The Biggest Changes in Higher Education Marketing

Higher education has experienced one of the largest shifts as compared to other industries during the pandemic. The college experience is now being experienced from bedroom desks, on zoom calls, with many students in quarantine. Students, professors, and schools are all grappling with the monumental shift to learning from home. 

The marketing approach higher education institutions must take is much different than years past. Communication has changed rapidly. Enrollment has declined. Institutions must find new ways to attract students to their halls, even if those halls are virtual for the time being. 

Creating Virtual Experiences 

Meeting your students virtually is absolutely critical. This goes beyond the online zoom classes your students are attending; universities need to find ways to virtually recreate the experiences that make college a special time for students. Online classes, virtual job fairs, digital chatbox support, and virtual social or campus events can all aid in creating the most fulfilling experience you can provide. 

For prospective students, your communication is key in attracting them to your virtual classrooms. It’s a harder sell these days to convince students that which college they choose is critical when they’re all online. The environment, the campus, the social life, the size, and other factors that typically play into the decision making process are on pause. Make sure to communicate the benefits students can expect from your college, even virtually.

Especially important is how you communicate your response to the pandemic. 70 percent of students say that how their school handles the situation will affect their decision to enroll next year.

Reaching Audiences Virtually

There are many virtual channels you can utilize to reach your audience. Your digital marketing can be a key to enticing both current students to stay and prospective students to choose your school. But one of the most effective channels for young adults is social media. Your social media strategy is crucial in your communication and marketing strategy for prospective and current students. 

Utilize Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for channels across social media to reach the most of your audience possible. Don’t forget Snapchat — 94% of American social media users age 18 to 24 use the photo and video sharing app. Social offers a unique way to showcase the benefits you provide to your students. Connect with your students via virtual college events, market the majors you offer and study resources provided, guide students through your application process, and leverage alumni experiences and career opportunities. There are so many ways to creatively attract students. 

You also need to make sure you are communicating effectively on each channel. Use visual media across channels, including video — even if imperfect — to showcase your classrooms, experiences, and virtual opportunities. Allow social media to serve as a resource for students and parents by answering questions and providing assistance wherever possible. 

What the Future Holds for Higher Education Marketing

Virtual education is going to be the norm for some time, and communication with your students is more important than ever. Measure the state of your digital marketing to see where you can improve, what you’re doing well with, and what strategies you want to move forward with. 

Digital marketing has become the new leader in your marketing strategy. Utilize every resource at your disposal. Other than social media, universities can find effectiveness in programmatic, search, and CTV. 

Programmatic is an essential tool. Distribute your ads across content distributors, no matter the media type. Streaming, for example, has been an effective tool for one of our higher ed clients; by leveraging Spotify and Quantum RTB, a university in New Jersey was able to garner 100,000 impressions per month, which resulted in a 34 percent increase in overall site traffic. This was all at a cost of $0.03 per completed listen. 

Connected TV (CTV) is critical for reaching college-aged adults and teens. 63% of teenagers watch YouTube daily. And one of the best parts is that CTV can be watched by multiple members of the same family with the same impression. If a whole family is watching TV together and your ad comes on, you’ve now scored an impression with both parent and student for the cost of one. 

Search marketing must undergo change to meet the times. Keywords should be changed to include terms such as “online classes” or “virtual classroom.” Geographic targeting should be rethought — are you expanding your range or targeting local communities? Search marketing will round out your program to capture the hard work of your upper funnel efforts. 

Shifting your focus in your marketing approach is challenging, but 2020 has demanded a change in all of our marketing approaches. For higher education, that’s a focus on communication, digitization, and the importance of an omnichannel approach unlike ever before.