A Changing Landscape

Technology is rapidly reshaping how schools approach student recruitment, enrollment, retention, and graduation. With many new platforms and software available, staying on top of the latest trends is more important than ever. Enrollify and Element451 conducted a cutting-edge survey to get a pulse on the state of enrollment marketing technology in higher education. 

The results are in, and they reveal what schools are spending on technology, the tools they use to recruit and enroll students, how satisfied they are with their CRMs, and what they wish their technology could do better. 

In our March 29 Webinar, The State of Enrollment Marketing Technology  — A Look at the Modern University’s Technology Stack, we analyzed the report to discover how we can propel schools forward with modern technology techniques. And while our survey did not inquire about the use of artificial intelligence, skip to the end of the on-demand recording to hear a lively discussion on the role of AI in higher ed marketing and communications.

(webinar slides and video)

15% of Higher Education Marketers Don't Use CRM

One key survey finding is that 15% of higher education marketing teams do not use a CRM to manage ad campaigns and prospect communications. Interestingly, 66% of those marketers work at private institutions. 

Of those who use a CRM, 50% use Slate for marketing activities but given the platform’s key marketing tools, Digital Advertising, and Social Media Management, a low rating of 2.1 out of 5 stars. In contrast, respondents gave HubSpot and Salesforce a rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars and Element451 a rating of 4 out of 5 stars for the same tools.

Institutions Need Better Tools

The survey also found that almost 50% of respondents are dissatisfied with the reporting and analytics provided by their marketing CRMs, rating them 1-3 stars. Furthermore, the average satisfaction rating for texting and landing page tools is just 3.25 stars. 

Respondents' most requested new or improved features were better reporting and analytics tools and better email and social media management tools. Interestingly, the tool that received the highest rating across the board was the “Email Tool.”

About 15% of survey respondents do not have a CRM that they use for marketing activities. 

Respondents without marketing CRMs use an average of four different software tools to complete their marketing objectives. Interestingly, 90% of higher ed marketers that don’t have a CRM that they use for marketing activities are from public, four-year institutions.

Too Many Programs, Too Many Problems

Lastly, the survey found that 76% of institutions using CRMs for marketing and student recruitment rely on more than one CRM, with 75% of public institutions using multiple CRMs, compared to only 40% of private institutions. 

The events module and landing page tools in admissions CRMs received a 25% less favorable rating compared to other tools.

Room For Improvement

The survey findings suggest that there is a need for improvement in the technology used by higher education marketing teams. 

Specifically, there is a demand for better tools for reporting and analytics, email and social media management, and texting and landing pages. Furthermore, private institutions should consider investing in a CRM for marketing activities to keep up with public institutions.

To view the full report, be sure to download our resource.