In times of the coronavirus, higher education marketers can easily get distracted and lose sight of the fundamentals. Included here are 25 timeless higher education marketing strategies that have generated proven growth in enrollment, endowment and reputation for colleges and universities. Branding 1. Students and faculty, not the institution, are the real heroes of your story Colleges and universities empower student journeys. Faculty enable students and build institutional reputation. 2. Invest in brand Know your core promise, values, ideals, distinctions and what you stand for. Articulate your brand value cheerfully irrespective of whether you are a liberal arts college, STEM university, research powered, experiential brand, college of access, online educator or an integrative brand. 3. Speak with one brand voice to all audiences Strike different notes for each segment of students, faculty, donors and partners. 4. Prove your brand claims Buyers are smart. Provide proofs in the form of stories, stats and third-party validations. 5. Stand for something unique and … Continue reading →

Colleges and college admissions teams have their hands more than full managing current and prospective students through the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. Here is a 10-point plan to help you meet next year’s numbers:     A 10-Point Response Plan for College Admissions 1. Create Online Concierges Rally financial aid to help prospects and parents understand their options regarding extended deposit deadlines and revised family income estimates. Anticipate the distinct concerns of first-generation prospects and families and take on more of a concierge approach to working through their indecision and obstacles. Audit existing admissions and financial aid materials and language for assumption, blind spots and jargon. Consider joining the 200 colleges who have moved their May 1 deposit deadline by a month or more to give families extra time to assess their income and financial decisions. If your institution subscribes to rolling admissions, work with your accepted students and their families to mutually determine the right date for them to respond. … Continue reading →

The best higher education marketing agencies are being invited by their college and university clients to solve a spectrum of challenges and achieve a set of goals  – from the very routine to the most sophisticated ones. Over the last 25 years, in serving over 100 colleges and universities, we have solved the following challenges for numerous clients: Enrollment Challenges Since most college are primarily tuition-driven, they want to grow their enrollment. Elite colleges want to shape their classes. These goals come in several flavors. Undergraduate Programs How to recruit undergraduate students by undertaking the following: Grow inquiries Increase college visits Improve our college visit experience Grow applications Get inquiries and applicants from new geographic markets Make us more selective and allow us to shape the class Improve college yield rate Reduce summer melt Grow international applications Turn parents, teachers, high school counselors and principals into recommenders Reduce transfer out rates Increate our transfer in rates Shape our incoming class … Continue reading →

In 2020, higher education marketers are battling to win an outsized share of a shrinking pool of domestic and international students. Here are the 20 innovative trends that are underpinning higher education marketing. OUTLOOK & CULTURE 1. Celebrating Heroes Colleges and universities are realizing that students, alumni and faculty — not the institution — are the real heroes of a college’s story. That’s why they are increasingly spotlighting them and the consequential problems of humanity they are solving. 2. Storytelling You become the story you choose to tell. Colleges and universities are mining their history and mission to create purpose and propel themselves into the future. This story is what students, parents, donors, funders and partners are buying. Institutions are realizing that a brand rarely exceeds the size of its ambition. 3. Student Lifecycles As one college president said “we are recruiting future brand ambassadors and donors”. Colleges are taking the long view and seeing prospective students, current students, alumni … Continue reading →