Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | October 29th, 2024

Understanding the Graduate Program Enrollment Cycle

Choosing to enroll in a graduate program is a significant decision that can take time. The graduate program enrollment cycle varies for different degrees, and prospective students often spend years considering their options. Understanding these typical enrollment cycles can help institutions tailor their outreach strategies effectively. Let’s break down the average lead cycle times for various graduate programs, from the shortest to the longest.

1-Year Master’s Programs (Post-Undergraduate)

For one-year master’s programs, such as those in fields like education or business, prospective students typically have a decision window of 1 to 2 years. These candidates may be driven seniors eager to enhance their undergraduate degrees or motivated juniors planning ahead. If a student has been in your funnel for over two years, it’s beneficial to reach out and gauge their interest.

MBA Programs

The average lead cycle time for MBA candidates is around 2 to 3 years. Many early-career professionals realize after a few years in the workforce that they need to pivot their careers or gain broader perspectives to advance into leadership roles. Preparing for admissions tests and selecting the right program can extend this timeline. Once they register for the GMAT, schools have less than 2 years to connect, as they will be targeted by multiple institutions.

EMBA and Global EMBA Programs

Prospective students for Executive MBA (EMBA) and Global EMBA programs often take much longer—up to 5 to 7 years to make their decision. Many individuals in this demographic are busy professionals balancing career and personal life while contemplating further education. For global programs that require travel, the logistical challenges can delay their commitment even further. It’s essential to nurture these leads over time, addressing their concerns and staying top-of-mind throughout the graduate program enrollment cycle.

Executive Education

For professionals at all career stages, Executive Education programs offer immediate learning opportunities. These candidates might need to fill specific knowledge gaps or pursue ongoing education. Timeliness and relevance are crucial for this audience; when they are ready to enroll, your program needs to be their first choice.

Online Education

Prospective online students typically fall into two categories: those who need a degree quickly to advance in their careers, and those who seek flexibility and have more time to decide. With the rise of online programs and alternative educational resources, it’s vital to give these students the space to explore their options without pressure during the graduate program enrollment cycle.

Take Advantage of Graduate Program Enrollment Cycle

Understanding the varying lead times within the enrollment cycle for different graduate programs can enhance your engagement strategies. Whether you’re reaching out to one-year master’s candidates or EMBA prospects, knowing where they are in their decision-making process allows for more effective communication. For tailored strategies on engaging with prospective students, contact GPRS today.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | October 17th, 2024

Optimize Your Lead Conversion Funnel

In today’s competitive education landscape, having the right people in your lead conversion funnel is crucial for achieving enrollment goals. From initial contact to final enrollment, each stage of the funnel requires a strategic approach to ensure that leads are qualified, engaged, and ready to become future students. By focusing on attracting the right individuals and nurturing them through a well-designed digital strategy, you can maximize your conversion rates and build a strong, committed student body.

Top of the Funnel: Leads

Are you attracting the right people into your funnel? Depending on who you consult — marketing, admissions, administrators, faculty — these leads could be the most crucial individuals in your funnel, deserving significant investment. Qualified, engaged leads aligned with your degree program are more likely to transform into prospects and eventually seated students. If this seems straightforward, why do so many shortcuts exist in lead generation?

Have you ever bought a list only to see your email campaign’s bounce rates soar, or used a too-good-to-be-true digital advertising deal? Such tactics can deplete your budget and waste valuable time. Instead, a focused digital strategy utilizing multiple platforms, compelling ad creatives, and targeted media can yield better results. For instance, 500 high-quality leads are more beneficial than 10,000 outdated email addresses obtained through outdated mass marketing techniques. The results will manifest as these leads convert to the middle of the funnel.

Middle of the Funnel: Prospects

This stage is where leads become genuine prospects, provided your lead generation strategy was effective. The middle of the funnel is where churn happens, with prospects asking: Is it time to go back to school? Should I work while earning my degree? Is an in-person, online, or hybrid program suitable for me? What can I afford? Your role is to answer these questions.

