Mistakes will always happen, but in the world of higher education marketing, these six mistakes can compromise your campaign’s effectiveness.
In the world of higher education, marketing and advertising can be great strategies to generate interest and capture new leads. Most colleges and universities have some kind of marketing strategy to reach potential new students, but even the largest institutions with the biggest marketing budgets can make critical errors that reduce ROI and fail to bring in long-term results.
With our experience in working with higher education marketing departments, we’ve noted these six common mistakes, which you should avoid at all costs when developing your marketing and advertising strategies:
1.      Failing to keep branding consistent. Maybe you always keep your logo and colors consistent, but there’s more to branding than just that. You have to be sure your brand comes across the same way across all marketing channels you use—and don’t forget to make sure you have a consistent voice, as well.
2.       Using one channel. If you’ve found great success in direct mail, keep using it. If your banner ads work well, keep them. But if you’re only using one channel, it’s time to step up your game and integrate your marketing campaign.
3.      Neglecting social media. Whatever you do, make sure you have a social media presence that you regularly update. Keep watch of trends amongst teens and young adults.
4.      Not doing the research. Good marketing campaigns aren’t just a shot in the dark. They’re the result of LOTS and LOTS of research. If you haven’t done any research, you’re ruining your chances at running an effective campaign.
5.      Staying in house. While trying to take care of all your marketing needs with your own team can be a cost efficient choice, you might also be limiting the creative potential of your campaign. Working with an experienced outside firm, even for a consultation, can open the door to new possibilities.
6.      Not measuring and analyzing. Failing to track your campaign results is an all-too common mistake. Without a process of measurement and analysis, you’ll never know how well your campaign did or how you can improve in the future.
Avoiding these mistakes won’t guarantee an effective campaign, but they can point you in the right direction. For more help putting together a solid marketing effort, feel free to contact us.
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