Student Releases Website -- First Of Its Kind
(PRWEB) October 18, 2016 -- What started as a school project for Flagler College (St. Augustine, Fla.) student Matt Spanburg, has become a fully realized company, specializing in providing resources for college students all around the country.
Campus Essentials, a site described as a “Social Marketplace for Students” is the brainchild of Spanburg, 23, a business administration recent graduate who has dreamed of owning his own company since he was 6 years old.
“Our goal is simple. We want to create an overall improved college experience for students,” Spanburg said. “With more than 20 million students across the United States, no one has created a one-stop shop student to student marketplace.”
Campus Essentials fills that void. Students can post everything from textbooks to rooms for rent, study guides, papers to get peer edited by other students, and the list goes on and on helping them save money, make friends and even get better grades. The site will also feature a section with jobs and internships where students can upload their resume straight to the business that posted the ad to apply for open positions.
The site’s ease of use and similarity to other classified ad sites will provide students with a resource specifically targeted to their needs. Users are required to provide a university-sponsored .edu email address to register, creating a safe and private environment for students, but after that they only need to select their school — or the school closest to them— and submit a brief profile. After they confirm their registration, students will have full access to the site’s listings and be able to post their own classified ads.
Businesses, of course, can benefit too. Campus Essentials is the first business ever to directly bridge the gap between college students and businesses. The site offers advertising starting as low as $5 per month and a targeted audience of college students all across the U.S. An entire year of triggered-base advertising costs just $730, an unprecedented value in the industry. Ads are clickable and take the user straight to the business’ web page.
According to Spanburg, “Campus Essentials wanted to use the lowest prices in the industry to help bring students and businesses together in a friendly environment.”
Ad types include:
Service Advertisements
- Job/Internship posting: Great for businesses looking for qualified employees and interns; $25 for first college; $10 each additional college
- Rentals: Perfect for real estate companies, and 2nd home owners; $25 for an entire month
- Events: Post fundraisers, concerts, festivals, etc.; $25 for an entire month
- Food/Drink Specials: Great for restaurants and bars trying to gain a much bigger consumer base; $10 per week
- Pet adoptions: Great for animal shelters or individuals; $5 per month
Other Advertising Types:
- Triggered Ads: a high-tech type of nationwide advertisement that is great for targeting a certain consumer because it is triggered by student searches with keywords set by the business who posts the ad
- Fixed side ads: perfect for businesses targeting a certain region; these ads stay in one location for as long as you want to advertise (A Per School Basis)
Spanburg says he hopes to expand the site globally and even give back to students in the form of scholarships. Campus Essentials plans to take 5 percent of the company’s profits each year to create scholarships for students in need.
“Every person needs their chance, and as a company we want to help as many people become college graduates as possible,” Spanburg said.
That philosophy is at the heart of Campus Essentials.
“By saving students money, helping them connect with other students, get better grades and ultimately have the opportunity to get great careers from businesses that post jobs and internships, we hope to give students the best overall college experience possible,” Spanburg said.
The site also includes a social media component: The Bulletin, a space where students can discuss their personal campus experiences, share pictures/videos, and simply connect with others. Students can also instant message each other with a custom IM system to discuss events or even help each other with studying for tests or homework.
Spanburg already has some professional and student support for the business, working with another Flagler College graduate Cabe Nolan; owner of Bold City Agency based in St. Augustine, FLA.— family and even classmates to make his dream a reality. Campus Essentials started as a class project, so Spanburg had the benefit of his target audience’s feedback early on.
“My classmates were really excited about the idea, so after a lot of thinking, I thought it was time to take my knowledge I learned from Flagler and take a chance on living my dream out,” Spanburg said.
Many months later, with personal money and some financial help from his family, he was working with different developers to create campusessentials.com, which launched this month.
“It is exciting and crazy to see such a small idea I created for a school project turn into a real service and marketing company,” he said.
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Campus Essentials, LLC, was founded in 2015 by Flagler College student Matt Spanburg. It is a website—campusessentials.com—featuring classified ads created by and targeted to college students in the United States. Ad rates for businesses start at just $5 per month and can be targeted to geographic areas and search results. The site is free for students with a university-sponsored .edu email address. Campus Essentials is a service website designed to bring people together, but is not responsible for what goes on beyond the site. Campus Essentials™ owns all intellectual property, ideas, images, and design.
Matt Spanburg, Campus Essentials, LLC, http://www.campusessentials.com, +1 (904) 404-8930 Ext: 1, [email protected]
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