Service Line: Digital Marketing

Imagine a prospective student surfing your college or university’s website. They are reading a page about a bachelor’s degree program, perhaps becoming interested in the opportunities it offers. But what is the next step?

Google has announced an official date—July 1, 2023—for the final sunsetting of Universal Analytics (UA) as it makes way for Google Analytics 4 (GA4). It’s important to note that GA4 will be an entirely different analytics platform and is not compatible with the current version of Universal Analytics, so it will not be possible to migrate data from UA to GA4.

At Carnegie, we heavily rely on and trust the performance data we see from campaigns in Slate. From underclassman search to senior melt, we love to look at the numbers and let them guide us.

Despite all the data we’re able to collect within Slate, there are still areas in which we want to learn more.

Google previously announced that Universal Analytics properties will stop collecting data starting on July 1, 2023. To avoid gaps in collecting data, users must create a GA4 property before this deadline.

As a higher education marketer, you know there are big differences between undergrad and grad audiences, and even more nuanced differences between other, smaller segments (like international and adult audiences, for example). Consider these recommendations from the Carnegie Copywriting Team to ensure that your messages to these groups really hit home.

Google named Carnegie’s digital marketing team as a 2023 Google Premier Partner. Carnegie is the only higher education marketing agency to hold this distinction. 

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that Facebook is rolling out restrictions again when it comes to targeting ads toward a certain audience. As of February 20, 2023, some targeting and campaign options will no longer be available when you create ads that include people under the age of 18 globally (under 20 in Thailand and under 21 in Indonesia) in your desired audience. While it’s good that teen and youth privacy is being taken seriously, it may pose a challenge for your institution’s ads to recruit prospective college students. How can you make sure they’re still seen?

Every school wants to see prospective students show their interest by taking action. Whether it’s downloading a brochure from your website, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out an RFI form, taking action is key in determining a high-quality lead from a low-quality one.

It’s a new year, which means it’s the perfect time to review your SEO content strategy and plan your institution’s approach to content marketing. We’ve consulted with our group of SEO experts at Carnegie to create a roundup of the top SEO trends, tools, and tips that your institution can employ in 2023.