Category: Higher Education Marketing

  • Search Everywhere Optimization: Reinventing Student Discovery for the AI Era

    Search Everywhere Optimization: Reinventing Student Discovery for the AI Era

    For decades, the enrollment funnel followed a familiar script: search, click, visit, inquire. That script no longer describes how decisions are made. Strategies that still treat traffic to your school’s .edu domain as the main measure of success are increasingly invisible to the Modern Learner.

    That is because search has broken free from the constraints of the search bar.

    Modern Learners operate in a search everywhere ecosystem, investigating institutions on social platforms, querying AI chatbots, cross-referencing video and scanning third-party sites. The traditional results page has shifted from a static stack of blue links to a verified, AI-driven dialogue. Visibility is no longer about ranking first on a list. It is about being the answer wherever the question is asked.

    This shift demands a new strategic operating system: Search Everywhere Optimization.

    From Search Engine Optimization to Search Everywhere Optimization 

    Website marketing experts at EducationDynamics define Search Everywhere Optimization as a holistic strategy that treats every discovery surface—search engines, AI answers, institutional sites and social media—as one integrated system. It aligns brand, media and experience around a single imperative: remain visible, credible and compelling wherever students ask questions.

    Standing on its own, traditional search engine optimization is now obsolete. Where SEO focused narrowly on technical tactics to rank a specific URL and drive a click, search everywhere optimization manages a decentralized web of signals to influence an answer. SEO chased algorithms to feed a crawler; search everywhere optimization builds reputation to inform a decision.

    This is more than a shift in tactics. It is a shift in mindset.

    In an AI-first environment, institutions that cling to yesterday’s search habits are already falling behind.

    The question is no longer whether to evolve. It is how fast an institution can reinvent its approach to discovery. The next era of enrollment is not about clicks. It is about credibility, visibility and being the trusted answer wherever the question is asked.

    Winning AI Overviews in higher ed with AI Density 

    Google’s AI Overviews. These experiences have rewritten the rules of search in higher ed. They do not just sit above traditional results. In many cases, they replace them. Prospective students now see a single synthesized answer that decides which institutions and programs show up first, frames expectations for cost and outcomes and often ends the search before a site visit ever happens. 

    When an institution is not shaping that answer, AI is shaping it based on everyone else’s signals. 

    EducationDynamics built AI Density to change that equation. 

    AI Density is EducationDynamics’ proprietary metric for AI visibility. It measures how often an institution is cited or referenced inside AI Overviews and related AI answers across a defined set of high-intent queries. Traditional search reports show where a page ranks. AI Density shows whether the institution has a voice in the answer that shapes a student’s decision. 

    High AI Density means AI systems treat the institution as a trusted source. The brand appears more often in AI-generated summaries, carries more weight in organic results and influences more prospects even when no click is recorded. 

    That influence does not live on the .edu domain alone. AI Overviews pull signals from across the ecosystem, including: 

    • Institutional pages and academic catalogs
    • Rankings sites and program directories
    • Student reviews and Q&A forums
    • Reddit threads and other social communities
    • News coverage and employer-linked stories

    Reputation now moves through this full network. Search Everywhere Optimization treats these external surfaces as extensions of institutional storytelling so AI systems encounter a consistent, credible picture of programs and outcomes. 

    In this context, AI Density is not a metric to be sidelined—it is a growth lever. It reveals how deeply institutional signals penetrate AI ecosystems, where gaps exist and which content and reputation investments actually move visibility. Institutions that ignore AI Density allow the AI ecosystem to define their market position without input. Institutions that embrace it begin to control the narrative where decisions are made. 

    Zero-click Search Strategy for a No-Click World   

    The behavior around those AI-shaped answers has its own name. In a search environment increasingly resolved without a website visit, more interactions begin and end on the results page itself. That pattern is zero-click search. 

    A zero-click search strategy starts from that reality. It assumes that visibility and influence must carry real weight even when analytics platforms never record a session. When decisions are shaped inside the search results page (SERP), traffic alone becomes a lagging, partial signal. 

    Across institutions, the same zero-click behaviors keep showing up. Prospective students collect program, cost and outcome basics directly from snippets and AI answers. Calls, map actions and clicks to third-party directories or application portals divert attention away from primary landing pages. Traditional volume metrics then underrepresent how often institutions appear in meaningful moments because the most important interactions never show up as traffic. 

    In this environment, a strategy that still equates “success” with a click-through to a deep program page has fundamentally shifted. 

    In practice, zero-click search strategy within Search Everywhere Optimization comes down to three core moves. 

    • Answer design. Program and outcome content is written in short, self-contained statements that search systems can lift into snippets, quick facts and AI answers without losing meaning. Language mirrors the way Modern Learners actually ask about value, flexibility, support and price clarity, not internal taglines.  
    • Structured data discipline. Key facts – degree type, modality, tuition ranges, locations and application timelines – carry schema markup that supports rich results and quick information panels. Technical health becomes part of the visibility strategy, not a back-end checklist. 
    • Consistency across surfaces. On-site copy, catalogs, Google Business Profiles, marketplaces, ratings sites and partner listings present the same story. In a system where AI reconciles conflicting inputs, inconsistency is a signal to downgrade trust. 

    Under this model, success expands beyond traffic counts. The objective is to shape the decision at the point of the question, click or no click. Institutions that still optimize only for visits are chasing what is left over while the real competition plays out in zero-click moments. 

    Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI-native discovery

    Zero-click moments describe where decisions are resolved. Generative Engine Optimization focuses on how those answers are created. AI is no longer a side feature in search. It sits in the middle of how prospective students evaluate options. They use conversational tools and answer-first interfaces to compare programs, pressure-test timelines and translate affordability into real life. Large language models and answer engines now stand beside traditional SERPs as core discovery channels. 

    Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is how Search Everywhere Optimization shows up in that layer. Institutional content can no longer speak only to crawlers and rank-based algorithms. It has to feed models that synthesize answers directly on the results page. Program pages, FAQs and resource content carry more weight when they read like direct responses to questions about outcomes, format, pace and support. Differentiators and proof points win when they condense cleanly into a sentence or two, because that is what answer engines lift. 

