With higher education becoming more essential than ever, a rapidly growing number of students have begun to gravitate towards colleges. However, while some schools have been able to effectively capitalize on this trend, others have floundered into their marketing efforts.
Given how important higher education has become to the modern job market, enrollment shouldn’t be a hard sell. So, if your college’s marketing efforts could use a shot in the arm, take care to consider the following pointers.
Work With An Experienced Digital Marketing Agency
If your school’s marketing efforts are in need of a complete overhaul, it’s in your best interest to reach out to an experienced digital marketing agency.
Colleges that have largely regarded online marketing as an afterthought are especially likely to benefit from the expertise such agencies have to offer.
The right digital marketers can teach your staff the ins and outs of social media marketing, content creation, search engine optimization and a host of other promotional disciplines.
Furthermore, they’ll be able to help you implement a wide assortment of marketing strategies and refine them as needed. For best results, look for a specialized higher education marketing agency.
Maintain An Active Social Media Presence
In 2022, you’d be hard-pressed to find a successful college that hasn’t embraced social media. Not only do social platforms function as vehicles for enabling people to keep in touch, they can be invaluable marketing tools for businesses – and schools – of all sizes.
So, if your school’s current social media presence is minimal to nonexistent, now would be a great time to change this.
To start with, create accounts for your college on the web’s most popular social platforms. Next, make a point of updating each of these accounts on a daily basis. Fortunately, since posts can often be recycled across various platforms, you generally won’t have to worry about creating platform-specific posts.
While the ideal number of daily updates varies by platform, you should never let a day go by without posting at least one update per account. Furthermore, make an effort to identify the most opportune times of day to post updates on each platform.
You should also be prepared to address a large number of comments and questions via social media. When addressing queries – or interacting with your followers in any manner – make a point of being as courteous and professional as possible.
If prospective students get the impression that their feedback and questions aren’t appreciated, they’re liable to shift their attention to other schools. If no one in your marketing department has the bandwidth or experience to properly oversee your social media efforts, consider hiring a dedicated social media manager.
As the title implies, this person will take point on any and all matters pertaining to social media. From crafting engaging posts to interacting with followers, this individual will be fully dedicated to the success of your school’s social media push.
Get Students Involved
If you’re looking to broaden your school’s appeal to prospective students, why not get current students involved in your marketing efforts? After all, no one knows what students look for in schools better than other students.
Input from students can help you refine your marketing efforts and shift your focus to areas that are most likely to pay off. For example, students can educate you on which platforms to focus on, the types of advertisements that appeal to young people and the general tone your marketing should take.
Make Sure Your Website Is Optimized For Mobile Devices
As of the second quarter of 2022, mobile devices accounted for 58.99% of global website traffic. So, if your school’s website has yet to be optimized for mobile devices, get on top of this posthaste. If your site lags or simply refuses to load on mobile devices, you’re losing out on tons of potential interest and displaying a clear lack of awareness for changes in technology.
These days, higher education shouldn’t be a tough sell. With college degrees becoming a prerequisite for a growing number of careers, it’s easy to see why so many high school grads are opting to go straight to college and so many adults are opting to continue their education.
As such, any schools that have failed to use this trend to their fullest advantage are missing out in a big way. Any college that’s eager to get a handle on its marketing efforts stands to benefit from the advice outlined above.
