How can technology help in higher education marketing?

Last Updated on December 16, 2024 by iSchoolConnect

Educational institutions have transformed drastically over the years. As higher education has increasingly moved to online mediums, so have the marketing efforts. Today higher education institutions are looking to utilize sturdy and wide-ranging marketing strategies that make it easier to interact with prospective students.

It is commonly acknowledged that higher education institutions have historically been more reluctant to engage in the marketing field than the broader business sector. Still, with the education industry undergoing an enormous transformation, marketing technologies are more critical than ever. As the higher education industry matures and student competition intensifies, institutions need to continue investigating and implementing innovative business strategies and technologies that may help them enhance their operations more efficiently and productively.

Leveraging technology for better higher ed marketing

In the evolving world of higher education, technology is playing a pivotal role in transforming marketing strategies. By leveraging digital tools, universities can enhance targeting, improve student engagement, and streamline operations. Technology helps institutions better understand prospective students, track marketing metrics, and optimize campaigns for improved results and ROI.

• Industry Market Size: The market size of colleges and universities is valued at $818.6 billion in revenue, with the industry expected to grow by 19.4% over the next few years.
• Digital Marketing Budgets: 70% of higher education institutions are planning to increase their digital marketing budgets in 2024.
• Higher Ed Marketing Metrics: According to a report by Search Influence and UPCEA, key findings include:
• Less than half (46%) of marketers track cost per inquiry, and only 43% track cost per enrolled student.
  • Less than half (46%) of marketers track cost per inquiry, and only 43% track cost per enrolled student.
  • 17% of respondents do not track important marketing metrics.
  • Only 47% are satisfied with their campaign performance, while 38% are content with their current marketing costs.
  • Institutions that fail to track key metrics risk poor performance, wasted budgets, and lower lead quality.

This data highlights the growing need for higher education institutions to leverage technology effectively to enhance their marketing strategies and improve performance tracking.

Trending concepts in higher education marketing

1. Digital Marketing

img-alt; digital marketing; With digital advertising, you may immediately communicate with your target audience.

Universities and colleges throughout the globe have utilized digital strategies to engage with potential students since the introduction of the internet. However, the emergence of social media and smartphone technology has changed the entire approach. The goal of university education is to create a youthful, vibrant community and build social connections. Therefore, the social media channel has become a virtual extension of that community’s interest and inclination for involvement and connection.

With today’s students, traditional marketing methods are less successful. Digital media efforts must touch base with several digital platforms and social media. In this context, SEO and SEM operations are becoming increasingly vital.

Most academic institutions worldwide utilize digital marketing technology to connect and interact with their intended audience as well as to educate and learn.

Digital marketing strategies yield regular results and have incredible benefits –

1. They make it easy to communicate with their stakeholders, especially prospective students and potential recruiters. However, institutions must strive to appeal to two distinct groups: millennials and their parents, regarding direct audiences.
2. Following a proper method that ties to the demands of these restricted groups and concentrating efforts in this area will assist the institutions in fast connecting with their target audience.
3. One of the most significant benefits of digital marketing is the democratization of information, which is can be customized, targeted, and made readily available on a previously unheard-of scale.
4. With digital advertising, it is possible to immediately communicate with your target audience. However, with many digital marketing channels to select from, the problem is determining which ones work best.
5. Personalized digital marketing solutions work better. These might be created with the assistance of an ed-tech business in accordance with academic requirements.

Digital marketing has strategic value in higher education. It aids institutions in understanding the inherent benefits of the new medium and recognizing its effect in the appropriate context.

2. Marketing Technology (Martech)

The marketing technology stack, often known as the martech stack, is an integrated set of software tools digital marketers use to create and optimize a holistic consumer digital experience. The marketing technology stack includes the website, email campaigns, customization, social networks, and analytics.

As competition for students heats up, universities and institutions should consider building a higher ed marketing technology stack to give a comprehensive perspective of the potential student experience and improve student outreach.

While there are dozens of tools available to assist marketers in analyzing and improving their digital marketing activities – all of which can be considered part of a martech stack – most firms have a few essential tools –

1. Website
2. CMS
3. Marketing Automation
4. Customization
5. Emails
6. Analytics
7. Customer Database

3. Marketing Automation

Marketing automation refers to software systems and technologies meant to help marketing departments and businesses promote more successfully across many online channels (such as email, social media, websites, and so on) and automate monotonous operations.

A marketing automation technology is used to simplify sales and marketing efforts by automating high-touch, repetitive human procedures. Marketing automation technologies are workflow-oriented and give a platform for communicating with parts of your target audience in a highly tailored but automated manner.

