by shama@camphorsolutions.comIn the modern rapidly evolving higher education scenario, educational institutions face the difficulty of acquiring and admitting proficient students, which is why enrolment marketing could be valuable. Due to a variety of variables, including shifting student preferences, changing demographics, and rising accountability demands, enrolment marketing has changed over the past few years. Read on to learn more about enrolment marketing, its importance, and the best tools and techniques to increase student enrolment following the established targets.
Meaning & Purpose
A systematic strategy that takes the specific demands and tastes of prospective learners into account is essential to execute successful educational marketing. Therefore, enrolment marketing methods are critical for admissions departments since they keep higher education institutions current with industry best practices. Hence, enrolment marketing is a broad higher education outreach approach designed for locating, appealing to, and registering learners at an upcoming organization.
It includes-
- Lead generation through targeted marketing campaigns, content distribution, events, webinars, and SMS marketing is crucial for engaging potential students.
- Utilizing data and analytics, optimizing digital channels, and leveraging SMS marketing effectively contribute to successful lead generation.
Top Tools for Enrolment Marketing
Some prominent tools which might assist you build for enrolment marketing strategy and lay the foundation for a successful cycle involve-
An Integrated CRM System
A CRM system, like CRM Recruit, helps admissions offices manage large lists of prospective students, ensuring effective communication flow and outreach plans. It tracks communications to each student record, allowing counselors to ensure prospects receive the necessary information before personal outreach.
Social Media Management
Social media, including Instagram, is crucial for admissions marketing. To build success, a content plan, internal review steps, and social listening are essential. Utilizing platforms like Instagram and TikTok helps potential students learn about your school.
Lead Generation through Paid Ad Campaigns
A landing page on a website is an effective lead generation strategy, directing users to a specific program or cluster. Paid advertising or directory listings can help create a clear call to action while maintaining a direct, easy-to-scan design and minimal copy.
Remarketing & Retargeting Ad Campaigns
Retargeting campaigns can be created on the landing page to target unconverted prospects on various digital channels, including search engines, to maintain brand awareness and reinforce awareness. This approach helps create a lead pool for future campaigns.
Capture Organic and Direct Website Traffic
Organic search and program pages drive engagement, requiring clear calls to action, pathways, and information architecture to attract graduate students or adult learners.
Using Personalized Calls to Action to Drive Conversion
Optimizing program pages using pop-ups encourages users to take the next step, promoting valuable resources like webinar invites and career guides in a valuable way.
Expand your Retargeting and Remarketing Campaigns
Optimize MBA page for organic search, create information architecture, and align content to attract prospective students. Add them to retargeting pool to maintain interest in graduate business programs and keep the page fresh in their minds.
Retention of Enrolments through Enrolment Marketing
Following are a few strategies for using educational marketing to keep students enrolled while maintaining brand development, in addition to the way they could be applied to learning marketing to keep students enrolled-
Launch a welcome campaign.
A welcome campaign is a marketing and student life project that solidifies a relationship with prospective students, reinforcing the education brand’s message while helping them adapt to their new school environment. A welcome campaign should cover basics such as how to navigate the campus, how to use databases and libraries, where to find assistance, important dates and deadlines, etc.
Personalise student life services Communications
Current students interact with the student life team for events, news, and personal development. The student life team should be informed of the school’s messaging strategy, using branding and value proposition slogans to remind students of the value they receive from their education.
Regularly send marketing newsletters to enrolled students.
Current students can stay informed about campus improvements by signing up for the school’s email newsletter and receiving notifications on new academic programs, noteworthy speakers, and alumni testimonies.
Create content pieces just for current students.
Create content pieces tailored to current students using content marketing to attract and cultivate new prospective students. Examples include infographics, video series, blog posts, white papers, and podcasts to build a strong relationship with current students and enhance their learning experience.
Feature current students in your marketing.
Feature current students’ experiences in marketing campaigns to increase student retention. Utilize video testimonials to create powerful content pieces that resonate with both prospective and current students. This not only benefits the prospective student but also serves as a way to make the current student feel valued and important in the school’s success.
Requesthelp from students for your marketing activities
Real-world experience in the marketing department offers an incredible win-win for students, allowing them to contribute to the team’s success on a shoestring budget.
Top marketing strategies for Enrolment Marketing
Visual storytelling
Colleges use compelling social media postings, behind-the-scenes images, and first-person photographs to help students visualize themselves in their first school through visual storytelling. This captivating strategy emphasizes selling factors that potential candidates are interested in.
 Chatbots
Colleges and universities can enhance their online experience by utilizing AI-powered chatbots, enhancing customer service for consumer-based businesses, and reducing wait times for students. This approach helps students receive faster responses to applications and form submissions.
User-generated content
Target student creates user-generated marketing content, including testimonials, case studies, and real images, enhancing enrolment marketing by providing genuine campus life experiences, enhancing reliability and transparency, and attracting creativity.
Maximize visibility
Display ads drive brand awareness through the use of images, text, and video content, attracting attention and driving clicks. Colleges and universities can effectively utilize advanced targeting to ensure campaigns are seen by the right people at the most effective times.
Optimize for mobile
Application processes should provide a superior experience for students by ensuring mobile and device-friendly formats throughout the process. This enhances conversion and returns on investment, ensuring a seamless and convenient user experience for college applicants.
Enrolment with a New Perspective:
It’s high time the marketers start thinking from the perspective of post pandemic students.  Online education is still the least preferred in case of Post Graduation courses. Few things to keep in mind while planning your next enrolment marketing strategy are:
- Make learning more real life and connect to reality
- Flexibility of the offered programs
- How to make students meet potential recruiters through enhanced career support
- Ways to offer extra support to students, through new initiatives, industry connect, virtual visits etc.
