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Blog Series: 4 Reasons to Consider Targeted Recruitment Methods: Part 1: Program-centric Marketing Collateral Keeps You Top-of-Mind

Parchment Staff  •  Sep 23, 2021  •  Blog
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A 4-part blog series: 4 Reasons to Consider Targeted Recruitment Methods – Part 1: Program-centric Marketing Collateral Keeps You Top-of-Mind

Higher education institutions have traditionally leaned on generic list buys to reach potential students. Instead of creating individualized marketing collateral that focuses on connecting with students in a more personalized way, schools are casting a wide net with broad messages that do not help their institution stand out. With the shift to test-optional and enrollment in higher education becoming more challenging, institutions have started looking more closely at how they can increase the conversion of prospective students that they have access to. 

In this series of 4 blog posts, 4 Reasons to Consider Targeted Recruitment Methods, we will share a few reasons to consider a more targeted recruitment method moving forward.

Customer-centric marketing is a strategy that universities have been incorporating into their business model for years. Research by Olga Voropai, Professor in the Marketing and Business Management Department at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, found that a customer-centric marketing approach in a university setting properly analyzes the way customers’ needs can be taken into account to better approach students and attract them to the school.

Higher education institutions have traditionally leaned on generic list buys to reach potential students. Now, schools are more inclined to create individualized marketing collateral that focuses on connecting with students in a more personalized way.

Program-centric marketing use cases

Students who feel a strong connection with your institution before filling out their application for enrollment may be more inclined to reach out for more information and may also welcome greater outreach efforts from you. 

Here are a few examples of how program-centric marketing can work: 

A student who wants to attend your institution hoping to become a biologist should have a clear understanding of your biology program. He or she can do research to find the necessary details needed to enroll in the program, but what if you created marketing collateral that did the heavy lifting for them? 

Similarly, a student who is focused on pursuing a career in a booming industry or trending job opportunities, such as cybersecurity, PPE, or online conferencing (as noted by Global Trade magazine), can do their own research to find a program that meets their needs and desire to pursue a hot industry. On your end, understanding these popular areas of interest can give you the leverage to create better-focused marketing collateral. With the right program-centric content, you can guide students who want to pursue a career with a promising future to make their final decision.

Think about it this way: teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 spend at least three hours a day on social media, which means there’s a good chance they’ll see marketing efforts geared toward their demographic. Students who stumble upon your institution specifically because of a marketing campaign that highlights the program that piqued their interest may be more inclined to take a deeper dive and reach out for more information. 

Working with Parchment

Targeted recruitment methods can put your institution in a better position to find the students who are interested in the programs offered within your organization. This can give you the leverage you need to cast a more focused net and bring in students who are excited to learn more about everything you have to offer. 

At Parchment, we understand that each institution has unique enrollment goals. Our product, Parchment Recruit, is built within our admissions suite and is designed to deliver real-time student data that enables your institution to make strategic decisions that can help you reach enrollment success.

What’s Next?

 

Reach out to us today for more information at https://www.parchment.com/start-the-conversation/.