Higher education marketing is the process of identifying and communicating the value of a college or university to prospective students. It involves utilizing a range of marketing strategies to increase enrollment and attract alumni. This includes traditional, digital and new marketing techniques.
Branding is a key component of the education marketing strategy and plays an important role in building trust among current and potential students. By establishing a unique identity and incorporating elements of your school’s core values, your institution’s brand helps establish recognition among prospective students. This helps boost student enrollment and can also increase retention rates as students grow to rely on the institution’s brand name for guidance when choosing a school.
The first step in establishing a consistent brand is to create a logo and set of colors that represent your school. These must be recognizable to both prospective and existing students, and should reflect your university’s core values. The use of a consistent design and tone across different mediums also helps current and potential students associate your school with certain themes, such as inclusivity, academic excellence and a sense of community.
In addition, your university’s brand must be easily recognizable and easy to find online. This is particularly important for younger generations, who are heavily influenced by social media and digital technology.
A well-established and widely recognized brand can provide your school with an enormous amount of legitimacy, which can be particularly beneficial in the competitive field of higher education. It can also help your institution stand out from the competition and increase its visibility in the local community.
Reputation and brand are invaluable assets for any business. They’re crucial for attracting and retaining customers, and for that reason, they are essential in the higher education industry.
Developing a strong brand is an ongoing process that requires constant attention and development. Creating a logo, font and other branding elements can be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking for many institutions. However, it’s an investment that pays dividends over the long run.
Word of mouth is another highly effective method for generating interest in your school and increasing its enrollment. Encourage your current students and alumni to share their experiences at your institution on various review websites or social media platforms. This is an effective way to generate interest in your school without spending a fortune.
Video Content is an increasingly important element of higher education marketing. From long-form instructional video to short clips that can be posted on TikTok or Instagram, video is an incredibly powerful form of media that can be used to improve brand awareness and drive higher enrollment.
Targeted Ads are another key component of a successful higher education marketing strategy. Using a variety of targeted ad options, such as Google search, Native Ads and Display Ads, can ensure that your school’s ads are being seen by the right audience at the right time.
Aligning your marketing and communications department with the institutional goals of your HEI is one of the most important things you can do as a higher education marketer. This doesn’t happen overnight, but it can be achieved by implementing fully-developed support services and training that brings departments together.