Targeted email communication addressing potential barriers can alleviate concerns. Videos or other media on your website can help them choose the right program. Personal outreach or event invitations from admissions staff can reassure them. These engagement efforts, combined with ensuring their qualification, make the transition from lead to prospect smoother.

Bottom of the Funnel: Future Students

As prospects continue their decision-making process, your team’s efforts are crucial for conversion. It’s easier to convert the right candidate than someone who isn’t a good fit, even if they look ideal on paper. Prospects are more than just demographics and job titles; they are individuals with real lives, families, circumstances, and ambitions. Meeting them on their journey, both physically and mentally, is essential.

Focusing your efforts early enables you to connect with the right people at the right time. By this stage in the funnel, they’ve been qualified by an excellent marketing strategy and are ready to be guided by admissions. Congratulations, you’re on your way to filling your next class.

Optimize Your Lead Conversion Funnel for Success

Optimizing your lead conversion funnel is not just about increasing numbers but about ensuring that each lead is a potential future student. By investing in a strategic approach at every stage of the funnel, you can attract, nurture, and convert the right individuals. This focused effort will lead to higher conversion rates, a more engaged student body, and ultimately, a more successful educational institution. Embrace the journey of connecting with the right people, and watch as your enrollment numbers and student satisfaction grow.

Let’s chat about how we can help make your lead conversion funnel strategy even stronger.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | September 30th, 2024

Crisis Communication: Managing Admissions During Uncertain Times

Whether facing a global pandemic, economic downturn, or institutional challenges, the ability to adapt and communicate clearly can make all the difference in maintaining a strong applicant pool. Here are some practical strategies to managing admissions during uncertain times while keeping your institution top-of-mind for prospective students.

Survey Shifting Attitudes and Perceptions

During a crisis, the motivations, constraints, and decision-making processes of prospective students can shift dramatically. Recognizing these changes is essential for developing effective enrollment strategies that resonate with applicants in challenging times.

Put It into Practice: Conduct surveys or focus groups with your recent applicants to gain insights into their concerns. Use this information to personalize their messaging.

Communicate Transparently and Frequently

In times of uncertainty, clear and consistent communication is key. Prospective students and their families will have many questions about how your institution is handling the crisis and what it means for their education.

Put It into Practice: Develop a crisis communication plan that includes regularly scheduled updates on your website, social media channels, and newsletters. Address common concerns proactively and provide clear information about any changes to the enrollment process, academic programs, or campus operations.

Flexibility in Admissions Processes

Crises often disrupt normal routines and may impact a prospective student’s ability to complete some application requirements. Offering flexibility in your admissions process can help reduce barriers for applicants during tough times.

Put It into Practice: Consider waiving or modifying certain application requirements, such as standardized tests or in-person interviews. Offer virtual alternatives for campus visits and events. Extend deadlines to accommodate applicants facing unusual circumstances.

Emphasizing Value and Support

During tough times, prospective students may be more concerned about the return on investment of their education. It’s crucial to continue to communicate the value of your programs.

Put It into Practice: Highlight success stories of alumni who have thrived despite previous catastrophic events. Showcase the career services, mental health resources, and other support systems available to students.

Financial Aid and Affordability

Economic uncertainty often accompanies crises, which can make financial considerations even more critical for prospective students and their families. Being transparent about costs and available aid can help alleviate concerns.

Put It into Practice: Communicate additional financial aid or scholarship opportunities available in response to the crisis. Consider creating flexible payment plans for students facing financial hardships.

Adapting Program Delivery

Crises may necessitate changes in how education is delivered. Communicating your institution’s ability to adapt and provide quality education in various formats can reassure prospective students.

Put It into Practice: If transitioning to online or hybrid learning models, highlight your institution’s capabilities in these areas. Showcase any investments in technology or faculty training that enhance the remote learning experience.

Personal Outreach and Support

During tough times, personal connections become even more valuable. Providing individualized support can make a significant difference in a prospective student’s decision-making process.

Put It into Practice: Counselors should check in regularly with prospects. Offer one-on-one virtual counseling sessions to address individual concerns. Create online communities or forums where prospective students can connect.

