Key points:
- A downward trend in college enrollment means higher-ed marketing teams will have to get creative
- Increasing digital marketing efforts with targeted campaigns may be key to ensuring reassuring enrollment numbers
- See related article: When it comes to recruitment, websites are key
College enrollment has been trending downwards since 2020, with undergraduate enrollment 15 percent lower in the fall of 2021 than in the fall of 2010, and 42 percent of this decline occurring during the pandemic. After pandemic-driven declines began to level off last fall, overall undergraduate enrollment did remain stable this year at a 0.2 percent decrease from spring 2022 and is expected to increase by 9 percent between now and 2031. However, graduate-level enrollment continues to decline, with spring 2023 experiencing a 2.2 percent decrease in enrollment compared to 2022.
Additionally, total postsecondary enrollment remains well below pre-pandemic levels, down about 1.09 million students overall and about 1.16 million undergraduates, compared to spring 2020. As a result, universities are seeking unique strategies to increase their admission numbers.
Many colleges have found it beneficial to increase digital marketing efforts during this time, including paid search and paid social, to effectively target the specific audiences they need to reach. With the rise of social media and data-driven targeting in advertising, institutions can successfully reach and engage with college-bound students.
Strategies to increase leads, generate applications, and close the college enrollment gap
1. Capture demand through paid search
Paid search will present the highest ROI when it comes to institutions’ ability to reach a broader audience and drive more qualified leads to their website or enrollment landing page. Paid search platforms allow colleges to target specific demographics, locations, interests, and keywords. By selecting the most relevant keywords, universities can get their message in front of prospective students actively seeking information about educational opportunities and capture high-quality leads for their enrollment teams to explore.
Julie Warnecke is the Founder and CEO of Found Search Marketing (www.foundsm.com), an agency specializing in direct-response digital campaign management. Before creating FoundSM, Julie was the fourth employee at Google on the AdWords Ad Operations team from 2001-2006. During her tenure, Julie worked on initiatives such as launching AdWords Select, a new CPC platform that changed the digital landscape forever, and the industry-changing AOL syndication deal, which helped to assist an advertiser support infrastructure.
In 2006, Julie’s passion for helping businesses grow through data-driven and results-oriented advertising sparked a new venture, and she opened Found Search Marketing. With a client retention rate of 95% year after year, Julie and her team at FoundSM have mastered the formula to continuously deliver outstanding results for clients.
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