Digital Marketing Articles
September 20, 2023
Turning the Tide on Low College Enrollment – With Digital Marketing
When it comes to education marketing, it’s really important to keep an eye on what’s ahead and understand the big trends shaping the world of education. Right now, the education system in the US is facing some pretty complex challenges. We’re seeing a slowdown in people going for higher education, student debts are skyrocketing, and there’s a real struggle to make education fair for everyone.
The United States has been witnessing a consistent drop in student enrollment figures, a trend that is projected to persist in the coming years. This decline can be attributed to the economic difficulties stemming from the great recession. From 2020 onward, the American higher education landscape has seen around 1.23 million undergraduate students step away, marking a decrease of 4%. What’s more, nearly 45% of young adults aged 16 to 24 have not pursued any form of education, further complicating efforts to make significant progress in this area.
Sixty-five percent of college students surveyed by McKinsey agreed that higher education is no longer worth the cost. When we recognize and keep these problems on our radar, it opens up a chance to roll with the punches and come up with fresh ideas to deal with these ongoing shifts.
This plays a big role in boosting student enrollment and making sure they stick around. For us marketers, one ace in our sleeve is the variety of different formats we have to reach and engage with users who are questioning the value of college.
In recent years Digital Marketing has proven to be highly effective in campus recruitment, comparing 2020 to 2023 we see the utilization of digital awareness tactics is on the rise.
It’s crucial to present ads to users at every stage of their journey. The process begins with helping them understand their choices. It’s vital to get your university’s name in front of individuals exploring their college options. Following this, the key is to display ads that spark curiosity and excitement.
Keep in mind that tuition is a significant cost, especially for younger people. As a result, this conversion process requires patience and multiple engaging interactions. It’s quite uncommon for users to apply during their initial website visit.
As we move further down the funnel, the frequency of interactions needs to increase, and the messaging should become more varied. For instance, if a user navigates to the programs page, clicks on the engineering program, and then explores computer engineering, we should provide them with an ad explaining the excellence of our engineering program. Soon after, we can show them a different ad that highlights the benefits of our computer engineering major.
Once a user submits an application, some advertisers mistakenly believe their job is finished. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Ads should continue to reinforce their decision and emphasize the university’s value. The frequency needs to be such that it does not create brand friction but still keeps the university front of mind. Remember, most leads consider more than one college.
After a user becomes enrolled, certain institutions prefer to advertise meal plans or housing options. Additionally, they use look-alike models to target users similar to those who have already enrolled.
Digital Mouth has successfully assisted numerous universities, including some of the nation’s most prestigious ones, in boosting enrollment through personalized strategies. We have emerged as a top marketing agency for generating university leads. Our custom blend of advertisements and predictive AI enables us to reach the right users, at the right time, on the right platforms, using the right devices, ultimately ensuring conversions.
If you’re interested in attracting more students to your university with greater efficiency, please contact us today.