    Within GEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) targets the experiences where the entire interaction happens inside the result. AI Overviews, featured snippets, people also ask modules and knowledge panels do not wait for a click. They resolve the question on the spot. In that environment, institutional content either fuels the answer or disappears from the conversation. 

    GEO, executed through strong AEO, demands: 

    • Clear question-and-answer structures in program and outcome content 
    • Consistent details across the main site, catalogs, news releases, directories and partner listings 
    • Markup and formatting that help systems recognize and elevate accurate responses

    Generative Engine Optimization does not replace technical SEO. It raises the bar. Content now has to work simultaneously for human readers, search crawlers and answer engines across both click and zero-click interactions. In an AI-shaped discovery landscape, GEO is not an experiment at the margins. It is the standard for institutions that expect visibility to translate into real enrollment performance. 

    What leadership-level execution looks like 

    Zero-Collectively, Search Everywhere Optimization, AI Density, zero-click strategy and Generative Engine Optimization define how visibility works in this market — leadership determines whether that visibility becomes an advantage. 

     Thriving in this environment isn’t about stacking one more tactic on top of yesterday’s strategy. It is about building a presence that students and systems can understand, trust and choose. 

    Institutions gaining ground are not tweaking the old search playbook. They are changing how the institution shows up, how AI interprets it and how teams respond when students lean in. Four execution patterns consistently separate institutions built for this new search-everywhere environment from those still operating on legacy assumptions. 

    Anchor content in real student questions 

    Leading institutions organize program pages, FAQs, blogs and resource hubs around the questions students actually ask. Language centers on outcomes, time to completion, flexibility, support and price clarity, not internal jargon or slogan-heavy copy. Content that answers real questions travels farther in search, performs better in AI Overviews and converts faster once students engage. 

    Treat external platforms as brand-defining spaces 

    Reddit threads, Google Business Profiles, degree marketplaces, review sites, YouTube channels and TikTok feeds all power the same discovery engine. When tuition details, program formats or admissions timelines conflict across those surfaces, trust erodes and AI systems notice. Institutions that treat external platforms as extensions of their site build stronger credibility in AI-driven answers and in traditional results. 

    Balance broad reach with precision presence 

    National campaigns are resurging, rebuilding brand presence across fragmented markets. At the same time, leading institutions layer precision media that targets local, adult and career-focused learners at moments of high intent. Search Everywhere Optimization depends on both: consistent brand framing at scale and targeted visibility where high-yield audiences search, scroll and ask questions. 

    Turn visibility into decisive action

    Search visibility only creates advantage when institutions respond with speed and clarity. Prospects move from consideration to inquiry quickly, often expect admissions decisions in days and frequently enroll at the first institution that meets their needs. When enrollment teams move slowly or inconsistently, the lift from Search Everywhere Optimization and Generative Engine Optimization evaporates and informed students choose institutions that move faster.

    Taken together, these moves separate leaders from the pack. They treat Search Everywhere Optimization as core operating strategy, not a marketing experiment. Institutions that build around real student questions, coherent signals across every surface, smart reach and fast follow-through are not just visible in a search-everywhere world — they are the ones shaping which options feel possible in the first place. 

    Competing in a Search-Everywhere world 

    These leadership patterns sit against a larger reality that will not reverse. Modern Learners have already left the old funnel behind. They are making choices inside AI Overviews, zero-click results, marketplaces and social feeds long before webpage appears. Search will not revert to ten blue links. AI-driven answers will not move back to the margins.

    In that reality, clinging to Search Engine Optimization as a stand-alone strategy means optimizing for a shrinking slice of how decisions are made. Search Everywhere Optimization reflects the environment that actually exists: decentralized signals, AI-shaped discovery and students who expect clear, consistent answers wherever they look. Institutions that build around that reality are not just keeping up with change. They are defining the terms on which students compare their options.

    The next cycle belongs to those who act now. The AI-first, zero-click era won’t wait—and neither should institutions serious about growth. EducationDynamics is committed to helping institutions navigate this evolving landscape and put Search Everywhere Optimization at the center. Contact us to assess your AI Density and build a Search Everywhere Optimization strategy aligned to how students actually decide.

    Source link

  • Shape the Future or Get Left Behind: The New Reality for Higher Ed Leaders 

    Shape the Future or Get Left Behind: The New Reality for Higher Ed Leaders 

    Higher education is fundamentally rewiring in ways most legacy playbooks can’t handle.

    Declining birth rates, growing skepticism about the value of a traditional degree and the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence have exposed the fragility of many institutional models.

    The leaders who treat this as a reset moment to rebuild for the Modern Learner will be the ones who thrive in the rewired landscape.

    On a recent episode of the Job Ready podcast, EducationDynamics’ President of Enrollment Management Services, Greg Clayton, sat down with hosts Jeff Nelder and Charlie Nguyen to unpack what it will really take for institutions to thrive in this AI-powered, skills-driven market. Explore the key takeaways from that conversation and what they mean for any institution that intends to shape the future instead of being shaped by it.

    You either evolve, or you don’t exist anymore.

    Greg Clayton, President, Enrollment Management Services

    Why Reputation and Revenue Now Drive Enrollment Growth 

    Revenue and reputation now function as the pillars of institutional viability.  

    Revenue growth is no longer just about filling seats. Institutions need diversified pathways, new program models and market strategies built around how learners actually discover, evaluate and choose programs today. 

    Reputation can no longer be reduced to prestige markers like rankings or athletics. Modern Learners quickly filter out surface-level messaging and evaluate institutions based on cost, convenience and career outcomes. Institutions that lead with tradition instead of value are losing ground. 

    Increasingly, learners also look for clear proof that an institution can deliver real job readiness and connect education to concrete career trajectories. 

    In this reality, reputation is revenue. It is earned by demonstrating academic rigor, employment relevance and a credible return on investment. Institutions that make those elements impossible to miss in the market win attention, trust and enrollment. Institutions that don’t are training Modern Learners to look elsewhere. 

    It’s not simply, ‘am I a flagship public institution with a football team’… What we’re talking about is, does the institution have a reputation for delivery of excellence that meets academic standards but also creates job readiness in the marketplace?

    Greg Clayton, President, Enrollment Management Services

    How AI Is Reshaping Discovery in Higher Education Marketing 

    Artificial intelligence is not a priority for tomorrow. It’s already here and rewriting the rules of search, discovery and decision-making.  

