One of the biggest challenges in student media advertising sales is figuring out who to reach out to in the first place. You may know you want to grow revenue, but building a prospect list from scratch can take time.
The good news? Your campus and surrounding community are full of potential advertising partners. Local businesses want to reach students, while campus departments, organizations, and service providers often have events, programs, products, or opportunities they need to promote.
The key is to look beyond the businesses that traditionally advertise. Think about who wants to reach students, their families, faculty, staff, alumni, or your broader campus community. A strong prospect list can open the door to partnerships you may not have considered before.
Here are 146 prospect ideas that you can use to get started today.
Food & beverage
- Locally owned restaurants
- Coffee shops and cafés
- Food trucks
- Ice cream or dessert shops
- Co-op grocery stores
- Franchise restaurants
- Pizza restaurants (local or regional)
- Smoothie and juice bars
- Local bakeries
- Local breweries, distilleries, or wineries
- Bars and nightclubs near campus
- Farmers markets
- Catering companies
- Local meal prep or delivery services
- Seasonal food or drink festivals
Housing & local services
- Apartment complexes near campus
- Property management companies
- Real estate agents specializing in student rentals
- Storage unit facilities
- Moving and hauling services
- Furniture rental or resale shops
- Thrift and consignment stores
- Vintage clothing and home décor shops
- Local cleaning services
- Laundry pickup/drop-off services and laundromats
- Tailors, dry cleaners, and alteration shops
- Landscaping and yard services
- Campus housing offices
- Property developers building near campus
Health, beauty & wellness
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Nail salons, lash/brow studios, and estheticians
- Spas and massage therapy clinics
- Chiropractors
- Dentists and orthodontists
- Urgent care clinics
- Optometrists
- Counseling centers or private therapists
- Local gyms and fitness studios (yoga, Pilates, barre, boxing, etc.)
- Personal trainers
- Nutrition coaches or wellness consultants
- Acupuncture and holistic medicine clinics
- Skincare or local beauty product lines
- Campus wellness offices or health centers
Transportation & getting around
- Auto repair shops
- Car washes
- Local towing companies
- Driving schools
- Scooter or e-bike rental companies
- Bike shops and rentals
- Campus transit or shuttle services
- Rideshare startups (local or regional)
Campus departments & programs
- Study abroad programs
- Athletics
- Summer school
- Scholarship programs
- Career services
- Writing or tutoring centers
- Service learning programs
- Campus bookstore
- Campus dining
- Departments and professional schools promoting events or classes
- Research opportunities recruiting participants for studies
- Theaters and performing arts programs
- On-campus art museums or exhibits
- Graduate programs within your university
- Faculty or staff associations
- Student organizations selling merch or hosting events
- Fraternities and sororities hosting events
- Campus events or activities committees
- Intramural and club leagues
- Recreation center programs
- Counseling and wellness offices
- Sustainability initiatives
- Campus ministries and faith-based groups
- Study skills or leadership workshops
- Student-run startups or small businesses
- Graduation photo packages or cap/gown vendors
Education, careers & business
- Tutoring services
- Test prep or academic support centers
- Continuing education programs
- Graduate programs or trade schools outside your own school
- Coworking spaces
- Local startups hiring interns
- Entrepreneurship and innovation centers
- Professional associations (PRSA, bar associations, etc.)
- Companies that recruit from your university
- Military recruitment
- Community colleges
- Resume-building or interview-prep consultants
Arts, entertainment & events
- Local theaters and playhouses
- Independent movie theaters
- Concert venues and local promoters
- Comedy clubs
- Music festivals and food festivals
- Art galleries and museums
- Craft fairs and makers markets
- Independent bookstores
- Local authors and book signings
- Open mic nights, poetry readings, and community art events
- Local radio stations and podcasts
- Seasonal or cultural events (Halloween pop-ups, holiday markets)
Technology, marketing & professional services
- Tech repair shops
- Computer and gaming accessory stores
- Printing and copy shops
- DJ services and AV rental companies
- Event planners and party supply stores
- Content creators or social media consultants
- Graduation photo or portrait photographers
- Marketing agencies or design studios
- Local insurance agents (auto, renters, health, etc.)
- Credit unions
- Community banks
- Accountants or CPAs for tax season
- Tax preparation services
- Campus financial aid offices
- Entrepreneurship or startup incubators
- Financial advisers
- Small business development centers
Families, pets & student life
- Local childcare centers for faculty and staff
- After-school programs
- Camps or recreation programs hiring students
- Families seeking nannies or babysitters
- Nanny or babysitting services
- Dog walking or sitting services
- Veterinarians
- Pet grooming and boarding services
- Pet supply stores
Retail & local shopping
- Clothing boutiques (locally owned)
- Vintage and thrift stores
- Consignment shops
- Campus merch stores or local sellers of school apparel
- Gift shops and stationery stores
- Record stores or music shops
- Skate or surf shops
- Sporting goods stores
- Farmers market vendors with packaged goods
- Pop-up shops or seasonal markets
- Campus pop-up retailers (student brands, limited-time sales)
Hospitality, real estate & family visits
- Hotels, inns, and bed & breakfasts near campus
- Local restaurants with family-friendly or upscale dining
- Local real estate agents for investment or condo purchases
- Moving and storage companies
- Florists for graduation or care packages
- Care package or local gift basket businesses
- Family and Parents Weekend organizers
- Local attractions and tourism offices for visiting weekends
What’s next
You have the prospects; now it’s time to start reaching out. Pick a handful of businesses or organizations from this list that make sense for your audience, do a little research, and start a conversation. Don’t worry about contacting all 146 at once. A consistent, targeted approach can help you build your pipeline and turn new prospects into advertising partners.
Want more prospecting ideas? Check out our guide to prospecting creatively for more ways to find potential advertisers and uncover opportunities in your community.
Reach out to your flytedesk account manager for support identifying the right prospects, developing your outreach strategy, and turning new leads into advertising partnerships.
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