*This post was originally published here.

College enrollment has been declining since 2010. Here are a few strategies to attract more prospective students to your institution.

Since peaking in 2010, college enrollment has steadily declined each year. The period between spring 2020 and spring 2022 saw some of the sharpest declines yet, with a 7% decline in enrollment — a loss of roughly 1.3 million students.

For many higher education institutions, such losses can prove financially devastating, particularly for smaller schools that rely heavily on tuition dollars. In fact, a 2021 survey of higher education professionals found that 74% of colleges were facing financial challenges, with schools with fewer than 5,000 students facing the most significant constraints.

2022 saw this trend continue, with several smaller colleges shutting down — some of which had previously served students for over 150 years.

Amid this financial turmoil, few things can prove more crucial for your institution's lasting stability than its ability to become more appealing to prospective students. Here are a few tips to get started.

Tip 1: Offer virtual tours, info sessions and more

There are various reasons why campus tours and info sessions can be inaccessible to prospective students. They may live on the other side of the country or work a job to help support their family, meaning they can't attend when scheduled on-campus sessions are available. In this case, going digital can improve accessibility for all.

For example, Arizona State University provides online self-guided video tours for each campus location. The tours are available online or via mobile app, and prospective students can personalize their virtual tour experience based on their areas of interest. Curated tours that highlight popular campus locations are also available.

While virtual tours and info sessions often became necessary during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, they continue to provide great value by helping more students get a feel for what it is like to be on campus. The flexibility to match a student's available schedule will go a long way in getting them more engaged with your school and more motivated to apply.

Of course, you can (and should) still offer tours and info sessions in-person whenever possible. Still, even these in-person events can take on a digital twist that expands your reach and makes them more engaging. Even something as simple as live-streaming an info session or posting highlights to social media can expand your reach and influence.

Tip 2: Let current students do the talking

Social media can be a powerful tool for showing off your campus, classes and activities to prospective students. But the messages that come directly from your college will be less persuasive than those from the students already attending your school.

For example, Brigham Young University regularly hosts #MyViewFromBYU posts and reels on its Instagram account, in which current students are given the opportunity to "take over" the Instagram account as they share stories about their life as a student and their journey to the university.

This is a great method to provide a more candid and casual look at student life at your institution of higher learning — and in a way that can feel more relatable to prospective students. Of course, social media isn't the only place where this can occur. You could also feature blogs and videos from current students and alums on your website or in other marketing materials.

Alums can be a mighty voice for making your institution more appealing to prospective students. Highlighting alum success stories — be they in sports, business or the sciences — and their ties to your university can be a compelling testimonial for students who share similar goals.

Tip 3: Get personal

When pitching for your institution, it's important to remember that messaging shouldn't necessarily be focused on the school itself. Instead, your focus should be on the student and the experiences they will be able to create for themselves while attending your school.

For example, a case study from EAB that evaluated 1.2 billion student interactions found that student-focused recruitment copy increased response rates by 50%. Something as simple as using the word "you" and focusing on the student's individual journey — rather than your "excellent curriculum" or "highly-trained professors" — can prove much more persuasive.

Your messaging should also be personal and focused when it comes to parents. A study of 2021 high school graduates found that 48% ranked "parental influence" as one of the top sources of information they used to make their enrollment decision. Parents were actually the second most commonly cited source of information, only ranking behind college websites.

Because of this, institutions of higher learning should also focus much of their personalized messaging on the parents of prospective students. Marketing campaigns that frame the institution and its benefits with a focus on the parents' mindset can lead to more highly influential parent-driven conversations.

Conclusion

Attracting prospective students to your higher education institution can be challenging, especially with the declining enrollment trends observed in recent years. 

However, with the right strategies, such as offering virtual tours, letting current students talk, and personalizing your messaging, you can increase your institution's appeal to potential students. And remember, it's essential to consider the parents' perspective, given that they play a significant role in the decision-making process. 

By following these tips, you can help your institution stand out from the crowd and thrive in the highly competitive higher education landscape.

Who We Are

Noetic Marketer is a higher education digital marketing agency that supports universities and colleges in many aspects. At the heart of Noetic Marketer are a team of strategists, designers, and analytic minds focused on achieving your school's enrollment and student and alums engagement goals.

Over the past few years, our team has created and implemented complete digital marketing solutions for higher education institutions across North America. Our services include digital strategy consultations, search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, social media advertising, content marketing, website design, email marketing, CRM implementation, and conversion rate optimization.

If you'd like to discuss any of the topics in this post further, please schedule a free consultation with one of our experts!

About the Author

A client-focused, trend-sensitive, and metrics-oriented individual, Andres Tovar is the Founder, Lead Consultant and Managing Partner for Noetic Marketer. He has designed entire digital funnels for his clients and has helped triple many of his clients’ lead conversion rates. Andres has devised fully optimized campaigns for clients ranging from SaaS, real estate, and educational institutions to e-commerce sites and local businesses.