     Today, a large majority of .edu-oriented Google searches surface an AI overview before traditional organic results. For many prospects, the first touchpoint with an institution is now mediated by an AI-generated summary, not the homepage. 

    When institutions are not actively managing how they appear in those AI overviews, they effectively cede their first impression to an algorithm trained on everyone else’s narrative. 

    This shift  changes how institutions are discovered. Program details, brand signals and reputation markers are being interpreted and condensed by AI systems, which means fragmented or inconsistent market signals are quickly reflected in fragmented AI outputs. 

    Because AI now influences how learners search, compare and choose, institutions need a new blueprint for understanding how brand, reputation and revenue actually work together.  

     EducationDynamics’ AI visibility pyramid provides that blueprint, making one thing clear: revenue is no longer a standalone goal, but the outcome of coordinated brand amplification and reputation building. When an institution’s digital footprint and third-party credibility are reinforced through AI density—the consistency with which an institution appears in AI-generated responses—revenue follows at the top. 

    In this environment, content, PR, advertising and enrollment operations can’t operate in isolation. Disconnected efforts dilute AI visibility and waste spend. Institutions that orchestrate these functions around a unified strategy for AI discoverability will be the ones that win attention and intent. 

    How the Enrollment Cliff Is Exposing Fragile Models 

    The wave of closures and mergers over the past decade is not random. It is the predictable outcome of models built for a world that no longer exists. 

    The most vulnerable institutions tend to be heavily tuition dependent, slow to diversify revenue and reluctant to make structural changes even as market conditions shift around them. 

    Flagship publics and highly endowed privates have more buffer. Many regional and tuition-dependent institutions do not. As demographics tighten and competition increases, legacy models that once felt stable are now under significant strain. 

    Many of the institutions struggling most today share a common pattern: delayed pivots to online and hybrid delivery, continued reliance on tuition as the primary revenue source and limited attention to Modern Learner expectations around flexibility and cost. Those dynamics are now being tested by the market. 

    By contrast, institutions that are evolving have accepted that yesterday’s playbook is no longer sufficient. They are actively redesigning their models around revenue diversification, program-market fit and measurable outcomes. They understand that the expectations of Modern Learners have fundamentally changed and that tomorrow’s challenges will not be solved with yesterday’s solutions.  

    How Student Behavior Is Reshaping Enrollment Strategy 

    Modern Learner behavior has moved beyond traditional age-based segments. Preferences for online, hybrid and flexible formats cut across generations. Convenience, outcomes and affordability matter just as much to working adults and career switchers as they do to recent high school graduates. 

    Modern Learners are the architects of their own educational journeys. They don’t wait to be recruited and they don’t stay loyal when processes are rigid and difficult to navigate. 

    This is especially true for the roughly 43 million Americans with some college and no credential. Many institutions have struggled to reach this audience due to higher acquisition costs, limited capital or an assumption that these learners fall outside their “core” market. 

    That assumption no longer aligns with how learners actually make decisions. Strategies built for 18–22-year-old residential students do not automatically translate to working adults balancing jobs, family and study. Reaching this audience requires rethinking acquisition channels, messaging, support models and program design. 

    Institutions that are successfully engaging this segment treat education as a lifelong relationship, not a one-time transaction. They are building pathways for learners to return to upskill and reskill over time, often in partnership with employers, creating recurring value for learners and recurring revenue for the institution. 

    Attracting traditional students into your institution does not work when it comes to tapping into the 43 million [Americans with] some college, no credential. It’s two completely different things.

    Greg Clayton, President, Enrollment Management Services

    Why Employer Alignment Now Shapes Reputation and Outcomes 

    Employer partnerships remain one of the most underleveraged assets in higher education. At the same time, employers consistently report difficulty finding candidates with applied, job-ready skills, particularly as AI reshapes roles and workflows across industries. 

    That disconnect is not a minor gap. It is a credibility problem. When programs are not aligned with the roles employers are hiring for, institutions are asking students to fund an education the market does not fully value. 

    High-impact employer partnerships go far beyond tuition discounts and logo swaps. Those are table stakes. The partnerships that move the needle help define the skills and competencies programs should teach, inform curriculum refresh cycles and create structured pathways into internships, apprenticeships and full-time roles. 

    When job readiness is deliberately designed into every program — including comfort with AI tools and workflows — institutions are better able to prove their value to both learners and employers. That, in turn, strengthens reputation, improves outcomes data and creates new opportunities for sustainable revenue. 

    What Institutions Are Rebuilding to Compete  

    Across the sector, a distinct pattern is emerging among institutions that are gaining ground. They aren’t optimizing at the edges. They’re reworking the systems that drive growth. 

    These institutions treat revenue as mission fuel, not a dirty word. They understand that without sustainable margin, they can’t expand access, invest in innovation or support students at the level the market now expects. 

    They make ROI explicit — in their marketing, advising and student experience. Cost, convenience and career outcomes are addressed head-on, not buried in fine print. Modern Learners can clearly see how a program connects to specific skills, roles and advancement paths. 

    Program portfolios are tightly aligned with workforce needs. Curricula are refreshed frequently. Skills and competencies are mapped to real job requirements, not just internal assumptions. Job readiness and AI literacy are integrated into programs, not offered as optional extras. 

    Brand, marketing and enrollment are orchestrated around AI-driven discovery. These institutions understand that AI is now a primary gateway to information, so they actively manage how they show up in AI overviews and search — not just in traditional rankings and media. 

    Employer partnerships are deep and operational. Employers help shape programs, provide work-based learning, and validate the skills graduates bring to the table. B2B and workforce channels become meaningful contributors to both impact and revenue. 

    Institutions design for Modern Learners across ages and life stages. They build flexible pathways, stackable credentials and re-entry points so learners can return to upskill and reskill over time. Education becomes an ongoing relationship, not a one-time transaction. 

    The common thread is not size, sector or selectivity. It is a willingness to challenge internal inertia, reject the status quo and align every part of the institution with how learners and employers actually behave today. In this market, safety often masquerades as stability — and stagnation carries real risk. 