By implementing these simple strategies, your admissions team can effectively manage a campus crisis and support prospects through uncertain times. Remember, how you communicate and respond during tough times can leave a lasting impression on applicants and your brand, potentially turning a crisis into an opportunity to demonstrate your institution’s values and commitment to student success.

We’re here to help you manage admissions during uncertain times. Let’s chat about how we can help make your enrollment strategy even stronger.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | September 19th, 2024

The Future of College Admissions: Trends to Watch

Staying ahead of trends is crucial if you want to attract and retain the best prospects. As we look to the future of college admissions, several key trends are shaping the way colleges and universities engage with prospective students. Let’s dive into the strategies that are proving most effective in today’s competitive enrollment environment.

Highly Personalized Messaging

Today’s prospects expect tailored experiences in every aspect of their lives, and the admissions process is no exception. Institutions that consistently leverage data analytics create more successful personalized communication journeys that resonate on an individual level.

Put It into Practice: Implement a robust CRM system that allows you to segment your audience and deliver highly targeted content based on interests, finances, academic pursuits, and engagement history.

Dynamic Video Content

With attention spans shrinking and video consumption skyrocketing, dynamic visual content is more important than ever in capturing the interest of potential applicants and portraying the unique value proposition of your academic programs.

Put It into Practice: Invest in developing videos for virtual campus tours, student testimonials, internship experiences, and program highlights. Utilize platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels to showcase authentic campus life moments.

Virtual and Augmented Reality Experiences

As technology advances, VR and AR are providing immersive ways for prospects to explore campuses and academic programs from the comfort of their own homes.

Put It into Practice: Develop VR campus tours or AR-enhanced viewbooks that bring your institution to life for distant or international students.

Flexible and Stackable Programs

The rising demand for flexible, career-focused postgraduate education is driving interest in shorter-term credential options that can be combined or “stacked” into full degrees.

Put It into Practice: Highlight micro-credential offerings in your marketing materials and clearly communicate how these programs can lead to full degrees or enhance career prospects.

Emphasis on Outcomes and ROI

With the cost of higher education under scrutiny, prospective students are increasingly focused on the tangible returns of their investment, especially when pursuing graduate programs.

Put It into Practice: Prominently feature career outcome data, alumni success stories, and comparable salary information for graduates across your marketing channels.

AI-Powered Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

24/7 availability and instant responses are becoming the norm in customer service, and higher education is no exception.

Put It into Practice: Implement AI chatbots on your website to provide immediate answers to common questions and guide prospects through the application process.

Inclusive Marketing and Representation

Diversity and inclusion are non-negotiable for today’s students, who expect to see themselves represented in an institution’s marketing materials and campus community.

Put It into Practice: Ensure your marketing materials authentically represent the diversity of your student body and highlight your institution’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment.

Data Privacy and Transparency

As data collection becomes more sophisticated, students are increasingly concerned about how their information is used and protected.

Put It into Practice: Clearly communicate your data privacy policies and give students control over their information. Be transparent about how data is used to enhance their educational experience.

By preparing for the future of college admissions and incorporating them into your undergraduate or graduate admissions strategy, your institution can create more meaningful connections with prospective students and stand out in a crowded marketplace. Ready to talk about how we can help? Let’s chat!

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | August 28th, 2024

Understanding and Addressing the Concerns of Gen Z Applicants

Generation Z students, who were born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, now represent most graduate school applicants. The following insights and techniques can help guide your team across the changing landscape and ensure your graduate programs attract and truly resonate with this unique cohort. By understanding and addressing the enrollment concerns of Gen Z applicants, you position your school for success, and prepare your students to meet their goals.

Digital Natives Demand Digital Excellence

Gen Z has never known a world without the internet, smartphones, or social media. They expect seamless digital experiences in every aspect of their lives – including their enrollment journey. Your online presence, from your website to your application process, must be intuitive, mobile-friendly, and efficient.

Put It into Practice: Conduct a comprehensive audit of your digital channels. Streamline your online application, ensure your website is responsive for all devices, and consider implementing chatbots for instant answers to common questions.

