student recruitment or marketing, you don’t need reminding: the decision journey isn’t linear anymore. It’s not a neat progression from website to open day to application. It’s TikTok, Reddit, Google, Instagram, YouTube, official websites, and group chats — often all at once. No clean funnel. No tidy CRM stages. Just a complex, overlapping swirl of channels, moments, and influences.

But there is logic to it — it’s just logic on the student’s terms.

And that matters, especially when we look at some of the legacy tactics that still persist — like asking academic staff to make outbound phone calls to prospective students.

It sounds like a good idea. After all, academic staff are highly trusted. But our latest Media Mapper research suggests this may be fundamentally out of step with how students actually want to engage.

When we asked young people how they prefer to find out about course information, only 5% chose video or phone calls with university staff. Just 7% wanted that format to learn about a university’s location. And only 7% preferred it when researching a university’s reputation.

That tells us a lot. It’s not that students don’t value the information — they just want it on their own time, through the platforms they already use, and in formats that feel native.

So why the resistance? It’s more than just convenience — it’s cultural, psychological, and technological:

  • They like to keep it asynchronous Texting, DMs, email — they'll respond when they're ready. No pressure, no awkward pauses, and more time to think about what needs to be said. 
  • Phone calls can feel stressful There’s a real sense of “on-the-spot” pressure. You’ve got to think fast, manage silences, and sound confident — all without knowing what’s coming. For many, that’s just anxiety fuel.
  • It’s harder to read the room Without facial expressions or body language, it’s easy to misread tone. That’s why phone calls can feel more intense or awkward than they need to be.
  • Calls interrupt everything Let’s face it — a ringing phone is like someone knocking on your brain. It demands attention now, whether you’re ready or not.
  • It’s just not how they grew up communicating This generation grew up with voice notes, memes, group chats, and disappearing messages. Phone calls? That’s what your dentist does. Or your parents....
  • Messages leave a trail Text = receipts. You can go back, check what was said, and not worry about forgetting a key detail from a rushed call.

So, no — it’s not about laziness or disinterest. It’s about control, comfort, and modern communication habits.

Trust still matters — but the format needs to shift

Interestingly, 36% of students said they trust university staff more than anyone else to share content about a university — second only to current students (61%). The trust is there. The format just needs to evolve.

So what now?

The question becomes: if academic staff are such a trusted resource, how else can we use that trust more effectively?

Instead of live phone calls that often go unanswered, can we redirect that effort into content that meets students where they are?

Think:

  • Short-form video explainers from course leaders
  • Asynchronous Q&As on Instagram Stories or TikTok
  • Behind-the-scenes reels that demystify academic life
  • Blogs or forum posts that unpack course content in real terms.

The goal? Make your academic team the Heroes of Informational Trust — the ones who bring clarity, credibility, and depth. Not via 15-minute calls, but in the digital spaces where students are already looking.

Let’s shift from interruption to invitation.

 
 
If you're interested in learning more about MediaMapper or simply fancy a chat about the future of student recruitment marketing, why not get in touch with me? 

 

Jo _CW_1481_1080px (1)
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