    The Decision Facing Higher Ed Leadership 

    Taken together, these dynamics create a defining choice for higher education leaders: optimize a fading model or rebuild for an AI-powered, skills-driven market. There is no middle ground.  

    Those that clearly communicate ROI, align programs with workforce demand, build AI into their discovery strategy and use reputation to drive growth will define what comes next.  

    At EducationDynamics, we’re partnering with leaders ready to make that shift. For a deeper look at how and where to begin, listen to Greg Clayton’s full conversation on the Job Ready podcast. 

    Source link

  • A Mandate for Transformation: Inside the 2026 Marketing and Enrollment Management Benchmarks 

    A Mandate for Transformation: Inside the 2026 Marketing and Enrollment Management Benchmarks 

    For too long, institutions have operated under an enrollment model built for a market that no longer exists. That status quo persists because it benefits entrenched service providers who profit from preserving the illusion that yesterday’s playbook will solve tomorrow’s challenges. These models feel safe, but they quietly divert resources away from the work of real institutional evolution. 

    At EducationDynamics, we reject that approach. We refuse to manage a legacy of decline. We are actively dismantling the traditional enrollment playbook to meet a new reality defined by rapid AI advancement, fundamental shifts in student behavior and a growing demand for data-driven action. 

    The 2026 Marketing and Enrollment Management Benchmarks is more than a collection of data. It is a strategic blueprint for institutions willing to challenge convention. Traditional benchmarks act like a rearview mirror. These benchmarks define the road ahead, focusing on the forces now driving growth: brand authority, AI visibility, intent-rich audiences, operational speed and measurable value. 

    The Forces Defining Higher Ed in 2026

    These trends are not incremental adjustments or cosmetic shifts. They represent a structural reset in how students discover institutions, how trust is earned and how enrollment engines generate growth. Together, they form the pillars of survival for institutions that intend to compete in the next decade, not merely endure it. 

    1. High-Value Branding

     Winning institutions treat brand equity and transparency as primary drivers of top-of-funnel performance. In an era of automated information, trust is the only currency that matters. Reputation is the new SEO. If students don’t trust you, they never search for you. 

    By 2025, nearly 60% of online learners started their journey by searching for a specific institution—a 354% increase in brand-first searches since 2015. The funnel is no longer program-first. Your brand is the search term. If students don’t already believe in your value, you may never enter their consideration set.

    This shift makes it clear: reputation, trust and visibility now shape the top of the enrollment funnel more than any single program. Institutions that invest in brand equity, AI-ready SEO and consistent messaging across channels are the ones that show up first when learners start their search. 

    Visibility is no longer earned by keywords alone; it is earned with reputation, authenticity and authority—especially in AI-driven environments: 

    • Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): Provide concise, factual responses to zero-click queries so AI surfaces your brand as the answer. 
    • AI Density: Measure how often your institution appears as a cited source within AI ecosystems, your new visibility metric in a Search Everywhere world. 

    The report introduces the AI Visibility Pyramid, a strategic framework that connects brand reputation, content, reviews and earned media into one system designed to make your institution the trusted answer inside AI ecosystems—not just another result if someone happens to click. 

     

    2. “Search Everywhere” Transformation

    The traditional search results page is disappearing. It is being replaced by conversational AI and a multi-platform ecosystem where students demand answers, not links. Visibility is now a conversation, not a click. 

    An estimated 78% of education-related searches now return an AI Overview, and nearly 45% of Google searches end without a click. Students are building shortlists and making decisions from AI overviews, chatbots, social feeds and video long before your institution’s website loads. If your brand isn’t present in these AI-driven answers, you’ve lost the conversation before you see the prospect. 

    3.The Efficiency Imperative 

    Cost inflation is no longer a future concern. It is the operating reality for higher education marketing. In 2025, total digital media spend surpassed $2.77 billion, yet rising costs failed to produce proportional performance gains. 

    Efficiency across traditional acquisition channels has eroded. Non-brand paid search CPCs climbed 30.9% year over year, increasing the cost of competing on generic, high-intent keywords. That pressure is amplified by zero-click search behavior, which continues to weaken keyword-driven volume strategies. 

    In this environment, efficiency is not a budgeting exercise. It is a competitive advantage. Institutions outperforming the market are using AI-driven attribution models to understand how organic, paid, and brand touchpoints actually influence enrollment. The focus shifts from chasing clicks to identifying high-intent learners earlier and engaging them with precision. 

    The Efficiency Imperative is about where and how institutions invest. In 2026, growth will favor those who deploy capital intelligently, align messaging to intent, and reach the right learner at the decisive moment. 

    4. Value Outperforms Volume

    Inquiry volume once signaled success. In 2026, it signals inefficiency. High volumes of low-intent leads inflate costs, overwhelm admissions teams, and obscure real demand. 

    Institutions can no longer rely on inquiry-driven attribution to understand the market. Many of today’s strongest prospects never raise their hand. Growth now depends on brand authority within AI ecosystems, content structured for conversational search, and predictive models that surface high-intent learners before a form is ever submitted. 

    The data confirms this shift. Career Changers and Leadership Track learners convert at 9.75% and 15.73%, far outperforming less motivated segments. These learners are decisive, outcome-driven, and ready to act when value and ROI are clear. 

    At the same time, stealth applicants now account for 9.7% of total applications, up from just 1% in 2020. They research independently, build their own shortlists, and apply when confident, often without entering a traditional funnel. 

    Institutions that prioritize motivation, fit, and outcomes over raw inquiry counts build smarter funnels that convert faster and operate more efficiently. In 2026, success is defined not by how many leads you generate, but by how many of the right students you enroll.

    What this Means for Higher Ed Leaders 2026  

    Higher education has entered a new era, and the data leaves no room for debate. Modern Learners have rewritten how institutions are discovered, evaluated and chosen.  

    Institutions that prioritize scale over substance will fall behind in a market defined by AI-driven search, zero-click behavior and value-first decisions. Survival is not the goal. Growth is. 

    The strategic imperatives that follow are not recommendations. They are the minimum requirements for relevance in 2026 and beyond. 

    The Strategic Imperatives Higher Ed Leaders Must Prioritize 

    1. Mechanize Brand Authority for a Zero-Click World  

    Nearly half of searches now end without a click. Visibility no longer belongs to the best-ranked institutions. It belongs to the most trusted brands. In a zero-click world, institutions must optimize for AI Density, ensuring brand content, outcomes data and FAQs are cited inside AI Overviews, while actively defending brand authority across the decentralized platforms that shape AI answers. 

