2022
Higher Education Marketing Playbook
Research and insights for the modern highereducation marketer
Digital advertising for higher education poses a unique combination of challenges within the industry and within the digital landscape. With economic pressures, declining college enrollment rates in the U.S., and a future full of dire predictions about decreasing pools of students, higher education marketing has never been more competitive or complicated. Both your prospective students and your marketing strategies exist in a rapidly changing world, defined by uncertainty. If you’re looking to meaningfully engage tomorrow’s students, your strategies need to adapt to their interests, behavior, and needs. Gaining insight into this audience will help you update your tactics and reach them where they are.
AUDIENCEX strategists have released this year’s Higher Education Marketing Playbook to help you identify and understand multiple relevant audience segments, share tactics and strategic approaches that can help you engage with them, and provide concrete examples of performance outcomes.
Including Case Studies for These Brands
Higher Education Digital Marketers Must Understand the Needs of Prospective Students
Prospects are searching for programs that are priced within their means that also have proven success in preparing students to pursue their goals. With rising financial pressures, universities must also take note of evolving trends within the education and political space.
New learning trends, such as online learning, college alternatives, and brand disruptors, have placed pressures on current players within higher education as innovative ways to learn new skills emerge.
According to EvoLLLution, 58% of students cited “to achieve career outcomes” as a reason for degree enrollment.
Yet an astounding 41% of students are underemployed after graduation.
Marketers Need to Know Where Tomorrow’s Students Are
Understanding your audience and knowing where they’re currently engaged is key, from prospective freshmen to their parents and adults continuing their education.
Top Social Media Platforms for Undergrad Prospects, Age 16-18
(% of Audience Usage (Daily) / Estimated Audience Size)
Snapchat
TikTok
Marketers Can’t Afford to Overlook Expansion Audiences
As we face continued shifts in the professional world, higher education marketers must understand the repercussions this has for their own marketing. Consider how you might address adults who are going back to school to continue their education or change careers, or what you might have to offer those exploring alternatives such as trade schools or vocational programs.
Top Indexing Interests:
Estimated US Audience: 8.1M
- Entrepreneurship
- Influencers
- Meditation
- Parenting / Childcare
- Coding / Programming
Marketers Can’t Afford to Overlook Expansion Audiences
Higher education must become omnichannel to reach their audiences and acquire new students.
Benefits of omnichannel marketing:
- High Enrollment and Loyalty
- Better Audience Insights
- Increase in Applications
- Smoother Enrollment Process
- More Integrated Prospects
Get the Free Higher Education Marketing Playbook
Get a wealth of further insights and data, new strategic approaches, and updated tactics to try when you download our new Higher Education Marketing Playbook, compiled by our expert strategists to help you refine your marketing approach to see improved, true performance outcomes.