Higher Education Marketing Tips
The climate of higher education continues to shift as getting “butts in the seats” has become part of the strategic plan, professors being tasked with doing more with less, and parents worrying about the escalating costs of their kids education has become the norm.
It’s for this reason, among many, that marketing and PR are now part of the higher education toolkit.
In order for universities to stay competitive, they need to adjust their approach to marketing so that they can continue to evolve and grow.
The first step in doing so is taking time to drill down their key markets and create real target markets that are prioritized properly.
From a higher education standpoint, those marketing segments include but are not limited to:
Students - Both current and prospective students must be targeted and communicated with. Find out what they want, develop it, and give it to them when and where they want it at a price that they and their parents can find a way to pay.
Parents - More times than not, the buyer is the parent. That’s why it’s so important for universities to speak to them in their language. You know they’re concerned about costs, so address it and clearly communicate the viable payment options.
While prospective parents are important, so too are the parents of your current students because once the recruitment ends, they see the money they spent as an expense or liability.
Ask parents of prospective and current students what they think and feel, listen, and then create communication vehicles and services accordingly.
Alumni - I’m always amazed at the number of universities who don’t take full advantage of successful alumni. And no, I’m not talking about national celebrities or millionaire business men and women. I’m talking about the “Real Life, Real Successes” that are often overlooked.
Take the time to ask those successful alumni to get involved in marketing rather than just asking for money.
Big-time donors - This is a clear target market that separates the great from the good and the good from the average. It’s also where you see some of the best (and unfortunately the worst) market segmentation.
The prioritization by donor type is important and of course “making the ask” on an ongoing basis makes the difference.
University development/fundraising really requires both the art and science of marketing.
Faculty - Encourage and empower your faculty members to take a more business-oriented approach. The key is to continually focus on faculty relations.
Relationships are indispensable, not disposable. Far too often I see university presidents “lay down the law” and sever or irreparably harm relationships with faculty members.
Ongoing open and transparent communication is essential to fostering strong faculty relationships.
Employees - Communicate with your employees and make them de facto members of your Marketing and PR team.
But, don’t take the lazy way out. Some universities send an overabundance of “all employee emails” that lesson the impact of the important ones.
Keep the message simple!
Clear, consistent, memorable messaging is just as necessary in higher education as it is in any other industry.
Remember, your employees are a key target market and it’s important to treat them as that.
When it comes to higher education marketing, a systematic approach is necessary and most schools do not (despite thinking they do) build and adhere to one.
Consistent messaging through the channels where your target markets spend the most time is essential to the ongoing success of your university.
If you feel like your marketing efforts could use a boost in the right direction, my team at MASSolutions is here to help.
Contact us today or send me a private message. Let’s improve your top and bottom line together.