Although colleges and universities aren’t businesses by definition, many of the efforts to attract and recruit prospective students mirror those found in traditional customer conversion. Before an incoming class enrolls, the admissions process often includes research, information requests, applications, and eventual decisions.

Similar to a buying journey, the enrollment and admissions funnel also happens in a top-down process, marked by key performance indicators. As prospective students get closer to enrolling in a new school, they move toward the bottom of the funnel. 

Having a solid understanding of these processes can distinguish a high-performing admissions team from a team that does not meet its enrollment goals. In this post, we’ll discuss just what the enrollment marketing funnel is and how it relates to the admission funnel.

The enrollment funnel is a metaphorical or visual way to think about the stages that students go through prior to becoming enrolled students at an institution.The enrollment process (and corresponding student journey) typically involves a final financial commitment, signifying that a student wants to attend and is ready to move forward.

The enrollment funnel itself can be marked by specific marketing and recruitment efforts. This includes knowing which staff members the prospective student needs to communicate with from the top of the funnel to the bottom. Beyond expressed interest, this process can include:

Applying for aid or scholarships to help offset enrollment costs

Meeting with an enrollment counselor for specific academic programs

Student orientation (more common for admitted students)

What Do Students Need Within the Enrollment Funnel?

What a student needs and expects in the enrollment funnel depends on which stage of the funnel they are in. Early on, digital marketing strategies like search engine optimization (SEO), paid search, and retargeted ads can work to pull students back toward a particular school’s offerings. 

As students move closer to making an actual decision, they need a personalized approach. This means offering specific answers to questions that are unique to the individual student and to where they are on the path to enrollment.

Although these terms are often used interchangeably, the admissions marketing funnel includes the earliest stages of a student’s interactions with a college or university. For example, an admissions funnel might be viewed in terms of:

Prospects and leads – These individuals come from many different types of marketing efforts, including traditional (offline) and digital. Leads are commonly gathered through lead intake forms or “Request for Information” forms on a school’s website. 

Inquiries – Inquiries are one step beyond a cold lead or prospect. At the inquiry stage, there is a greater level of engagement. Students or parents want specific information and have taken active steps to stay in touch with a school. 

Applicants – Applicants are a crucial part of the admissions funnel, because these are the individuals who submit applications. Although this step expresses genuine interest, marketing efforts may still be relevant to help sway a student’s eventual decision in favor of that particular school. 

What Do Students Need Within the Admissions Funnel?

Within the admissions process, prospective students want better visibility into their future. They are gathering basic information in the awareness stage, and then moving on to the consideration stage. Regardless of these decisive actions, higher ed marketers shouldn’t abandon their efforts simply because a student submits an application. 

Recent data shows that students apply to 4-12 schools (on average). This means  marketing messages should be specifically geared toward enticing top students to make final enrollment decisions once they receive an offer of admissions.  

Students explore and pick where they’ll earn a degree in completely new ways and the old way of recruiting just won't cut it. Step into the new world of enrollment, powered by Element451. We've been waiting for you.

In some scenarios, the terms “enrollment marketing funnel” and “admissions marketing funnel” are used interchangeably. This is because there are many activities that overlap when it comes to extending admission and enrolling a student.

Additionally, with both terms, it’s true that the funnel becomes more narrow or condensed as students get closer to an actual decision. This process should always influence or change the way that admissions and enrollment officers (and marketers) interact with future students. 

Meeting needs at every stage of the funnel can improve the odds that a student will enroll at a particular college or university in the future.

Common Concerns About the Marketing Funnel Process

Regardless of whether you want to focus on admissions or increase enrollment, staff need to know which battles they’re up against. The field of higher education is incredibly competitive, and students can obtain more information on their own terms through online engagement than ever before. 

As a result of these funnel evolutions, higher ed professionals must be savvy to the concerns that naturally come up when working with future students.

In admissions and enrollment, a student’s participation with marketing campaigns and initiatives may ebb and flow. Have a plan for interpreting key actions (including lead scoring for new leads), but don’t abandon all efforts too soon. 

A student may eventually land in the final stage of a decision, but they have to get through consideration and awareness first.

Not Having a Clear Data Picture or Performance Metrics

When your admissions data is scattered, disorganized, or unreliable, it’s more difficult to meet students where they are on the journey. Better data leads to enhanced student engagement at every stage in the funnel. A reliable platform or CRM is essential for keeping a student’s data safe, secure, and accessible to the right personnel.

Additionally, most schools need to review this data regularly to better understand how to nurture leads and product relevant marketing campaigns to meet enrollment goals.

Moving Students Along the Funnel at the Wrong Pace 

Whether you’re speaking about the admissions or enrollment marketing funnel, having the proper cadence is key. This simply means that you are delivering timely messages and communications when they’re most valuable. For example, students may not need the link to apply when they’ve only just filled out a website lead form.

Better enrollment starts with better student engagement and personalized communication. Having a holistic view of your prospective students allows you to generate more leads, market more effectively, communicate with ease, and keep students enrolled all the way through to graduation. Many schools that struggle with retention have never mastered recruitment strategies that truly improve the admissions pipeline.

With Element451, enrollment and admissions teams can deliver a personalized marketing campaign at a tempo that students expect and appreciate. A student engagement CRM also offers unique insights into what students interact with most, what they’re missing in their application journey, and how to help them move to the next stage. 

Additionally, with the right data, you can take control of your analytics to better understand which marketing messages are most enticing and effective. If you’ve ever wondered how certain messaging influences enrollment decisions, then a student engagement platform is the one tool you need in your marketing arsenal.

Gen-Z expects brands to communicate with them like they know who they are. Why should colleges and universities be an exception? Our personalization guide will show you how to cut through the noise and truly engage today's students.

The Guide to Gen-Z and Content Personalization

Get Better Insights into Your Marketing Funnels

Detailed, comprehensive insights always generate better marketing decisions. In the digital age, it’s time to revamp your marketing funnels and make sure they’re working to reach, recruit, and enroll new students.

Book your Element451 demo today to see how personalized student engagement can take your admissions and enrollment funnels from good to great.

Enrollment Marketing Funnel vs. Admissions Marketing Funnel

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