Colleges and universities face challenges marketing their institutions to increase student enrollment, attract alumni support, and promote campus events to students and the general public. Most rely on a quality marketing content system (CMS) to coordinate print, digital, video, and social media channels. A sound marketing strategy helps manage a cohesive marketing campaign that segments and targets specific audiences. It requires understanding each audience and taking steps to optimize design, content, and SEO on the channels they trust. Give your customers information based on their priorities and where they are in the decision-making process. Video content is an increasingly influential and popular format for engaging prospects. Videos can be shared on web pages, social media sites, through email, and accessed through QR codes and PURLS on printed material.
School websites and landing pages should be SEO optimized to generate high rankings in response to queries from potential students designed with user experience in mind, focusing on easy navigation and fast-loading pages. SEO optimization is essential to generate high rankings in response to potential students' queries during their search process. Pay-per-click (PPC) ads can be triggered to appear at the top of search pages based on search keywords and are an essential complement to SEO strategies
Print marketing and direct mail continue to deliver results, even with audiences that typically acquire information on social media channels. Direct mail provides opportunities for personalized communications that can be sent to prospects and households based on the student’s field of study, personal interests, and student activities available on campus. Printed banners and attractive signage stand out at college fairs and during campus visits, and brochures and catalogs provide information to students during information-gathering stages.
Email offers opportunities to respond and stay in touch with prospects. It’s especially effective when used along with direct mail and landing page forms and gives levels of personalized promotion for invitations to special campus tours and events. Email can also be deployed to move prospects along the enrollment process with personalized reminders of important dates and follow-up on previous communications and announcements.
Social media marketing holds tremendous potential for a school to showcase its uniqueness and culture. Campaigns created internally or produced and shared by current students and alumni can attract prospects' attention. Social media also helps develop community and generate a feeling of inclusion, establishing authenticity and relevancy when recruiting students.
College and university-branded apparel and promotional swag items like coffee mugs, back packs, water bottles and notebooks also spread brand awareness and help create bonds of community and pride.