Once upon a time, college admissions advisors would lure prospective students with print materials, billboards and college fairs — and it was enough to get their class. Of course these traditional efforts still have their place in college enrollment marketing, but today the digital realm offers unparalleled opportunities for outreach and engagement.
In the dynamic landscape of higher education, effective digital marketing strategies are more crucial than ever in increasing student enrollment. The tried and (formerly) true admissions marketing tactics of the past aren’t enough on their own when potential students have endless opportunities to explore right at their fingertips. Moreover, with the looming demographic cliff on everyone’s mind, institutions must adapt and embrace new approaches to attract and engage prospective students if they hope to compete.
Okay, let’s take a quick break.
You might be thinking about how much you have on your to do list as it is. Now some random higher ed marketing blog is telling you that you’re not doing enough? Get real. Am I right?
Bear with me. You may be doing a lot of this already! And if you’re not, someone is probably telling you it’s time or you wouldn’t be reading this. I promise that you (yes, even you) can implement these strategies and see results.
Nothing I’m about to suggest requires the help of an agency (though, we can recommend a pretty good one 😉) AND every single one of these strategies could even save you time in the long run.
Ready to get back into it? Here we go.
By leveraging digital marketing tools, embracing data-driven insights and focusing on personalized messaging, you can engage prospective students in meaningful ways that resonate and ultimately lead to increased enrollment.
Here’s how you can do it.
The convenience and accessibility of virtual offerings have made them increasingly popular among prospective students who aren’t ready to fully commit to a campus visit or one-on-one meeting. On the institution side, hosting virtual events gives you a chance to share valuable insights, showcase your programs and engage directly with your target audience — often requiring less time and effort than in-person events.
Most virtual events can be recorded once and linked on your website for prospective students to access on demand, saving you time. Even better? If any of these things are already a normal part of your in-person events, all you have to do is record it.
When used correctly, digital advertising is a powerful tool for reaching and targeting prospective students. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google offer options to showcase your institution and drive traffic to important pages. Most platforms have solutions to expand your audience and nurture engaged prospects for a range of budgets and skill levels.
The key is driving traffic from your digital ads to the right place. While sending ad traffic to your application or a program page may seem like a straightforward approach, it’s usually not the best ad strategy for increasing enrollment.
This approach allows you to build awareness, provide valuable information, and establish a connection with prospective students before they move forward with the application.
Email can be a powerful part of your enrollment marketing plan. It allows you to deliver targeted and personalized messaging directly to prospective students’ inboxes, keeping your institution top of mind and guiding them through the enrollment journey.
Writing individual emails and sending them off can be time-consuming. If you do it right, automating your email workflows based on prospective students’ engagement can save time and ensure consistent communication.
Content marketing is one of the best marketing strategies for universities and colleges to attract and engage prospective students. By offering resources like guides, infographics, blogs, videos, webinars and e-books, you can position your institution as an authoritative source of information and establish a strong connection with prospective students.
By offering valuable resources and guides through content marketing, enrollment marketers can position their institution as a thought leader, engage prospective students, and drive them toward enrollment.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a vital component of a successful enrollment marketing strategy. By optimizing your institution's website for search engines, you can improve its online visibility, attract organic traffic, and reach prospective students who may not have been aware of your school initially.
Optimizing your website for search engines enables you to position your institution as a valuable resource and connect with a wider audience, ultimately driving enrollment growth.
The truth is, it’s not just one of these strategies but a whole host of targeted efforts that work together to ease prospective students through the funnel and into (figurative) seats. That doesn’t mean enrollment marketers shouldn’t employ any of these strategies if they can’t do them all — implementing a full-funnel inbound marketing strategy for higher education is a long-term goal. It’s not something you can put together overnight. Start with what you can and add more as your expertise and experience (and budget) grow.
And, of course, if you need a partner along the way DD Agency can help with all of this and more.
Do you know how prospective students are engaging with email? How are virtual events affecting recruitment? Are you considering all three prospective student stages when creating content? Look no further! See how your institution stacks up against other schools across these primary marketing tactics.
Download our free guide, DD’s Deep Dive: Enrollment Marketing Benchmarks Report to learn: