Why is it Needed?
Attracting top-tier students is a competitive pursuit for over 4,000 higher education institutions in the United States alone, the need for effective marketing strategies has never been more apparent. While traditional marketing methods play a crucial role, digital marketing has become a necessary scheme for institutions aiming to stand out and attract their target audiences.
While many industries can narrow their focus to a single demographic or specific audience, the higher education sector must cater to students (both prospective and graduate), parents, faculty, and donors. A well-crafted digital marketing strategy simultaneously targets all parts of this broad audience.
The Strategy.
- Website
A dynamic website is the cornerstone of any digital marketing strategy for higher education institutions. Its design and maintenance are paramount for constant availability, widespread accessibility, and ease of access to key information. The website serves as the hub for additional digital marketing methods explained below.
- SEO and SEM
Integral to the website, search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) ensure prime visibility when targeting the broad audience. When online research is performed, SEO will enhance an institution’s presence and positioning within the major search engines. With an SEO strategy in play, a complimentary SEM strategy, via paid placement and digital ads, will boost website ranking and visitor traffic.
- Content Marketing
Diverse, engaging, and meaningful content hosted on the website is a critical decision-making point for enrollment. Blogs, videos, podcasts, and other media formats are central to digital content marketing. For an extensive look into content marketing, view our eBook HERE.
- Social Media Marketing
As the influence of social media continues to grow, institutions can leverage platforms such as X, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, etc., to differentiate their messaging and content from competitors. Aligning content across these channels creates a unified strategy that authentically represents the institution. We delve into effective social media marketing in our eBook HERE.
Additionally,
While digital marketing is essential, it should complement, not replace, traditional marketing efforts. In tandem, the two strategies create a complete, well-rounded approach to attract and engage the diverse audience of higher education institutions.
Channel Communications has deep experience in creating meaningful, unique, and successful campaigns for organizations and enterprises across a wide variety of industries. Interested in seeing our work? Visit our Creative page to learn more, or call President Cory Farrugia at 410-296-0697.
