The last few years have significantly changed the way businesses work. Digitization has overturned popular marketing practices and forced companies to include the virtual world in their marketing strategies. Website development, SEO practices, etc. are now common.

The education sector too has not been spared. Even academic institutions are now building an exclusive marketing department or hiring a professional marketing head to attract prospective students through an effective marketing strategy. What’s more, considering the diversity of languages and cultures across the globe, they require Translation of Marketing Collateral to enable foreign students to understand their offerings in their language.   

Upping Recruitment Efforts 

Well, a few academic institutions may still be lagging and failing to up their game with the changing times. Here are a few tips for them to increase the effectiveness of their recruitment efforts. 

• Chalk out a marketing plan: Research states that more than half the academic institutions fail in creating a professional marketing plan. They must draft a marketing plan in the previous year to attract. Times have changed. Students do the groundwork, browse college websites, assess the university in tune with their goals, and send out applications. The marketing plan must focus on grabbing the students’ attention. So, get into effective social media practices from the previous year itself to capture the attention of prospects before it is too late. 

• Translate marketing content into different languages: Ensure that all the marketing content such as prospectus, application forms and websites are translated into the major languages so that you can attract overseas students. Get in touch with a reliable translation agency and accurately translate the content with the help of native translators. 

• Draw out a budget plan: Enhancing marketing efforts to reach out to students is expensive. Chalking out a budget plan is vital in managing funds diligently. It’s advisable to arrive at a ballpark estimate of the marketing budget and build the strategy around it. 

• Track digital content: The website is an important marketing tool. It is the virtual face of the institution which connects with the prospects and provides important details. Tracking the website content to ensure that is updated. Research data states that students do not spend more than thirty seconds on a website while browsing. It is important to answer critical questions like the cost, duration, and outcome of the course within this short span. The difference between a better working website and its lesser counterparts affects the essentials of digital marketing like site visitors, lead to enrollment rate, lead conversion, and visitors to lead conversion. 

• Smart social media strategies: In the digital age, social media plays a significant role in capturing the attention of prospective students. The strategy must be diligently designed. What’s more, maintaining a social media calendar ensures the development of fresh and engaging content for students across the year.   

• Relate the campus story through existing students: No marketing message is more effective than the one that comes from on-campus students who are studying on campus. They are well-versed with the academic structure, course, and teaching methodology at the institutions. The top-performing universities and institutions involve students to help in generating social media content. Share their experiences of the classes, sports and other activities. Authentic views and feedback coming from them rarely fail to appeal, and engage prospective students.  

• Back to the Basics: With the changing scenario, a good idea is to go back to the basics. Take a look at previous data including student emails, parent responses, clicks on websites, and advertisements. Gathering this data and analyzing it aids in understanding what worked and what did not. The new strategy based on this information is bound to be successful.  

• Considering the virtual world from a long-term perspective: Things have changed. The virtual world of education is a reality. Online education opens up global institutions beyond physical boundaries. Geographical limitations are eliminated. Many students continue to have a preference for online education. So, a good idea is to adopt a hybrid system of education and propagate the same to attract students who can get beyond their restrictions and empower themselves with better education.   

• Ongoing marketing efforts: The advent of digitization has put an end to a specific recruitment season. Sending out bundles of papers with details about the institution, facilities and more is now a thing of the past. Students are always online and looking for the ideal university. This said; recruitment efforts must not pause. Ensure that recruitment and admission staff are available and responsive at all times. They should also invite the students to visit the campus and tour their future school at any time. 

The Ideal Strategy 

Recruitment strategy has changed significantly in the past years. It is bound to change in this ever- changing world. So, institutions should be open to adaptability with smart and diligent marketing practices. Moreover, although online education is a reality of the digital era, students are interested in getting back on campus. So, building a strategy that engages and attracts both online and offline prospects is a sure win-win.