These tools are especially well suited to assist with inbound marketing activities. With its emphasis on tailored content-driven lead creation and lead nurturing, marketing automation fits well into higher education’s lead capture and student recruiting processes.

Marketing automation can also give higher education the analytical basis to analyze initiatives and effectively manage the ROI on its limited financial resources.

In conclusion, marketing automation technologies might be a suitable fit for the aims and basic methodology of a college or university marketing department. A robust CRM and student management system can assist higher education marketers in driving their current infrastructure to a greater degree of customer interaction, marketing agility, and ROI management.

4. Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to systems designed to manage interactions with current and potential customers. These systems often use technology to coordinate, automate, and streamline sales, marketing, customer support, and technical support processes.

In higher education, CRM systems are increasingly being adopted by institutions to enhance student lifecycle management. While CRM and marketing automation are often confused, they serve distinct functions. Marketing automation focuses more on automating marketing tasks, while CRM is more comprehensive, supporting the entire customer journey from initial contact to post-enrollment support.

Why does the education sector need education marketing?

The education sector has expanded significantly due to the growing availability of online resources and modern technology. With the rise of e-learning platforms, online courses, educational apps, and digital content, it has become increasingly challenging for new institutions and programs to stand out.

Education marketing is crucial in promoting quality educational offerings and ensuring they reach the right audience. It helps institutions and programs build visibility and momentum in a competitive market. Through strategic marketing efforts, educational organizations can connect with potential students, create brand awareness, and drive enrollment.

Leaders in the education business must use education marketing to thrive in the field’s cutthroat competition. However, education marketing should not be confused with education-based advertising, which is a marketing technique that emphasizes educating prospects rather than selling them to build trust.

Technologies that can help in smoother functioning of higher education marketing

1. Social and Digital Trends

• In recent times, management and marketing in higher ed have shifted dramatically online, with a greater emphasis on new channels for external involvement and communication.
• The phrases “social” and “digital” allude to social media and digital marketing in general and encompass the responsibilities of successful and user-friendly websites and mobile optimization.
• Institutions continue to sell their programs using social media and digital platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and podcasts. At the same time, website design has become an essential element in how colleges and universities offer themselves to prospective students.

2. Institutional Website

• The homepage is critical in shaping a prospective student’s decision to attend an institution and acts as its “ultimate brand statement.”
• The website should be well-organized and serve as a comprehensive link to essential resources for students.
• Key areas that prospective students focus on:
  • Academic programs (program listings, details, rankings)
  • Financial information (cost, scholarships)
  • Registration details (application process, admission requirements, counselor contacts)
• Student life information (e.g., dormitories, athletics) is less prioritized but still relevant.
• Educational institutions should prioritize website personalization and optimization to enhance the student experience.
• Personalized online experiences can improve the student journey, make admissions staff more focused and efficient, and increase enrollment rates.
• Utilizing marketing automation systems to gather student data and create tailored content can help attract and retain prospective students.

3. Mobile

img-alt; mobile-marketing; Mobile marketing is essential for interacting with potential and presenting students in meaningful ways.

• Colleges and universities have increased their investment in their mobile presence in recent years, from the institution’s website to the production of mobile-friendly course content.
• Mobile marketing (7) is a very effective method for college-aged students, with 43% reporting “using their mobile devices for all of their online surfing” and 68% having “looked at a university website on a mobile device.”
• Furthermore, two-thirds of students say they would be open to receiving a text message from a potential institution. This implies that mobile marketing is essential for interacting with potential and presenting students in meaningful ways.
• On the other hand, mobile optimization is “more than just making the content fit on a tiny screen.” Instead, mobile marketing tactics must guarantee that information is accessible.

4. Chatbot

• AI chatbots (8) help universities answer numerous questions prospective students ask regarding applications, documents, and other things that are impossible to answer through human resources.
• Universities can improve engagement on their website with all visitor segments, i.e., current and prospective students, by using chatbots to automate certain communication.
• EDMO has introduced a powerful conversational intelligence tool that seamlessly switches between automated responses and live human support, providing an efficient and flexible solution to manage student inquiries.

Conclusion

All in all, for universities to start adopting technology for marketing purposes, it can be said that –

Institutions should examine their current infrastructure and learn about the integration options. Meetings can be arranged among marketing and admissions to discuss desired objectives and issues and to optimize efforts to target potential students.

Moreover, institutions should consider hiring a consultant to lead these discussions and share best practices. They can begin with modest test campaigns to see what works best for them.