Earning a higher education degree—whether a B.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., M.D., or any other kind—is a remarkable achievement. However, the decision to pursue a degree program is significant, life-changing, and usually requires considerable introspection. My own experience reflects this. As a former full-time account manager at a video software company, choosing to leave my job and become a full-time nutrition graduate student involved extensive research, reflection, financial planning, and soul-searching.
Every student’s journey is unique, but one thing remains constant: marketing in the higher education sector presents distinct challenges. This guide will equip you to navigate these challenges and develop a robust higher education marketing plan using 11 proven strategies:
- Craft personalized, targeted social media campaigns
- Connect with prospective students on an emotional level
- Highlight your institution’s distinctive strengths
- Leverage testimonials from satisfied and successful students
- Organize in-person events to foster personal connections
- Collaborate with accomplished alumni to showcase your institution
- Harness the potential of video marketing
- Maintain an engaging and informative blog
- Promote positive media coverage
- Advertise on popular podcasts
- Explore creative guerilla marketing tactics
Decoding Higher Education Marketing
Higher education marketing focuses on promoting an institution to individuals seeking education beyond a high school diploma. In the U.S., this encompasses any degree program exceeding the secondary level.
Higher education marketing is among the most demanding fields. The decision to pursue higher education is not only a significant personal commitment but also a substantial financial investment. Moreover, research indicate a downward trend in higher education enrollment, intensifying the challenges faced by marketers in this sector. Consequently, incorporating effective strategies into your marketing plan is more crucial than ever.
Let’s delve into these strategies.
1. Personalized and Targeted Social Media Campaigns
Social media has evolved into a prominent online space for individuals across diverse age groups – teenagers, young adults, middle-aged individuals, and even older adults. Whether your target demographic includes high schoolers embarking on their college search or career-changers in their mid-careers, they’re likely spending a significant portion of their time scrolling through Instagram feeds and engaging with Facebook messages.
This underscores the need for a comprehensive social media marketing strategy encompassing all major platforms. A crucial element of this strategy is personalizing ad experiences for specific audiences. Fortunately, platforms like Instagram and Facebook facilitate this process.
For instance, suppose your institution has a history of successfully enrolling high school students passionate about environmentalism and politics. You can tailor personalized campaigns to identify and engage these prospective students.
Utilize Facebook’s Ad Manager platform to refine your targeting parameters, including age, location, interests, and demographics, to ensure your campaigns effectively reach the intended audience. Subsequently, align your ad copy and content to resonate with this specific demographic.
2. Emotional Resonance in Marketing
A higher education degree holds the potential to profoundly impact an individual’s life. It’s no surprise that obtaining such a degree is often an emotional and significant milestone. This inherent emotional aspect presents a powerful avenue for your marketing endeavors.
Emotional marketing is a highly effective strategy. A Nielson study revealed that individuals are 8.4 times more inclined to trust a company and 7.1 times more likely to make a purchase when they experience a positive emotional connection with a brand.
Fortunately, the higher education sector offers numerous opportunities to leverage the power of emotion. After all, attending an institution often marks the beginning of a transformative journey.
Consider sharing inspiring narratives—perhaps a graduate whose financial well-being significantly improved after earning their degree or individuals who formed life-changing connections while at your institution. Think creatively and craft compelling storylines to attract prospective students.
Harvard University’s example below exemplifies this approach. The story highlights how two graduate students with disabilities connected and collaborated to establish a resource that empowers and supports fellow students. Combining a narrative with a relatable photograph or video is crucial for effectively communicating emotions and stories.
3. Differentiating Your Institution
Let’s say your institution boasts renowned professors, a vibrant array of activities, clubs, and sports, a well-regarded dining program, and ample on-campus housing options. While impressive, these features are relatively common. Most prospective students are already aware of the offerings of various higher education programs, and there’s significant overlap. To effectively engage prospective students, you need to showcase what sets your institution apart.
Reflecting on my own experience as a carefree 17-year-old, Fairfield University captured my attention by highlighting its proximity to New York City and Fairfield Beach. Perhaps my youthful priorities were a tad superficial, but the point remains – identify your strengths and flaunt them!
Northeastern University, for example, distinguishes itself with its renowned co-op program. This program provides students with a year of real-world internship experience before graduation.
The key is to pinpoint the aspects that make your institution distinctive and desirable, subsequently emphasizing these strengths in your marketing materials.
4. Student Testimonials: Authentic Voices
As a higher education marketer, you might be surprised to learn that sometimes the most effective approach is to let others do the talking. Why? Your role involves promoting your school and potentially increasing tuition revenue, which can come across as overly promotional to prospective students.
Instead, allowing your content and former students to share their experiences is among the most impactful marketing strategies. In fact, 88% of consumers demonstrate that online reviews are trusted as much as personal recommendations, and 72% of individuals report that positive reviews build trust in a business.
