Reach More. Enroll More.

 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all had a crystal ball? A way to look into the future and know exactly what was going to happen. Will the Dow reach 25,000? Will the Fed raise interest rates? Will oil remain low? Will the Cowboys win the Super Bowl?

I don’t know about you, but a few answers would make my life a whole lot easier. Probably yours as well. Especially when it comes to your school’s enrollment growth. Unfortunately, most of us believe that life isn’t that predictable. And so we resign ourselves to waiting around until something happens, which then forces us to react accordingly.

Well, I’m here to tell you today that while it might not be so easy to predict where the stock market is headed, or how well the Cowboys will play this season, you can predict one thing: your school’s rising enrollment.

The fact is, you’re staring at a crystal ball right now, and what you should be seeing—assuming you’ve cleaned the glass—are prospects waiting on your website. They’re not only there, but they’re offering you a constant stream of organic inquiries, which are both predictable and affordable. No longer do you need to over-invest in expensive, low-yield channels.

You want to see your future, look a little closer into the crystal ball, and you’ll see two ready-made strategies that will quickly and efficiently help you produce increased and predictable enrollment by increasing organic inquiries:

Strategy #1: Convert More Website Traffic Into Additional Leads

At Educationconnex, we strongly believe a school’s marketing efforts should rely on earning a prospect’s trust and interest, instead of buying it. Organic inquiries convert higher as they build a relationship and create a better-informed prospect and ambassador for the brand. Education growth marketers must rely on the brand by creating quality content that pulls people toward the university and establishes a relationship based on the student’s journey—a journey that must always answer the “Why Buy” question. While many schools are driving awareness and inbound action with SEO and content, they are missing major optimization opportunities that convert traffic into inquiries.

It bears repeating: there are prospects waiting on your website! Better yet, they’re eager to connect and get to know your school. Isn’t that a future worth exploring? A future that encourages you to get rid of all your under-performing paid leads so you can start leveraging the power of your own website. And it’s not that hard to do. You just need to know how.
Fortunately, there are strategies and customizable tools and CTA’s that help you transform existing website traffic into leads. That’s right! Your enrollment efforts can now be much more predictable, allowing you to grow Lead/Application/Enrollment volume on an incremental basis, without having to grow traffic at media budget expense. How’s that for a promising future?

 Strategy #2: Deliver Spectacular Student (Mobile) Experiences. “Right Here! Right Now!

Two years ago, Google introduced the concept of micro-moments. They put a name to a behavior that, thanks to mobile, was becoming pervasive. People had started to expect an immediate answer in the moments they wanted to know, go, do, and buy.

According to a recent white paper, Micro-Moments Now: Three New Consumer Behaviors Playing Out in Google Search Data, micro-moments are entrenched behaviors that are multiplying and accelerating at rapid rates. Consumers are more demanding than ever. Prospects want to be better informed, have more personal experiences, and get things done even faster. They demand immediate, useful and personalized information, and immediate response.

Those organizations that deliver a “right, here, right now” experience will grow and flourish, while those organizations that do not will struggle. Let’s be clear; there is a big difference between being mobile-enabled and truly mobile-friendly.

The difference is your advantage.

The fact is, 50-60% of edu searches are on mobile devices. Consumer behavior has changed; phones are both computing and communication devices. According to Google, 70% of all mobile searches used “click to call” to contact a business, and 61% of searchers say the phone call is the most important step in the search process.

Inbound, “high intent” calls generate more revenue, which leads to a few final questions. Is your institution ready? Is your strategy mobile-friendly with short RFI’s and a Click to Call that is easy to find? Is your team able to take inbound calls 24×7? Remember, the landscape of higher education enrollment is changing dramatically, and mobile now plays a major role.

Maybe the most important role.

In fact, according to Google, 70% of all mobile searches have clicked to call a business, and 61% of searchers say the phone is the most important step in the process. Here are some more interesting stats on mobile:

• 51% of emails are opened on a mobile device
• Mobile ad spending is growing 3x faster than non-mobile
• Mobile has surpassed desktop for paid search
• In 2015, 100% of Facebook’s ad revenue growth was in mobile

You put it all together, and it’s clear that you already have a crystal ball to show you what your future will look like. It might not tell you where the stock market is heading, but it clearly points the way to your enrollment success. It shows you what is possible. All you need to do is seize the opportunity.

As always, we’re here to help. Call us, and we’ll show you how.

Since 2008, Education Connex has helped non-profit universities grow enrollment, providing the tools and strategies that will lead to a positive return on marketing investment.


If you need help with the details on the path to converting more leads, call us at 877-434-1828 or email Greg at gswinhart@educationconnex.com. We’re here to help your university succeed.