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Connecting education with traditional business marketing strategies is not always easy. "Leads" and "sales" are foreign terms to education marketers and admissions professionals who just want to grow their enrollment and help their students succeed. But, once you cut through the jargon, you begin to realize that many of the same concepts actually translate to similar goals.
With the evolution of technology and consumer behaviors, Universities and Higher Education Institutions are entering a new phase of Digital Marketing. Like other industries, educators must embrace these changes and find ways to leverage them in their marketing campaigns to stay competitive. As we embark into 2019 and reflect on the marketing trends in 2018, we can see those trends that will continue to grow and those that are just starting to take hold. Here are five Education Marketing Strategies to not only look for, but to incorporate in your 2019 marketing plan.
You want to stand out. Your college or university is simply different than the others. Yes, they boast about a beautiful campus and low student/faculty ratio. But at the bottom of your heart, you know that you can deliver on more than they ever could.
Now, you just have to prove it. And therein lies the rub.
In higher education, digital marketing tends to take a back seat. For decades, sending students a view book and a personalized letter from admissions was enough to get them to visit campus, apply, and become a student.
Unfortunately, that's no longer the case. Thanks to online programs and for-profit institutions, competition for high school students has become fierce. Thanks to the increased choice, the average U.S. student now applies to more than 3 colleges, with sending out as many as 40 applications.
The conversation has been all about Millennials for years. The time has come to shift our focus to Generation Z. Luckily, your education marketing strategies aren't starting from ground zero because many of the same marketing methods apply to Gen Z. However, there are a few significant differences. One of them is that Instagram is to Gen Z what Facebook is to Millennials. Gen Z'ers post updates about their lives, comment on each other's posts and have real conversations on the platform. As a result, Instagram delivers some of the highest engagement rates for higher education institutions.
To reach prospective students, you should be working on creating a strong presence on Instagram with eye-catching posts, social interactions, and creative marketing.
Higher education marketing has changed drastically over the past few years. The days in which a university could simply send a viewbook to a large list of purchased SAT names are long over. Today, as a large number of institutions are competing for a limited number of potential students, more nuanced strategies are absolutely crucial.
Enter inbound marketing, a concept that builds itself on providing value rather than promotion. Its methodology, with an emphasis on education, aligns closely with the core mission of educational institutions. That's why colleges and universities across the country have increasingly embraced the concept to attract and convert future students on their way through the enrollment journey.
We've truly arrived in the digital age. Today, almost every college and university has a social media presence. And yet, few of them can show actual success in attracting potential students and their parents, while assuring them your school is the right fit.
Here's a sobering statistic: overall student enrollment in higher education has been falling over the past six years, according to the data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Unfortunately, this trend is unlikely to reverse on its own, as researchers believe that the decline is likely to continue in the coming years. As a result, it's more important than ever that you take action now to proactively recruit future students.
When building a successful lead generation strategy, an important question to ask is “What result am I aiming for?” Great question! But what do real results mean? It's different for every school however one thing translates across all the higher education institutions we've encountered. A big part of the answer lies with their successful graduates. Successful graduates are the real test of the entire school's ecosystem, and it starts with the marketing efforts and reaching the right future graduates.
So how do you reach those future graduates? Simple. With a higher education lead generation strategy that works. The key to connecting with your prospective students is reaching them when and where they want you to. There are numerous options, be it Google, social channels, through lead generation companies, or traditional media like TV and radio. Maybe your students attend college fairs or school Open Houses. There are many different channels, and each has its strengths. How you use them depends on who your students are
As a co-founder of a boutique growth agency I realized it was time to scale our business and not only focus on growing other peoples businesses. What a concept! The problem was, I hate to sell. I’ve always been so uncomfortable that when I have to do it, frankly, I suck at it. At least that’s what I thought. My mindset defeated me before I even began. I had to break that trend, so I started looking at Sales Optimization strategies to help get me over the hump.
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