August 2, 2012

7 Ways to Use Digital Tools for Student Recruitment

Aug. 2, 2012 at 10:32 AM | By Katy Barson | Comment Count

FACT: Approximately 76.3% of Americans have Internet access.

So, if you question whether or not your prospective students are browsing the web to find their perfect college or university – question no more.

Using digital mediums to highlight your institution’s unique offerings will not only increase the number of students at the top of your funnel but will give you the upper hand on the competition. Here are 7 suggestions on WHERE and HOW to use digital tools for recruitment:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Does the content on your website allow for your .edu to show as a result when prospective students deliberately search for your institution via search engines? Not satisfied, better content and keyword linking might be the answer.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – I’m often asked should I focus on SEO or SEM; the answer is both. Paid advertising is a great way to compliment your organic ranking. Ask yourself: Are we optimizing the students experience when clicking on the ad while also maximizing our chances to convert to a lead?
Mobile Site Optimization – The fastest way to lose a student who visits your site via a mobile device is a poor experience. With brand searches occurring more on mobile devices now than ever before, if your website hasn’t gone mobile, you will miss out on lead opportunities.
Display Advertising/Networks – Banner advertisements create brand awareness among prospective students while also leading to higher quality Click Through Rates (CTR). An inexpensive way to get your ad in front of the right student at the right time.
Retargeting – Often thought of as “browser stalking”, this is an extremely effective way to help students reconsider inquiring about your school because they visited one of your pages recently. Interruptions happen in life, so retargeting can create a subtle reminder for prospective students to inquire now.
Personalization – You can’t argue that seeing your own name in an advertisement, video or print piece creates an immediate emotional connection. Suddenly the student feels personally connected to your institution and starts to visualize their name on the application, acceptance letter, etc. You get the picture?
Social Media Advertising – Although this may not be the best way to convert high quality leads, it is still a strong method of brand awareness and pre-inquiry nurturing. For the cost, it’s probably worth the investment to gain shared voice among all digital channels.

A final thought around using the above 7 tools together – get creative. There is no “right” or “perfect” combination of the above tools. Allow the data analytics of the tools you select help make the decision to continue or move on. Performance based decisions lead to the best campaigns!