    2. Pivot from Lead Volume to Enrollment Value  

    The era of buying growth through lead volume is over. Rising CPIs have made mediocre leads an expensive distraction. More leads are not the objective. Enrolling the right students is. Success in 2026 requires abandoning vanity metrics and optimizing toward Cost per Application and Cost per Enrollment using first-party data and AI-driven optimization. 

    3. Engineer Velocity into the Funnel  

    Modern Learners move fast and reward speed. Most enroll at the first institution that admits them. Delay kills conversion. Institutions must design for velocity at every stage, using AI as a 24/7 admissions concierge to answer questions, engage stealth researchers, and eliminate friction across the funnel. 

    4. Move from Performative to Operational AI  

    In 2026, the greatest barrier to progress is not technology, but cultural paralysis. Institutions waiting for a “perfect plan” will end up optimizing a strategy the market has already outgrown. AI cannot live on the sidelines. Leadership must treat it as operational infrastructure, championing upskilling and cross-functional integration across marketing and enrollment. The advantage comes from using AI to drive real-time personalization and faster decisions, not from experimenting in isolation. 

    Source link

  • InsightsEDU 2026: The Higher Ed Conference Built to Disrupt the Status Quo

    InsightsEDU 2026: The Higher Ed Conference Built to Disrupt the Status Quo

     The 2026 landscape makes one thing clear: institutions that rely on incremental change will not make it in this new era of higher ed. 

    Student expectations are shifting, competition is intensifying and AI is reshaping how people search, compare and choose. The Modern Learner is moving faster than most institutions—clear on what they want and decisive about where they spend time and money. 

     In this reality, doing a little more of what you’ve always done isn’t neutral. It’s a liability. 

     At EducationDynamics, we think differently. We believe in the transformative power of education, and we believe higher ed can rise above the noise to better serve the Modern Learner.   

    That belief drives InsightsEDU. InsightsEDU 2026 gathers the leaders ready to reinvent—those willing to transform their programs, positioning and culture for the era ahead. From February 17–19 in Fort Lauderdale, presidents, marketers, enrollment leaders and more will come together not to trade small tweaks, but to rethink how their institutions serve learners, tell their stories and grow. 

    Why InsightsEDU Exists 

    We believe your institution’s why is its strongest enrollment tool. Yet on most campuses, brand, strategy and culture are owned by different teams and rarely viewed as one story—InsightsEDU is designed to collapse those silos and give leaders a holistic view of the learner journey from first impression to long-term outcomes.

    Modern Learners don’t see your brand and enrollment funnel as separate. They experience one journey: a promise made in your brand, a reality in your programs and support and a decision shaped by how clearly you communicate value. When those pieces align, you build reputation and revenue. When they don’t, both erode.

    InsightsEDU 2026 exists to close that gap. It’s the live expression of how we believe higher ed must operate now—designing around the Modern Learner, treating reputation and revenue as one integrated strategy, and running enrollment as a unified system that connects an institution’s entire ecosystem.

    This isn’t another conference. It’s a launchpad for institutional reinvention.

    The Future Unbound: Your Institution’s Growth Mandate 

    This year’s theme, The Future Unbound, is a mandate to stop waiting and start unbinding. 

    At InsightsEDU, that means letting go of the assumption that yesterday’s playbook will carry you through tomorrow. It means challenging structures and habits that separate brand, enrollment and student success even though students experience them as one continuum. It means pressure-testing who you serve, how they find you and whether your story still matches reality. 

    This conference is devoted to that mission: transformation in the face of uncertainty. Every session is intentionally crafted to equip leaders to navigate this environment and reinforce higher education’s value proposition. 

    What Makes InsightsEDU Different 

    You’ve been to enough events where you swap business cards, collect slide decks and go home unchanged. Explore how InsightsEDU 2026 is different by design. 

    A Keynote That Resets Your Why 

    At the center of InsightsEDU 2026 is a keynote from visionary Matt Dunsmoor from Simon Sinek’s The Optimism Company. He’s not here to offer feel-good inspiration you forget by next week. He’s here to confront a hard truth: when strategy and culture are disconnected, your why collapses—and your enrollment strategy with it. 

    The keynote will help you sharpen your institution’s why in ways that resonate with Modern Learners, expose where culture undercuts the story you tell and push you to reconnect purpose, people and plans so reputation and revenue move together. 

    An Exclusive First Look at the 2026 Modern Learner Report 

    If putting the Modern Learner first is non-negotiable, InsightsEDU is where you need to be. 

     Attendees receive an exclusive first look at EducationDynamics’ 2026 Modern Learner report, presented by EducationDynamics’ President of Enrollment Management, Greg Clayton, and Senior Director of Analytics and Business Intelligence, Katie Tomlinson. You’ll see what today’s students value in higher education and how that shapes their decisions; how brand and reputation influence their search; and how to engage Modern Learners where they are with messages that land. 

     The report shares insights from our survey of Modern Learners and lays out a framework for a strategic approach built on stronger reputation and smarter engagement. 

     InsightsEDU 2026 is grounded in this data—real students, real behavior and real tradeoffs. Throughout the conference, you’ll use these insights to test your messaging, rethink programs and refine your enrollment strategy so it reflects how students actually behave in today’s landscape, not how they used to. 

    A Clear Directive on What Actually Moves the Needle 

    Many conferences leave you energized but unfocused. InsightsEDU is built to narrow your focus to what truly moves the needle. Most conferences still split your reality into tracks—leadership talking mission in one room, marketing talking campaigns in another; enrollment trading tactics down the hall. InsightsEDU starts from a different assumption: in 2026, those divides are the problem. 

    The agenda is built around the idea that every function ultimately feeds your brand. By bringing everyone into the same general sessions and then into focus-specific tracks, InsightsEDU gives leaders a shared picture of the full enrollment ecosystem and a practical toolkit to decide which levers will actually change the trajectory of their institution. 

    Real Tactics from Real Higher Ed Leaders & Industry Pros 

    Reinvention doesn’t happen in theory. It happens when real people in real roles make different choices. 

