College campuses across the country are beginning their fall semester sessions, but many students will be learning a poignant lesson about finances before they even take their first quiz.
The financial aid provided to a large amount of students nowadays runs out quickly, especially if not spent wisely. That leaves a big gap between parental replenishment and the funds that come from summer jobs – as well as a captive audience interested in legitimate, honest credit card offers for college students.
The key to capitalizing on an online audience of collegiate consumers (and their parents) is simple – promote the right cards with points programs and rewards that student cardholders (as well as their potential cosigners) will love.
Collegiate Credit Card Marketing 101
As an affiliate marketer, knowing your audience is the first step to promoting programs and products they will most likely be interested in pursuing. In the case of many college students, frivolous spending like overpriced iced lattes or weekend partying are sometimes prioritized before the essentials.
Even though some high schools are requiring students to take personal finance courses before graduation, these lessons can be easily forgotten within their first exciting month on campus.
To make up for these lapses in judgment, many students can benefit from the educational materials that most student credit card offers now provide, free of charge to members and families. Also, many college credit cards offer rewards points for unavoidable expenditures like gas and dining.
These recurring essentials aren’t just reasons to call home each semester; they are also excellent opportunities to promote cards that offer rewards on purchases like gas and dining on your site.
Cutting the Cord
Almost as anxious and financially unprepared for the rigors of college life are the parents of those same students. Even if this isn’t the first semester, a student may still be financially dependent on parents. As such, parents are also prime audience members on your site.
If parents feel that they cannot trust their children to keep themselves out of debt with credit cards, there are prepaid debit cards that can serve as a middle ground, available from almost all major issuers. With a prepaid debit card, students can have the financial support they need, while parents maintain peace of mind – and control over how much is spent.
Parents are able to reload prepaid cards at intervals they determine, and only the amount that is preloaded on the cards can be spent. With these measures of control, parents can support their children while they’re away, slowly weening them into adulthood.
Key Cards for College
With millions of students going back-to-school every year, Fall is a great opportunity to promote credit as well as prepaid debit cards to them and their parents. Many students may not be as financially responsible or literate as they need to be, but by keeping in mind what students are most likely to spend their money on (whether they’re supposed to be doing so or not) you can find the optimal financial products to appeal to these newly-minted consumers.