5 Lead Generation Strategies for Higher Education
The academic sector, particularly higher education, faces intense competition.
Old-fashioned ways of marketing don't work that well to bring in potential students anymore.
So, we'll talk about effective lead generation strategies that schools can use to get in touch with potential students and boost enrollment rates.
Lead Generation Strategies for Higher Education
By implementing ads across social media platforms, showcasing student testimonials, using virtual events to connect with a wider network of students, and directing students to your website through SEO, you can reach your target potential students and boost enrollment rates.
1. Implement Ads Across Social Media Platforms
To grab the attention of students, you have to find the best online spaces to target them.
Implementing ads across social media platforms can be an effective way to increase visibility and drive traffic to your higher education institution's website.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter offer advertising options that allow you to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
This means that you can be certain that prospective students and parents, who are more likely to be interested in your institution and its programs, will see your ads.
2. Showcase Student Testimonials
Showcasing student testimonials is a highly effective way to generate leads for higher education institutions.
Prospective students are more likely to enroll in a program or course when they see positive feedback from current or former students.
Testimonials can be featured on a variety of platforms, such as the school's website, social media, and promotional materials.
Student testimonials can cover a number of topics, including:
The benefits of the program
Provide insights into the student experience
Highlight the quality of the education,
The level of support from faculty and staff
Opportunities for professional growth
Universities can gather student testimonials through surveys, interviews, or social media posts.
Student alumni are another great way to highlight the university’s features as well as provide insight about how the university has helped them kickstart their own careers and futures.
It’s also important to make sure that these testimonials are authentic and diverse in terms of student backgrounds and perspectives.
3. Highlight the Student Experience
The student experience is a key feature of any university and is an important thing that any prospective student will look out for when deciding on a school to attend.
This is why it’s important to highlight the student experience on your higher education institution's website and other online platforms.
Take MIT, for example, one of the top schools in America. While they're well-known for their programs in the STEM fields, their Campus Life section features a well-rounded look at the average student's life.
This includes extracurriculars, their approach to the arts, and how they handle the balance of their students' physical and mental health.
4. Use Virtual Events to Connect With a Wider Network Of Students
To reach a wider network of students, virtual events can be used.
It’s not uncommon for prospective students to choose a higher education institution that is outside their location.
With virtual events, you can give them a chance to see what your institution has to offer without having to go through the trouble of making the trip to your location.
Some great examples of virtual events include:
Virtual open houses
Webinars
Virtual tours
All of these can help showcase campus life, academic programs, and campus facilities in a more engaging and interactive way.
The great thing about these is that they can be shared on social media, email campaigns, and other marketing channels to increase visibility and drive attendance.
These events allow prospective students to learn more about the institution and engage with current students, faculty, and staff.
By leveraging these events, institutions can build a stronger sense of community and showcase the unique culture and offerings of their institution.
5. Direct Students to Your Website Through SEO
At the end of the day, online users still default to using search engines to seek out information, and for students looking for the best institution for their higher education experience, this is no different.
By harnessing the power of SEO, you can direct prospective students to your website.
Boosting your SEO efforts will help you increase visibility for certain keywords and phrases that potential students may be searching for, allowing them to find your website more easily.
Some key SEO strategies to help direct prospective students to your institution include:
Using keywords that include the programs and courses that your school offers.
Combining your keywords with location-specific keywords for those looking for programs in your area.
Optimizing the content on the school’s website.
Creating blog posts with useful information for prospective students, like tips on picking a major or career and frequently asked questions, boosts SEO and positions your school as a helpful resource.
Wrapping Up: Lead Generation Strategies for Higher Education
Lead generation for higher education institutions requires understanding what prospective students are looking for in the school of their choice.
Here are five strategies to help you:
Implement ads across social media platforms: Ads on social media platforms can be used to reach students who are looking at higher education institutions.
Showcase student testimonials: Featuring positive feedback from current or former students is a great way to establish credibility and build trust with prospective students.
Highlight the student experience: Showcase the full student experience on your website to show how the average student can have the full experience at your university.
Use virtual events to connect with a wider network of students: Hosting virtual open houses, webinars, and tours can help showcase campus life, academic programs, and facilities in a more engaging way.
Direct students to your website through SEO: Optimizing content on the school's website and creating blog content can help you increase visibility for certain keywords so potential students can find your website more easily.
By implementing these five lead generation strategies, higher education institutions can reach out to prospective students and effectively increase their enrollment rates.