     At InsightsEDU 2026, you’ll hear from higher ed leaders across enrollment, marketing, admissions and online education who are already reshaping how their institutions compete and serve learners. They’ll share strategies they’re testing, changes they’ve made and what they’d do differently next time. 

    You will also hear from platform insiders bringing expertise from the digital front lines of Google, Reddit, Snapchat, Meta and LinkedIn—the very places where Modern Learners search, scroll and decide what to do next. These leaders will unpack the trends and behavioral shifts they observe in the market, offering a tactical look at how these ecosystems are evolving and what that means for your institution’s strategy.  

     The result: a conference that doesn’t just tell you what to change but prepares you for the leadership required to make change stick. 

    Who InsightsEDU Is For? 

     In short, you. 

     You’re shaping the future of your institution. That’s why you belong at InsightsEDU 2026. 

     This conference is for leaders who feel the urgency of this moment and are ready to act—presidents and cabinet members responsible for both mission and margin; CMOs and marketing executives tired of disconnected campaigns that don’t translate into enrollment; enrollment leaders who live every day with the pressure of pipelines, outcomes and student success; and online, adult and continuing ed leaders who already live in the Modern Learner reality and want their institutions aligned to that same pace and expectation. 

    Graph showing the Common Titles at InsightsEDU, including Directors, managers, deans, advisors, senior leadership and more

    If you’re looking for another safe year of marginal change, you don’t need this conference. If you’re aiming for sustainable growth, stronger reputation and genuine student success, this is the room you need to be in. 

    What You’ll Take Back to Campus 

    When you leave Fort Lauderdale, you won’t just be inspired—you’ll know what to do next. 

    Expect to go home with: 

    A Modern Learner–informed strategy for 2026 and beyond 
    Concrete shifts in programs, positioning and experience based on fresh data about what students value, how they search and what drives trust. 

    A Unified Enrollment Framewrok 
    A practical model for breaking down silos and aligning marketing, enrollment and student success into one system that drives reputation and revenue. 

    A Playbook You Can Actually Use 
    Top priorities you’ll pursue immediately supported by metrics that create alignment across leadership, marketing and enrollment teams. 

    A Network You Can Activate 
    Connections with peers and industry partners you can tap long after the conference—people who will share results, compare notes and help you keep pushing your strategy forward. 

    The Conference for Transformation 

    You don’t need another conference that leaves your strategy unchanged. 

     InsightsEDU 2026 is built for leaders who are ready to confront what’s not working, commit to the Modern Learner and move their institutions from incremental adjustment to true reinvention.  

     If you’re ready to move beyond tweaks and start the work of institutional reinvention, join us in Fort Lauderdale for The Future Unbound. 

    Source link

  • Meet the Speakers Transforming Higher Ed at InsightsEDU 2026

    Meet the Speakers Transforming Higher Ed at InsightsEDU 2026

    Higher ed doesn’t need just another conference. It needs transformation.

    Legacy strategies are cracking under demographic pressure. AI is rewriting how students search and the Modern Learner is calling the shots. Institutions that cling to “what’s always worked” are watching the ground shift under their feet.

    InsightsEDU 2026 is built for leaders who are done settling. Presidents, marketers and enrollment teams who know reputation and revenue can’t live in separate silos anymore—and who are ready to align both around the needs of today’s learners.

    From February 17–19, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, you’ll hear from university leaders, higher ed innovators and Modern Learner experts who are actively rebuilding how institutions compete, communicate and grow. More than 40 sessions will dig into real playbooks, not theory—unifying brand and enrollment, elevating student experience and turning AI disruption into advantage.

    Here’s a preview of a few of the voices taking the stage and how they’re already reshaping what’s possible.

    The Leaders Rewriting Higher Ed’s Playbook

    Gregory Clayton

    President of Enrollment Management Services at EducationDynamics
    With over 30 years of experience in the higher education space, Greg brings valuable expertise in enrollment management and performance marketing. As President of Enrollment Management Services at EducationDynamics, he leads a comprehensive team offering agency marketing, enrollment services, strategic consulting, and research, all tailored to the higher ed sector. His leadership and career position him as a visionary strategist, equipped to offer insightful commentary on the higher education landscape and enrollment solutions. Join his session to learn more about how to better serve the Modern Learner and implement strategies that drive institutional success.

    Session: Opening Session: From Framework to Action

    Amanda Serafin

    Associate Vice President of Enrollment at Indiana Wesleyan University 
    With more than twenty years in higher education enrollment, Amanda serves as the Associate Vice President of Enrollment at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she leads strategic initiatives and a high-performing team supporting IWU’s National & Global programs.

    At InsightsEDU, Amanda joins EducationDynamics’ Vice President of Enrollment Management Consulting to unpack three years of competitive research—revealing what secret shopping uncovered about competitor strategies, the depth and quality of student nurturing across the market and how IWU leveraged those insights to strengthen enrollment outcomes.

    Session: Mystery Shopping 2.0

    Alex Minot

    Client Partner Lead at Snapchat
    As Client Partner Lead at Snapchat, Alex helps higher ed institutions and nonprofits modernize their marketing through full-funnel strategies built for Gen Z and Millennial audiences. With experience spanning Snapchat, Reddit, Facebook and Google, he brings a deep understanding of how today’s learners discover, evaluate, and choose their next step.

    At InsightsEDU 2026, Alex will break down why traditional enrollment marketing no longer works—and what it takes to earn trust in a world where Gen Z is curating their own narratives. Joined by EducationDynamics’ Senior Social Media Strategist, Jennifer Ravey, he’ll explore how to design a content ecosystem that creates belonging, builds confidence and inspires advocacy from first touch to final decision..

    Session: From Awareness to Advocacy: Designing a Full-Funnel Strategy for Gen Z Engagement

    Chris Marpo

    Head of Education Partnerships at Reddit
    As Head of Education Partnerships at Reddit, Chris leads the charge in building high-impact collaborations with higher ed institutions and agencies. At InsightsEDU 2026, he’ll share how Reddit’s unique communities—and the behaviors driving them—are reshaping the way universities reach and influence the Modern Learner.

