Our start-up company wants to focus only on college students to use our mobile application. Our method of seeing if the person is a college student would be through them signing up with their .edu account.
We are stuck on how we can attain these email addresses as we expand to different schools
Here are a few options to consider for getting access to student .edu email addresses:
Partner with individual colleges and universities; approach schools directly to promote your app to their students in exchange for limited access to their email directory. This requires individual outreach and agreements.
Use student data platforms. Services like Ruffalo Noel Levitz, Campus Management, and Aslanian Market Research provide limited student data for marketing purposes. May require paid access.
Work with college unions and associations Partner with larger student groups, like state or regional college unions, to promote more broadly across their member schools.
Participate in campus events; sponsor tech fairs, career fairs, etc. to capture leads from students interested in your app. Build relationships with student organizations.
Leverage alumni networks. Alumni associations may share with recent graduates if there's perceived value. Make sure you have privacy-compliant opt-ins.
Acquire publicly available lists. Some schools publish directories, lists of clubs and teams, etc. Scraping these sources poses legal and ethical risks.
- Incentivized organic sharing; - Design viral features and rewards so students promote them within their networks. Avoid anything that could enable unauthorized access.
The safest approach is usually getting explicit permission and partnerships in place rather than attempting to acquire private student data without consent. Building relationships on campus takes time, but it ensures compliance.
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