Authenticity and Transparency Are Non-Negotiable

Having grown up in an era of influencers and targeted advertising, Gen Z has a finely tuned radar for authenticity. They value transparency and are quick to dismiss institutions or marketing materials that appear disingenuous.

Put It into Practice: Showcase real student stories and unfiltered campus experiences across your marketing materials. Host virtual “Day in the Life” sessions with vetted current students, giving prospects an honest look at life at your institution.

Career Outcomes Take Center Stage

With rising education costs and an ever-competitive job market, Gen Z is intensely focused on the ROI of their graduate education. From start to finish of their enrollment experience, they want concrete evidence that your program will lead to tangible career advancement.

Put It into Practice: Highlight specific career outcomes, internship data, and job placement rates prominently in your marketing materials. Create a robust alumni network and mentorship program, allowing prospective students to connect directly with successful graduates who are living out their desired outcomes.

Flexibility Is Key

Gen Z values work-life balance and seeks flexibility in their educational pursuits. They’re interested in programs that can adapt to their lifestyle, whether that means part-time options, online courses, or accelerated degree and certificate paths.

Put It into Practice: If you haven’t already, consider developing hybrid or fully online versions of your graduate programs. Emphasize any flexible options in your marketing materials and be prepared to discuss how your programs can accommodate non-traditional student needs.

Diversity Matters

As the most diverse generation in history, Gen Z expects to see a genuine commitment to diversity from the institutions they consider. They want to know that your campus is truly a welcoming space for every student.

Put It into Practice: Go beyond surface-level diversity statements. Showcase your institution’s concrete diversity initiatives, highlight diverse student success stories in your marketing materials, and be transparent about areas where you’re still working to improve.

Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Gen Z is deeply concerned about environmental issues and social justice. They want to align themselves with institutions that share these values and are taking action to make a positive impact on the world.

Put It into Practice: Highlight your institution’s sustainability efforts and community engagement initiatives. If possible, integrate social responsibility components into your graduate programs, allowing students to make a real-world impact as part of their studies.

Let’s work together to turn Gen Z’s unique perspectives and aspirations into your enrollment success story. We can help you fine-tune your marketing strategies to attract Gen Z applicants, as well as help create an atmosphere where they can thrive. Let’s chat!

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | August 15th, 2024

Adapting Enrollment Strategies for Non-Traditional Students

Non-traditional students make up a significant portion of the applicant pool. These students – often older or working professionals with family responsibilities – bring unique perspectives and challenges to the enrollment process. Here are some practical ways to adapt your enrollment strategies for non-traditional students while making your institution stay top-of-mind in a sea of options.

Understanding the Non-Traditional Student Journey

Non-traditional students typically have different motivations, constraints, and decision-making processes compared to their traditional counterparts. Recognizing these unique drivers is crucial for developing effective enrollment strategies that make them feel included and understood.

Put It into Practice: Conduct surveys or focus groups with your most outstanding current non-traditional students to gain insights into their enrollment decision-making process and challenges. Use this information to refine your marketing materials and counselor conversations.

Flexible Program Structures

One of the most critical factors for non-traditional students is the ability to balance their education with existing work or family commitments. Offering flexible program structures can be a game-changer in attracting these applicants.

Put It into Practice: Highlight any hybrid or online learning options, part-time tracks, evening or weekend classes, and accelerated programs. Share a variety of non-traditional success stories early in your lifecycle marketing materials and emphasize how they were able to integrate the program into their already full lives.

Personalized Support Services

Non-traditional students often require additional support to navigate the admissions process and transition back into academic life. Providing personalized guidance and letting them know they’ll be supported during the enrollment process can significantly impact their decision to choose your institution.

Put It into Practice: Implement a dedicated admissions counselor or mentor program specifically for non-traditional applicants, offering tailored support throughout the application process and ways to connect with successful non-traditional graduates. You can also simplify your admissions process by providing clear, step-by-step guidance, offering multiple start dates, or waiving test requirements in favor of work experience.

Emphasizing ROI and Career Outcomes

For many non-traditional students, the decision to pursue graduate education is closely tied to achieving promotions in a current job or progressing toward their larger career goals. Demonstrating the tangible benefits of your programs is crucial for attracting these pragmatic learners.

