With the recent decline in college enrollment, many small colleges and universities are struggling to create effective marketing strategies that drive student interest. While economic factors are certainly influencing the trend of students choosing the workforce over education, outdated marketing methods are also to blame.
Gone are the days when attending college guaranteed a stable career. With the rise of digital jobs and social media offering younger generations alternative career paths, higher education institutions must be proactive in showcasing their value. Colleges now face the challenge of not only competing with other universities but also with the job market itself.
Based on my experience in digital marketing, I’ve identified several common marketing mistakes that universities make. If your institution is guilty of any of these, it may be time to reassess your approach and consider more effective strategies.
1. Relying Solely on Recruiters
For many smaller schools, college fairs remain the primary method of recruitment. While these events are important, relying solely on recruiters and fairs is a poor marketing strategy. We live in a digital age, and universities must meet potential students where they are—online. Expecting your classrooms to fill up from college fair recruitment alone is a huge oversight. It’s time to invest in digital outreach, expand your marketing channels, and develop a comprehensive strategy beyond in-person events.
2. Neglecting Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Word-of-mouth marketing remains the most powerful marketing tool. What your current students say about your institution matters. Too often, universities focus all their efforts on new enrollment while neglecting the needs and experiences of their current students. Retaining students is far less expensive than acquiring new ones. Split your enrollment efforts between recruiting new students and retaining those already enrolled. Regularly survey students, ensure their needs are being met, and fulfill the promises made during recruitment. Once a negative reputation takes root, it’s difficult to overcome.
3. Failing to Promote Degree Programs Effectively
Do prospective students know the specific programs your school offers, or are you just promoting the institution as a whole? It’s better to be recognized as “the school with the best [specific program]” rather than just a name. Your marketing should highlight the strengths of your degree programs and what they offer students. Lead with what your programs can do for them, not just who your school is.
4. Overemphasizing Branding While Neglecting Marketing
Many colleges have strong branding but weak marketing. Branding is important—it establishes your identity in the market and defines your message. However, marketing is about building awareness of that identity and attracting potential students. You need both to be successful. Too often, colleges allocate substantial resources to branding (colors, vision, mission) but fail to invest in marketing campaigns that bring their message to the right audience. This lack of balance can hinder student recruitment efforts.
5. Highlighting Features Instead of Benefits
There’s a major difference between features and benefits. A feature is what you offer; a benefit is how it helps someone. Features focus on you, while benefits focus on the potential student. For example, saying, “We offer the best Business Administration Degree” is a feature. However, stating, “Our Business Administration Degree will help you land job offers from top Fortune 500 companies” is a benefit. Students are more interested in how your programs will benefit them, so shift your messaging to focus on outcomes.
Conclusion: How Guice SEO Solutions Can Help
The marketing mistakes outlined are keeping many small colleges from growing their enrollment. Guice SEO Solutions specializes in helping colleges like yours stand out online, making it easier for students to find you.
By improving your website’s visibility on search engines like Google, we help drive more traffic from potential students actively looking for what your school offers. Our strategies will help your college be seen by the right people, which can directly lead to more student applications and higher enrollment.
Let Guice SEO Solutions guide your school to better digital marketing, making it easier for students to choose you.
