Higher education marketing can be more perplexing than advanced physics. There’s sky rocketing tuition yet declining revenue. Fractured student audiences attached to helicopter parents. Plus, infinite constituents with as many demands.

But going from fractured to focused isn’t out of reach. Start with brand differentiation. Then get vertical. Relevancy deepens when you pair target audiences with programs, though it’s important you be the first responder. New rule: The first school to develop a relationship acquires the student. Finally, show the love, early and often. And then… automate for truly deep gain.

Brand Development

Students and faculty have been drawn to your institution for years -- perhaps even decades or centuries. You’ve developed a very special place, completely different from other schools. But how do you communicate that sense of place to a new generation of students? That’s the challenge we’ve solved for a number of higher education clients. Through understanding your past, present, and future plans we will be able to create a differentiated positioning for your institution. You can be assured that everyone will find the end result in harmony with the past, but uniquely crafted for the future.

Rapid Response is Key to Student Acquisition

On the surface, it appears as though colleges and universities are enjoying a period of abundance. For at least the next five academic years, there will be a peak in prospects interested in admission.* On average, colleges only admit 7 of every 10 students who apply.* So why are student acquisition issues a critical topic?

Here are some inspiring insights:

• Academic institutions have a tremendous amount to accomplish on lean marketing and recruitment budgets. Optimizing those budgets is a prime directive.
• For every student you recruit today, you may be saying goodbye to two that enrolled last year.
• Selection of an undergraduate school is sometimes a rather impulsive act. A large proportion of students do not even weigh academic quality when making their decision.
• When considering a list of colleges at which to apply, students are looking farther afield than their state schools. And they are empowered with innumerable technology tools at their fingertips.
• Cost-efficient, career-centric education solutions are in high demand. This trend has far reaching implications, not the least of which is greater commoditization.
• Social media has expanded the reach of a school’s reputation. Students and prospects talk about their experiences and their reasons for the choices they make. And this chatter stays out there a very long time.

The balance of power is steadily shifting into the hands of the education consumer. It’s a complicated dynamic of supply and demand; fueled by economic pressures, globalization and an extremely technology-enabled market.

Paramount to this effort is the ability to respond quickly. Being the first institution to develop a relationship with the prospect is critical to achieving an enrollment. That means your marketing program must include mechanisms to cultivate each lead throughout the entire process, from inquiry through application and registration.

In fact, in recent years Colman Brohan Davis has noted the increasing importance of responsiveness and relationship cultivation to gain a competitive advantage. Our successes have been built upon an approach that includes streamlining operations and processes to address obstacles, identifying and prioritizing prospect tiers, mapping the communication needs of prospects and influencers, and automating key messages.

Retention Relies on Communication

If you want to be a real hero this year, become a champion for student retention at your institution.

Current statistics indicate that only about 45 percent of all students who enroll in postsecondary education will ultimately earn a bachelor’s degree. Plus, a very high percentage of students will transfer after their first year or so. Attrition is a serious business challenge. A key element of improved retention is better communication.

With or without a CRM system, you can formulate and execute a retention communications plan that can deliver critical information as well as value-add tools and inspiration to at risk students. What’s more, you can ensure these communications are deployed automatically based on segment or behavior.

Colman Brohan Davis has perfected a planning approach that any higher educator can apply, and a series of best practices to guide efficient execution of automated retention communication program that can:

• Ensure consistent experiences
• Anticipate specific needs
• Optimize staff time, resources, and perceived value
• Prove effectiveness and return on investment

At the core of a strong retention program is the understanding that students have a better chance of staying motivated when not dealing with feelings of confusion, isolation, discouragement and lack of progress. And this you definitely can address with communication and reverse student attrition at your institution.

Continued Education

In the vast continuing education and credentialing market, competing for share of mind and market is intense. However, we know that in this cluttered space, complacency may be your biggest competitor - your adult prospect is busy and distracted. You’ve got to continually tap into deep insights. Your brand must be clearly differentiated, with a razor sharp value proposition. And you need to act quickly and smartly to convert those leads. Great marketing is likely more critical to your organization than for any other higher education institution.

PR & Social Media

Helping you build your brand, and acquire and retain the best students takes many forms at Colman Brohan Davis. One key element is integrating strategically-focused public relations and social media initiatives into your broader marketing objectives and enrollment goals. Our approach takes public relations out of its silo—and it’s about time. A wide-angle view of this important discipline unleashes all of its power to polish your identity, enhance your reputation, influence many communities of interest and, ultimately, impact your success as an institution.

And social media now plays a role in “all of the above.” For almost every constituency you target—parents, prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty and friends—social media channels play an ever more critical role. Colman Brohan Davis can help you assess your status in the social media continuum, develop a plan that dovetails with your objectives and build the platforms that connect you and your many audiences in the most compelling ways.