    Drawing on his experience helping scale advertising businesses at LinkedIn, Pinterest and Quora, Chris brings a sharp understanding of the digital landscape and what truly resonates with today’s audiences. Attendees can expect actionable insights on how institutions can meet prospective students where they are and stay relevant in an era of rapid change.

    Session: From Keywords to Conversations: Winning Student Mindshare in the Age of AI Search

    Kevin Halle


    VP of Enrollment at Wayne State College
    With more than a decade of experience leading undergraduate, transfer, graduate, and financial aid teams, Kevin brings a deep understanding of how to build enrollment pipelines that serve diverse learner groups.

    At InsightsEDU, he’ll unpack what it takes to break down the silos separating traditional, graduate and adult learner strategies and how institutions can create one unified approach that works for all students.

    Session: Unifying Your Enrollment: Building a Cohesive Strategy for the Modern Learner

    Katie Tomlinson

    Katie Tomlinson

    Senior Director of Analytics and Business Intelligence at EducationDynamics
    Prepare to unlock insights with Katie Tomlinson. As the Senior Director of Analytics and Business Intelligence, Katie expertly manages data and reporting, uncovering key trends to support EducationDynamics in delivering data-driven solutions for the higher ed community. Learn from her as she discusses findings from EducationDynamics’ latest report, where attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the evolving learning environment and the significant factors that influence Modern Learners’ educational choices.

    Session: Opening Session: From Framework to Action

    Matt Loonam

    Lead Enterprise Account Executive, Education at LinkedIn
    With 20 years in digital media across programmatic, video, mobile and social, Matt has spent the last six years helping colleges and universities strengthen their brands and drive enrollment with more precise, student-centric outreach. At InsightsEDU, he will share how LinkedIn’s rich audience signals can help institutions reach career-focused prospects who are closer to a decision, while building the kind of trust that moves students to choose their school.

    Session: How to Win High Intent Students on LinkedIn

    Leila Ertel

    Vice President of Marketing at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design
    As Vice President of Marketing at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, Leila brings a bold, data-informed approach that helps more students uncover their creative potential and pursue rewarding careers. Attend her InsightsEDU session to see how your institution’s website can move from overlooked asset to true engine of enrollment growth.

    Session: The Evolution of Website Marketing

    The voices shaping InsightsEDU continue to grow. Check out the full speaker lineup and new additions on our speakers page. 

    Be In the Room Where Higher Ed Resets 

    InsightsEDU is where presidents, marketers and enrollment leaders pressure test old assumptions and build new playbooks around the Modern Learner. Over three days you’ll connect with peers who are aligning brand and enrollment, experimenting with AI and digital and proving that you don’t have to choose between revenue and reputation to achieve institutional success.  

    Don’t watch the next era of higher education happen from the sidelines. Get a front-row seat. Register for InsightsEDU 2026 today. 

    Source link

  • InsightsEDU 2026: The Sessions Higher Ed Can’t Afford to Ignore  

    InsightsEDU 2026: The Sessions Higher Ed Can’t Afford to Ignore  

    Higher ed is no longer inching towards change; it’s being forced to confront it. Demographic shifts, economic pressures and the rise of AI have exposed the cracks in legacy systems. The old playbook isn’t just outdated—it’s a liability. Institutions that cling to it risk irrelevance. 

    InsightsEDU 2026, happening February 17-19, 2026 at the Westin Fort Lauderdale, arrives with clear purpose: help higher ed leaders move faster, think bigger and build adaptive strategies that meet the moment. 

    This year’s theme, The Future Unbound, is a call to action. It invites leaders to challenge assumptions, dismantle silos and make bold decisions that drive real transformation. 

    In service of that mission, we’ve curated a speaker lineup and session program built around reinvention, student-centered innovation and the levers of growth that will define the next era. 

    Here’s your first look at the voices and ideas shaping InsightsEDU 2026. 

    Explore the Sessions Reinventing Higher Ed’s Playbook 

    The Great Reinvention 

    A candid fireside conversation with university presidents who are leading from the front. Expect bold perspectives on what higher ed must dismantle, redesign and accelerate to stay relevant in a rapidly shifting landscape. 

    Opening Session: The Modern Learner Intel 

    Get exclusive first-look access to EducationDynamics’ 2026 research on today’s Modern Learners—what they value, how they make decisions and why flexibility, career outcomes and undeniable ROI now drive every enrollment decision. 

    The AI-Powered Marketer: Evolving Your Approach for the ChatGPT Era 

    EducationDynamics’ Vice President of Marketing reveals how AI is rewriting the rules of search, content and digital engagement—and what marketers must do now to stay ahead. Learn how to unify search, social and storytelling into a single, high-performing strategy that meets today’s learners on their terms and moves them from first click to enrollment.  

    Aligning for Impact: Credentialing That Connects Campuses, Students & Employers  

    See how one institution built stackable, employer-aligned credentials that meet workforce demand and create clear career pathways, plus practical strategies any campus can use to deepen employer partnerships and market high-value programs. 

    AI for All Learners: Integrating AI Across Career Pathways 

    Learn how institutions are integrating AI across disciplines through accessible, scalable curriculum design. Attendees will leave with a sample syllabus, implementation roadmap and lessons learned from bringing AI education to diverse learners, including high-barrier communities. 

    Leading After Rapid Transformation: Culture, Clarity, and “What’s Next” in Higher Ed Marketing 

    Leaders from University of Cincinnati Online reflect on how to move forward after organizational transformation, discussing how they rebuilt culture, aligned teams and kept momentum amid ongoing change. Expect honest insights on sustaining creativity, clarity and trust in a world where transformation never stops. 

    Unifying Your Enrollment: Building a Cohesive Strategy for the Modern Learner 

    This session brings together university leaders and EducationDynamics enrollment experts to unpack how to break down silos and build a unified enrollment strategy that strengthens your brand, improves outcomes and meets the diverse needs of today’s Modern Learner. 

    InsightsEDU 2026 brings together changemakers from across the sector—each session designed to spark new thinking, foster connection and fuel collective reinvention. Explore the full, evolving agenda here.  

    Meet the Speakers Disrupting the Status Quo  

    From enrollment innovators to digital trailblazers, this year’s speakers are united by one goal: help institutions evolve faster than the market around them. Here’s a preview of who’s taking the stage. 

