I recently founded a career coaching practice focused on college / graduate school students and recent graduates. In a sense, my target customers are (affluent) parents concerned that their child doesn't have career direction, isn't receiving sufficient career planning and development support from their college / university, and either can't find or may not be able to find an internship or job. At this time of year, particularly for juniors and seniors, the latter is a sensitive topic.
In general the highest converting direct messaging campaigns I have seen have very direct and simple messages. If you can achieve that with your target audience then you will see a good conversation rate.
If you have the right message and already have the contacts, then go for it!
If there are parents paying $30K a year for the management of their child's interaction with their school...and there are, or at least was, as one of Dan Kennedy's clients...then this seems like a good idea.
Charge more than you were thinking.
Your idea has two powerful things going for it:
1 > affluent parents are buyers who have money
and
2 > they are admitting there is a problem to be solved.
In this video, I explain The Danger Of The Two Sales, which you are overcoming by finding a need a target market admits they want defined and corrected:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qL5YeYcncs
You're potentially solving a problem that is more vast in its monetary value than you may have considered. It's not just about the stipend or salary from an internship for job for the student...it's about all that investment, that huge investment, in tuition and likely residence lodging, that otherwise goes to waste or sits on the unproductive shelf.
Bring that to the attention of your buyer...or better yet, get them to come to that conclusion on their own.
Getting a customer is expensive and challenging. Make sure you charge enough to cover the fact that only a few will "Get It", and those that do really get it.
Let me know if you need help with a proven marketing strategy to reach and convert buyers with this kind of service.
It's not just the channel but the marketing message that matters (and probably more). I was CMO for a membership honor society that targeted both the student and parent with disparate messages. It's all about benefits. Of course, in your situation as well as mine with the society, that message is "future career."
The health and quality of your source data (i.e. likelihood to buy) is also extremely important. Frankly, you will need to find the right mix between "traditional cut down trees" and electronic. It's also the tactile feel and look that affluent potential buyers expect must also be considered.
Considering your market, quickly testing messaging and format to get to a "control" in whatever media is paramount.