Fortunately, higher education is an ideal sector for gathering student testimonials. Students who have had fulfilling experiences at your institution are often eager to share their perspectives and guide incoming students.
Take a cue from Elon University, which shared a video of a current student imparting wisdom to incoming freshmen.
5. In-Person Events: Forging Connections
What better way to transform hesitant applicants into enthusiastic future students than by fostering genuine, in-person connections? It’s a sentiment shared by many. In fact, 84% of leadership affirm that in-person events are pivotal to their company’s success.
Higher education marketers can reap substantial rewards by venturing offline and engaging in in-person networking through event marketing. Brainstorm event ideas that bring potential students together. Consider hosting a summer barbecue on campus, inviting current students and alumni to mingle with prospective applicants.
Ultimately, nothing surpasses the power of face-to-face interactions in securing new student enrollments. Plan ahead to ensure your events are well-organized, publicized, and engaging, maximizing their impact.
6. Alumni Success Stories: Reflecting Institutional Excellence
The accomplishments of your alumni reflect positively on your institution. When successful alumni are interviewed or profiled, their educational background often takes center stage, indirectly boosting your institution’s credibility.
So, how can you further leverage the success stories of your alumni? Cultivate and nurture relationships with these individuals, fostering partnerships to showcase your institution’s strengths.
One effective approach is to recognize and honor accomplished alumni with awards. For instance, Fairfield University presented Kathleen Murphy, President of Personal Investing at Fidelity, with the Alumni Professional Achievement Award. Such recognition serves as an inspiration for prospective students aspiring to excel in the financial world.
7. Harnessing the Power of Video Marketing
Traveling to every institution under consideration isn’t feasible for all prospective students. Time constraints, financial limitations, or other logistical factors often prevent in-person visits. This is where video marketing becomes an invaluable tool, offering a virtual window into your campus and programs.
Moreover, video marketing can effectively reach students who might not have initially considered your institution. It’s no secret that video has emerged as a potent tool in the marketer’s arsenal. Marketers who incorporate video into their strategies experience revenue growth 49% faster than those who don’t.
The higher education sector recognizes this potential, with 86% of universities and colleges actively maintaining a presence on YouTube.
Observe how Boston College utilizes video on Facebook to capture the excitement of students returning to campus. It’s a fantastic way to provide a glimpse of campus life and generate enthusiasm among potential applicants.
8. Engaging Content through Blogging
For higher education marketers, maintaining an informative and well-written blog is essential. While blogging might be more of a long-term strategy, it’s an excellent method to foster engagement with your brand.
Consider creating niche blogs tailored to specific interests for even greater impact. Take inspiration from Dartmouth University’s “Tuck Education Executive Blog” blog, targeted toward individuals interested in business.
This blog features articles designed to educate and inspire current and future business leaders. Importantly, this content seamlessly incorporates calls to action, inviting readers to explore the program further, as illustrated below.
This marketing strategy is particularly effective due to its genuine and non-intrusive nature, empowering prospective students to conduct their research without feeling pressured.
9. Amplifying Positive Press Coverage
Has your institution garnered accolades? Perhaps it earned a spot among the top 10 colleges according to the Princeton Review. Whatever the achievement, don’t let positive press coverage go unnoticed!
Incorporate these positive endorsements into your marketing materials to demonstrate your institution’s value to prospective students. These acknowledgments build trust and reinforce the message that your institution is a worthwhile investment.
Take a page from Elon University’s playbook. The institution, recognized across multiple categories in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, strategically promoted this achievement on social media platforms to share the news far and wide.
10. Podcast Advertising: Reaching a Captive Audience
Did you know that 51% of the US population indicate that 32% of individuals listen to podcasts monthly? According to Music Oomph, podcasts are particularly popular among young adults, the demographic most likely to pursue higher education.
It’s safe to assume that podcasts will continue to gain traction as more options become available. So, why not leverage this trend through podcast advertising?
Advertising on popular podcasts provides a unique opportunity to subtly engage potential students while they’re engrossed in something they enjoy. For instance, if you’re looking to attract students to your graduate business program, consider sponsoring prominent business podcasts that align with their interests. This strategy keeps your institution top of mind.
11. Guerilla Marketing: Unconventional and Effective
Why not infuse your marketing efforts with a dose of creativity and venture into the realm of guerilla marketing? Whether it’s a simple poster strategically placed on a bus or a more elaborate street performance, guerilla marketing offers a canvas for unconventional ideas that captivate the attention of prospective students as they go about their daily lives.
An added advantage of guerilla marketing is its budget-friendly nature, as campaigns are often localized. For inspiration, explore these 20+ guerilla marketing examples.
Mastering Higher Education Marketing
By implementing these strategies, you’ll be well on your way to boosting enrollment rates. So, embrace these insights and elevate your higher education marketing game to new heights.