In the rapidly changing world of higher education, online programs are becoming increasingly prevalent as colleges and universities expand their reach beyond traditional campus settings to cater to a diverse and global audience.
To market these online programs effectively, you need strategies that fit your institution’s goals and values. While Online Program Management (OPM) companies might seem like a convenient solution, there are compelling reasons to consider alternative approaches. Let’s explore the key strategies for marketing online programs and why moving beyond traditional models can lead to greater success and alignment with your long-term goals.
Understanding Your Institution’s Brand Identity
At the heart of any successful marketing effort is a clear understanding of your institution’s brand identity. Every school has its own unique mission, values, and educational offerings. Good marketing should highlight and celebrate these special qualities to connect with prospective students. By staying true to your school’s brand identity, you can build trust and credibility, creating stronger connections with potential learners.
Learn more about moving your brand identity from intention to activation.
Leveraging In-House Expertise
You have a treasure trove of internal resources, like faculty expertise, marketing teams, and academic departments. It’s a shame how often these assets get overlooked when external models take over the management and marketing of online programs.
Tapping into these resources can lead to creative and customized marketing strategies for online programs. Faculty members can share insights about program highlights and benefits, while marketing teams can craft messages that really resonate with your target audience. Working together internally not only builds a sense of ownership but also ensures that your marketing efforts align with your school’s goals.
Building Authentic Relationships
Effective marketing isn’t just about flashy ads; it’s about building real relationships with prospective students. This can be accomplished in your digital advertising, CRM communications, website content, and of course, in your one-to-one interactions with students. By providing valuable content and personalized support throughout the enrollment journey, you can establish trust and rapport with potential learners. Authentic relationships are built on transparency, empathy, and a genuine desire to help students achieve their academic goals.
Embracing Digital Marketing Strategies
In today’s digital age, online presence and engagement is paramount. Leveraging digital marketing strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO), lead generation campaigns, AI-driven tactics on Google, search engine marketing (both PPC and SEO), personalized websites, and conversion optimization, you can really boost your visibility and engagement.
You have a great opportunity to tailor your ads and content to meet the specific needs and interests of your ideal students. Imagine being the first option students see when they’re online searching for their next educational step—that’s the power of targeted digital marketing. By leveraging these tactics, your institution can cast a wider net, attracting a diverse group of potential students and guiding more qualified candidates to your online programs.
Nurturing and Cultivating for Optimizing Yield
It’s imperative to look beyond just filling the top of the funnel or focusing solely on volume. It’s equally important to make sure you have the right strategies, tactics, and tech in place to move potential students further down the funnel. From digital marketing and website responsiveness to CRM integration and communication strategy, every layer of a full-funnel approach plays a key role.
Today, these layers can seamlessly integrate and talk with each other, allowing you to tailor your outreach and engagement to exactly where a prospective student is in their journey—based on their behavior, intent, and where they are in the funnel.
Full-Funnel Attribution
Embracing full-funnel attribution takes your campaign measurement to the next level, allowing you to make data-based decisions and really maximize your advertising efforts. Nowadays, it’s essential to have the tools and insights that allow for full-funnel attribution. This approach ties all your marketing tactics together, providing a comprehensive view of your performance across the entire student journey—moving well beyond the outdated last-touch or single-touch models. It gives you a complete picture and continuous opportunities to tweak and improve your strategies.
Transparency and Control for You
Letting go of control over your marketing strategies and messaging can risk your brand’s integrity and independence, and it might even hurt your chances of enrollment success and supporting your institution’s long-term goals. Whether it’s work you’re doing internally or with partners, it’s critical to prioritize both collaboration and transparency. This ensures you’re in the loop and actively involved—from defining success and setting goals to understanding how campaigns are performing, to being clear on the strategies and plans in play.
A Path to Successful Online Program Marketing
Marketing online programs call for a strategic and collaborative approach that emphasizes your institution’s brand identity, internal expertise, and genuine relationships with prospective students. By utilizing in-house resources and adopting digital marketing strategies, you can effectively promote your online programs while keeping control over your messaging and brand integrity.
While OPMs have served as an option for some time, it’s crucial to carefully consider the risks and explore alternative approaches that align with your long-term goals and values. In the dynamic landscape of higher education, strategic marketing is about more than just attracting students—it’s about building meaningful connections and empowering learners to achieve their dreams.
You don’t have to tackle all your marketing needs on your own. Carnegie offers a variety of brand and marketing solutions that work within your institution’s identity and goals. Reach out and start a conversation to learn more.