Sometimes, navigating the enrollment process can feel like a maze to students—complex and challenging with twists and turns caused by departmental silos and underresourced staff trying their best.
Make it easy with five small marketing tweaks you can implement this summer that will have you seeing major benefits in enrollment and student engagement by the time the fall semester rolls around.
1. The most overlooked page on your website is…
One often overlooked aspect is the post-inquiry form experience, which happens just after potential students submit their inquiries. In many cases, this crucial moment is neglected, and a simple "thanks for submitting this form" message is provided.
This is a missed opportunity to capitalize on the momentum and excitement of the inquiry journey. By improving this page, you can engage potential students on a more personalized level, increasing the chances of conversion.
For example, implementing a tailored message or offering additional resources can make a significant impact. By making this small adjustment, schools can enhance their enrollment process and leave a lasting impression on prospective students.
2. Your PPC campaign is leaking leads where you least expect it
Another shortcut to consider is optimizing pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns to minimize lead leakage. When running paid media campaigns, it's essential to consider the various platforms being used, such as Facebook/Instagram, Google Ads, LinkedIn, and others.
One common mistake is overlooking the link in the bio of an ad. Potential students often click on the advertiser's profile before converting, resulting in missed opportunities. To address this, institutions can turn the link into a dedicated landing page. This allows for increased relevance and a higher conversion rate.
By redirecting interested prospects to a landing page, you can ensure a more focused and tailored experience, resulting in more qualified leads. In fact, success stories have shown that up to 20% of Instagram leads can come through the bio link, highlighting the potential impact you can’t ignore.
3. The one keyword you should bid on in Google (but most don’t)
It may come as a surprise, but bidding on your own school's name in Google, even without running Google Ads, can be a smart move.
Often, potential students may search for your school to learn more about it after seeing promotions or hearing about it geographically. However, they might get lost on the homepage when faced with numerous link options to explore. This is a missed opportunity for conversion.
By directing them to a specific landing page, schools can significantly increase conversion rates. Since no one else is bidding on your school's name, the clicks are relatively cheap, and the relevance is high. By seizing this untapped potential, you can generate more leads and capitalize on the existing attention gained through promotional efforts.
4. Break down campaigns into small steps to reach micro-targets
When it comes to driving enrollment goals, smaller trigger-based campaigns are key, but many institutions are intimidated by the idea of creating and managing multiple emails.
A helpful shortcut is to use the same email content multiple times while changing the subject lines to push recipients toward micro goals. This approach saves time and effort while still allowing for effective communication and engagement.
By breaking down the campaign into smaller steps and utilizing trigger-based emails, schools can guide potential students along the enrollment journey more effectively, increasing the chances of conversion.
5. Your most valuable campaign is your inquiry to application
One of the most valuable campaigns an institution can undertake is the follow-up from inquiry to application. While it's important to use multiple channels for communication, SMS stands out as one of the most powerful tools.
By initiating a conversation through a personalized SMS message, such as inquiring about the program of interest, you can quickly engage potential students and encourage further interaction.
This approach creates a sense of dialogue and builds a connection, ultimately leading to a phone call or further steps in the enrollment process. By leveraging the power of SMS, you can effectively nurture leads and guide them towards enrollment success.
6. Bonus Tip: If you’re not charging an app fee, you’re leaving money on the table
A bonus tweak to consider is implementing application fees strategically. Many schools drop application fees in an attempt to attract more applications. However, by doing so, they miss out on potential revenue and fail to create a sense of urgency for applicants.
Instead, strategically introduce application fees and then strategically discount or waive them when necessary. This approach creates a sense of value around your institution’s specific offerings that can help students pick you over the competition.
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