Put It into Practice: Showcase success stories of non-traditional alumni who have successfully advanced their careers or transitioned to new fields. Provide clear data on employment outcomes, salary increases, and better career opportunities. Consider establishing networking events, online forums, or mentorship programs specifically for non-traditional students.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Opportunities

When taking on grad school while raising a young family or working full-time, finances can be a significant concern for non-traditional students. Many are hesitant to take on additional debt or may not be aware of available financial aid options or payment plans.

Put It into Practice. Display your financial aid, scholarship, or fellowship opportunities prominently on your marketing materials and website. Develop scholarship programs specifically for non-traditional students. Offer clear, easy-to-find information about financial aid options, including employer tuition reimbursement programs and flexible payment plans.

Adapting your enrollment strategies for non-traditional students not only expands your applicant pool but also enriches your program with diverse perspectives and experiences. Let’s work together to create a strategy that welcomes and supports non-traditional learners and ensures the growth and diversity of your programs.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | July 31st, 2024

From Likes to Enrollments: Maximizing Social Media for College Admissions

For most of us – and especially for prospective students – social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn are integral parts of daily life. These platforms are not only tools for personal connection but also powerful channels for building your brand and sharing critical information about your programs. Integrating a robust social media strategy into your enrollment plan provides an irreplaceable opportunity for your team to engage with students with authenticity in spaces they use every day. Here are some ways maximizing social media for college admissions can boost your brand, build excitement, increase prospect engagement, and help you meet your enrollment goals.

Organic Storytelling

Social media is a powerful way to vividly portray your campus life, academic programs, student success stories, and faculty expertise in an organic and authentic setting. Through videos, photos, and written posts, you can uniquely showcase diverse campus experiences and bring to life your programs, campus culture, and alumni outcomes. When prospective students visit your platforms and see unfiltered, real-life student experiences, it helps them envision themselves as part of the community, makes your institution seem relatable and authentic, and motivates them to further engage with the enrollment process.

Put it into practice: Integrate regular student and alumni social media takeovers into your strategy. Select enthusiastic and engaged hosts to share their day-to-day program activities on your official social media channels. Provide clear guidelines on theme, brand, posting frequency, and rules of engagement.

Interaction and Engagement

A robust social media strategy can significantly increase prospect engagement by providing a dynamic and interactive place for both parties to communicate and connect. Real-time interaction allows prospective students to ask questions, build connections with current students and alumni, and even meet future peers in the program. Leveraging the power of social media helps build meaningful relationships and foster a sense of community before they even set foot in a classroom, which drives higher levels of interest and commitment.

Put it into practice: Create a strategic content calendar highlighting exciting student outcomes or faculty achievements. Partnering with current students, ambassadors, or campus micro influencers (link to previous article 128) to encourage user-generated content can be especially effective in helping prospective students see an authentic campus experience.

Institutional Brand Awareness and Loyalty

A robust social media presence allows your institution to build on its brand, increases your visibility, and boosts your overall online presence. Posting consistently and strategically is an organic approach to keeping your program and institution top-of-mind during a prospect’s wildly competitive college search process. Live events, engaging videos, and authentic campus stories showcase your institution’s unique value proposition and help prospective students develop brand loyalty when they may be torn between their top choices.

Put it into practice: Hosting regular Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook Lives featuring your most on-brand students, alumni, or faculty. This gives prospects a unique opportunity to interact directly with your program’s best brand representatives. Providing this chance to ask direct questions builds trust, highlights your institution’s authenticity, and creates brand loyalty. Promote these live streams in advance through your social media channels to maximize participation and reach a broader audience

Maximizing social media for college admissions provides endless opportunities to connect with your prospects – and GPRS can help you find the approaches that work best for your team and enrollment goals. Let’s talk!

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | July 16th, 2024

Get Dynamic: 3 Top Tech Tools and Trends in Enrollment Marketing

As digital natives continue to make up a growing proportion of the prospective student pool, staying ahead of emerging technology tools and trends is crucial to hitting your enrollment goals and retaining students. With the right cutting-edge technology, your team can stand out in the crowd, increase excitement and engagement, and create a more dynamic and personalized enrollment process. Let’s explore some of the top tech tools and trends in enrollment marketing revolutionizing the higher education market.

