Colleges and universities have plenty of marketing channels to choose from, but these three are the most efficient over the long-term.
Marketing campaigns are most effective when they utilize multiple channels under a single strategy. That means harnessing the full power of your brand in several different applications at once, maximizing the power of your influence by targeting complementary sectors of your main demographics and hedging your bets against any downturns in signup patterns.
As a marketing expert in the higher education world, you’ll need to focus on the strategies that are most effective as well as the strategies that are the most cost efficient. That’s why these three strategies are the most useful for higher education marketers—they represent the most well-balanced return for your investment and the most viable opportunities in the market:
1.      SEO. It’s a strategy that’s very familiar to most digital marketers, but it is still underutilized by most colleges and universities. Without a solid SEO strategy, you’re missing out on millions of potential web searches. It’s not very expensive, so don’t worry about jumping in head first. Start link building and generating quality content, and your rank will start rising in a matter of weeks.
2.      Social Media. As a complementary strategy to SEO, social media is perfect for colleges and universities. Almost every student in the country is on social media in one way or another, so don’t miss the opportunity. All it takes is an hour or two a day to start building a strong social reputation.
3.      PPC. When you’re trying to secure solid leads, there’s no better strategy than PPC, though it might cost you a bit more up front. Use a PPC campaign to target very specific niches and make sure you have your wording down so you capture your leads’ interest.
If you feel overwhelmed, don’t stress—it’s difficult to manage a full-scale marketing and advertising campaign on your own. Anytime you need some help or advice, don’t hesitate to contact us.
photo credit: Robert S. Donovan via photopin cc
