Think about today’s college Student. Can they navigate through their college journey — from researching schools up through graduation — without online interaction? It is highly unlikely. A Google and Compete study in 2013 found:
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One in ten prospective students now search exclusively online for classes and programs.
Jump ahead to 2016, that number has likely tripled or quadrupled. Further, a study by the U.S. Department of Education projected there to be 20.4 million students enrolled in degree-granted institutions in 2016.
That alone tells you how important the Digital domain is to Higher Education institutions and why yours should care about Digital Marketing. But, it’s not the only reason. In fact, it’s quite far from the only reason why you need to care and why in order to make it on the short list of schools of today’s potential students you have to implement a solid digital marketing strategy.
A competitive war is raging.
The higher education market is an extremely competitive one. The University of Phoenix, in years past, has spend between $200,000 and $400,000 a day on ads in Google. With a budget of $100 million in advertising, the University of Phoenix alone has increased the competitive landscape online. And the school isn’t stopping there, check out the video series below about getting started and how the University of Phoenix works.
It’s a war out there amongst every university in the U.S. All are competing for more students, more research funds and more partnerships. Essentially, all are fighting to secure their own personal financial sustainability.
The higher education war is fought on numerous battlefields, but the digital battlefield has grown substantially. In order for you to even compete online, time, planning, perseverance and a durable digital marketing strategy are needed.
Your target market is online 24/7.
Whether sending a tweet via their smartphone, online shopping on their tablet or Skyping their parents on their laptop, your target market is online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Technology has allowed them to remain connected to their family, friends and the whole world.
They’re always on, so use that to your advantage when creating a digital strategy.
Research is international.
American citizens living in the U.S. aren’t the only ones conducting higher education research. Online research is an international thing.
As of February of 2015, more than 1 million international students were enrolled in nearly 9,000 schools throughout the U.S. We host more of the world’s international students than any other country. These students would never have been able to discover American universities or quickly apply to their desired schools if they weren’t able to do online research.
Approximately 96 percent of students use the Internet, most notably college-related websites, while making their higher education decisions. If your digital marketing strategy isn’t up to par and your online content unique, your school isn’t going to make it on any perspective student’s short list, whether nationally or internationally located.
It’s a way to attract and retain nontraditional learners.
While there is no set definition for a nontraditional student, the National Center for Education Statistics has acknowledged seven characteristics common amongst nontraditional undergraduate students:
- Don’t start their higher education right after graduating from high school
- Have a GED rather than a high school diploma
- Attend only part time
- Work full time (minimum of 35 hours a week)
- Are financially independent
- Are a single parent
- Have children or other dependents besides a spouse
Nearly 75 percent of all undergraduate students have at least one of these seven characteristics, making them nontraditional in some way.
To better attract and retain these learners, students valuable to your institution, you have to understand their unique needs and be able to reach and influence them individually. Digital marketing allows you to do all of the above.
It increases applications and raises student satisfaction.
Because your target market is online 24/7, you have to be able to engage with them 24/7. You physically can’t be awake every hour of every day to answer potential and current students’ questions — but your online content can.
Having content that’s easy to find and access and that’s always available is the best way to engage with your target audience. Actively engaging with students is one of the best ways to increase student applications and raise your current student satisfaction level. Online content offers you and your students a win-win situation.
The University of Vermont displays this round-the-clock content approach with it’s popular UVM Outreach blog. Not only does UVM Outreach provide articles and information on business and career, but also college lifestyle content focused on travel, health, and local Vermont activities.
Digital marketing is what keeps your institution alive and breathing. You need a good digital marketing strategy if you want to remain at the forefront of today’s higher education competitive war.
Which is exactly what we’re planning on providing over the course of the next several weeks. Every week on the Stryde blog, we’re detailing an important aspect of Digital Marketing for Universities. Here’s a look at what’s in store:
- Website Audit
- Goal Setting & Strategy
- SEO Need-to-Knows
- Platform Identification
- Tapping Your Content Sources
We’ll see you back here next week for more digital marketing for Universities content!
The post Digital Marketing for Universities: Why Higher Education Should Care appeared first on STRYDE.