Nano Influencer Content Marketing

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn are mainstays in enrollment marketing, but younger audiences are increasingly demanding a more transparent approach to the way student experiences are shared online. This often translates to less curated and more organic student experience-forward content. Non-professional social media users with a small but engaged following, also known as “nano” or “micro” influencers, can be a highly effective way to reach prospects who are looking for an authentic day-to-day look at classroom experiences, campus life, and program or career outcomes. New tools like HypeAuditor can help you identify nano influencers who are currently in or have graduated from your program and guide you to relatable, personal, and free content that can build trust and sustained interest with prospects.

Gamification

Gamifying your enrollment process can create unprecedented levels of engagement with prospects, encourage information retention about any program, boost your institutional brand, and make the college search process memorable and exciting. Tools like Kahoot can create interactive quizzes and challenges that help push learners through the enrollment funnel and allow them to engage with program features within a virtual environment on their own time. Marketers can also use BadgeOS to create digital rewards for completing almost any required task like tours, orientations, open houses, or webinars. Today’s technology allows almost endless ways to build game-based strategies into your enrollment process. All of them are sure to incentivize participation and capture your prospective students’ attention while elevating your admissions process above the competition.

Voice Search Optimization

As voice-activated tools like Siri, Alexa, and Google Home infiltrate our daily lives, it’s critical to adjust your web presence accordingly. Shifting your SEO strategies to accommodate more conversational voice queries can make sure your content will be easily discovered. AnswerThePublic is an invaluable tool that helps you understand prospective students’ questions about your programs. This enables you to create content aligned with specific voice search behaviors that directly addresses their needs and questions. Prospective students mostly voice search institutions on mobile devices, so it’s important to evaluate and edit any online content according to mobile-friendly best practices.

Embracing these top tech tools and trends in enrollment marketing can help build excitement through your enrollment process, help prospects engage with your program and brand, and reinforce your position in the market.

Interested in optimizing your content or creating a more dynamic and engaging enrollment experience? GPRS can help you integrate the top tech tools and trends in enrollment marketing into your strategy.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | June 27th, 2024

Harnessing AI to Maximize Content Strategy

Standing out in the wildly competitive enrollment marketing sphere requires embracing innovative strategies. One of the most efficient – but sometimes intimidating – cutting-edge tools you can use to attract and retain prospective students through personalized content strategy is artificial intelligence (AI). Harnessing AI to maximize content strategy can be an invaluable asset.

AI tools can analyze astounding amounts of data, identify patterns, optimize online visibility, streamline repetitive tasks, and improve your institution’s brand reputation. If used ethically and creatively, these new technologies can help you craft compelling content, stretch your budget, and reshape your enrollment strategies.

Harnessing AI to Maximize Content Strategy can help your team:

Personalize the Admissions Journey

Personalization plays a crucial role in building trust and engagement during the prospective student journey and increases their likelihood of enrollment. Using AI tools to analyze prospective students’ buying behaviors, preferences, interests, and demographics can help you tailor individual communication strategies, build personalized content experiences, highlight relevant programs and student outcomes, and help guide them through the admissions process from inquiry to enrollment. AI tools can help your team with everything from delivering highly personalized emails and direct mail to building more interactive virtual campus tours tailored to specific student interests. AI-powered content strategy ensures each prospective student’s interaction leaves a lasting impression.

Streamline Content Production

As in-house staff and budgets shrink, the volume of personalized marketing content required to meet and exceed enrollment goals can seem entirely overwhelming. One of the best ways to streamline content production workloads is by using AI to automate repetitive tasks like content ideation and distribution. Many automated content management tools can keep your tasks on track across the team, schedule your content, and track its performance, which can help you analyze your strategy for future efficiency. When these tools take on automated tasks, it allows your team to focus its time and resources on strategic initiatives. When used under strict human oversight, AI can even generate on-brand web copy, social media posts, ads, and promotional materials without sacrificing quality.

Optimize Content for Search Engines

One of the most important parts of any successful enrollment strategy is making sure prospective students find your institution and relevant program information at the top of their internet search results. AI tools offer invaluable assistance in optimizing your materials for search engines through keyword-rich content. It can also analyze search trends and map user behaviors that can help you write content that rises to the top of the search ranks through organic traffic. Automation tools can help you seamlessly integrate search engine optimization best practices into your workflows and ensure your prospective students find what they need to stay engaged. Plus, better search traffic automatically improves the brand reputation of your institution or program.

While AI can drastically enhance efficiency, increase personalization, and decrease your team’s workloads, maintaining human oversight throughout the content creation process is paramount. AI algorithms are only as effective as the data they’re trained on, and the authenticity and sincerity of enrollment marketing content are crucial to your institution’s reputation. Using AI tools, combined with the human touch from your team’s experts, can support a content strategy that resonates with prospective students on a deeper, more personal level, while helping you achieve and exceed your enrollment goals.

As you’re looking for ways to streamline your workflow and maximize your content strategy, GPRS can help you identify the tools and strategies to harness AI to maximize content strategy and stand out in the crowd.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | June 13th, 2024

Grad School Paid Social Media Strategies and Best Practices

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X:  Stand out in those competitive online spaces using our grad school paid social media strategies and best practices.

Social media platforms have become household names themselves in recent years – and that’s good news for graduate schools looking to reach their target audiences effectively. By leveraging paid ads on various social media channels, graduate schools can build brand awareness and expand their audience in an efficient and cost-effective way.

So, let’s explore some of the top paid social media strategies and best practices for graduate schools like yours so you can leverage social media marketing better.

Know which social media channels to use and when

Not all social media platforms are created equal.

It’s important to know which ones to use and when. For example, Facebook skews towards a slightly older audience compared to newer channels like TikTok, meaning it may be more of an appropriate platform for reaching prospective graduate school students. However, channels like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram can be great for certain types of video content like alumni testimonials and student success story videos, which is something grad schools need to keep in mind too.

Ultimately, it’s very important for grad schools to understand their specific audience, goals, and content strategy first before deciding which channel to advertise on. By having a better grasp of these details, you’ll be able to target your ad budget and content more effectively.

Leverage video content

Social media platforms lend themselves well to video content, including paid and promoted ads.

Video testimonials, success stories, campus tours, staff interviews, and admissions guides are just a few ideas to consider for paid video content on social media. Using them can go a long way towards achieving your goals and hitting your KPIs efficiently.

Use the “three-second rule” for videos

When employing video ads, however, it’s important to keep in mind the “three-second rule” for them. That is, the first three seconds are the most important for capturing and keeping your audience’s attention. Bear this in mind when creating any type of video ads, as they’ll need to be engaging, interesting, and relevant to your target audience within the opening few seconds to be as effective as possible.

Match your ads to marketing funnel stages

One of the many advantages of paid ads on social media is that they can easily be tailored to a specific stage of your marketing funnel.

For example, if your institution is focused on building brand awareness, ads can easily be created to catch users’ attention and promote relevant content to grow your audience. On the other hand, if you’re focused more on conversions, content like admissions guides and video testimonials can also be advertised and promoted. By crafting your content and messaging for specific funnel stages, you can cover all of your bases and employ a number of flexible strategies that can build your brand awareness, incentivize consideration, or boost conversions cost-effectively.

Test and optimize constantly

Finally, always remember to test and optimize.

If an ad campaign fails to deliver, look at the data carefully and adjust your messaging, content, budget, and target audience rather than just thinking that channel doesn’t work for you. Gleaning insights from your data and optimizing your ad campaigns as you go along is a great way to both get the best bang for your buck when it comes to your budget and hit your marketing goals successfully.

Use paid social ads today for success

Paid social media advertising can be a powerful marketing tool for graduate schools – if done correctly. By using these actionable strategies and best practices, your institution can better reach its target audience and achieve its goals in a cost-effective manner. Contact GPRS today to learn more.