    Gregory Clayton

    President of Enrollment Management Services at EducationDynamics
    With over 30 years of experience in the higher education space, Greg brings valuable expertise in enrollment management and performance marketing. As President of Enrollment Management Services at EducationDynamics, he leads a comprehensive team offering agency marketing, enrollment services, strategic consulting, and research, all tailored to the higher ed sector. His leadership and career position him as a visionary strategist, equipped to offer insightful commentary on the higher education landscape and enrollment solutions. Join his session to learn more about how to better serve the Modern Learner and implement strategies that drive institutional success.

    Session: Opening Session,The Modern Learner Intel

    Amanda Serafin

    Associate Vice President of Enrollment at Indiana Wesleyan University 
    With more than twenty years in higher education enrollment, Amanda serves as the Associate Vice President of Enrollment at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she leads strategic initiatives and a high-performing team supporting IWU’s National & Global programs.

    At InsightsEDU, Amanda joins EducationDynamics’ Vice President of Enrollment Management Consulting to unpack three years of competitive research—revealing what secret shopping uncovered about competitor strategies, the depth and quality of student nurturing across the market and how IWU leveraged those insights to strengthen enrollment outcomes.

    Session: Mystery Shopping 2.0

    Alex Minot

    Client Partner Lead at Snapchat
    As Client Partner Lead at Snapchat, Alex helps higher ed institutions and nonprofits modernize their marketing through full-funnel strategies built for Gen Z and Millennial audiences. With experience spanning Snapchat, Reddit, Facebook and Google, he brings a deep understanding of how today’s learners discover, evaluate, and choose their next step.

    At InsightsEDU 2026, Alex will break down why traditional enrollment marketing no longer works—and what it takes to earn trust in a world where Gen Z is curating their own narratives. Joined by EducationDynamics’ Senior Social Media Strategist, Jennifer Ravey, he’ll explore how to design a content ecosystem that creates belonging, builds confidence and inspires advocacy from first touch to final decision..

    Session: From Awareness to Advocacy: Designing a Full-Funnel Strategy for Gen Z Engagement

    Chris Marpo

    Head of Education Partnerships at Reddit
    As Head of Education Partnerships at Reddit, Chris leads the charge in building high-impact collaborations with higher ed institutions and agencies. At InsightsEDU 2026, he’ll share how Reddit’s unique communities—and the behaviors driving them—are reshaping the way universities reach and influence the Modern Learner.

    Drawing on his experience helping scale advertising businesses at LinkedIn, Pinterest and Quora, Chris brings a sharp understanding of the digital landscape and what truly resonates with today’s audiences. Attendees can expect actionable insights on how institutions can meet prospective students where they are and stay relevant in an era of rapid change.

    Session: From Keywords to Conversations: Winning Student Mindshare in the Age of AI Search

    Kevin Halle


    VP of Enrollment at Wayne State College
    With more than a decade of experience leading undergraduate, transfer, graduate, and financial aid teams, Kevin brings a deep understanding of how to build enrollment pipelines that serve diverse learner groups.

    At InsightsEDU, he’ll unpack what it takes to break down the silos separating traditional, graduate and adult learner strategies and how institutions can create one unified approach that works for all students.

    Session: Unifying Your Enrollment: Building a Cohesive Strategy for the Modern Learner

    Katie Tomlinson

    Katie Tomlinson

    Senior Director of Analytics and Business Intelligence at EducationDynamics
    Prepare to unlock insights with Katie Tomlinson. As the Senior Director of Analytics and Business Intelligence, Katie expertly manages data and reporting, uncovering key trends to support EducationDynamics in delivering data-driven solutions for the higher ed community. Learn from her as she discusses findings from EducationDynamics’ latest report, where attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the evolving learning environment and the significant factors that influence Modern Learners’ educational choices.

    Session:  Opening Session, The Modern Learner Intel

    The voices shaping InsightsEDU continue to grow. Check out the full speaker lineup and new additions on our Speakers page. 

    This Isn’t Just a Conference. It’s a Catalyst. 

    Higher ed doesn’t need just another conference. It needs transformation. 

    InsightsEDU 2026 is where bold leaders confront what’s broken, challenge what’s outdated and build what’s next. If you’re ready to lead the future of higher education, this is your moment. 

    Join us in Fort Lauderdale and help rewrite the playbook for what comes next. 

    Source link

  • Why PR May Be One of Higher Ed’s Most Urgent Strategies Right Now 

    Why PR May Be One of Higher Ed’s Most Urgent Strategies Right Now 

    Trust in colleges and universities is slipping. Public narratives about higher education are being shaped without institutional input. At the same time, search behaviors that marketing teams have spent years refining are being rapidly overtaken by artificial intelligence and that shift is fundamentally altering how visibility is earned and maintained. If institutions do not begin treating public relations as a strategic imperative they risk being left out of the conversations that define relevance. 

    The urgency becomes clearer when we look at the data. According to our 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report, 74% of Americans in 2010 believed college was “very important” to success. By 2025, that number has dropped to just 35%, as shown in Gallup’s latest trend data. Meanwhile, the percentage of people saying college is “not too important” has increased fivefold. These are not isolated shifts in public opinion. They are broad signals that confidence in higher education is diminishing and with it, the sector’s influence in shaping the future workforce and civic landscape. The reality that this is not business as usual, but what comes next, is becoming harder for leadership teams to ignore. 

    Despite this, many institutions continue to rely on messaging frameworks and digital strategies that were designed for a web environment that no longer exists. 

    AI Is Rewriting the Rules Quietly and Quickly 

    Search behavior is evolving at a pace that is difficult to match and artificial intelligence is now redefining what visibility looks like. EducationDynamics’ Q3 2025 data shows that nearly 43% of all Google searches end without a click. In other words, users are getting their answers directly from AI-generated summaries, often without ever reaching an institution’s website. 

    That change does not diminish the importance of websites or blog content, but it does alter how they function. Pages that were once primary destinations are now source material feeding large language models and search algorithms. The value of that content is not in clicks alone, but in its ability to influence what AI tools surface in response to user questions. 

    The AI Visibility Pyramid featured in our 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report illustrates how visibility is earned in this new environment. At its foundation is owned content, which includes blogs, faculty profiles, explainer articles and program pages. These assets contribute essential signals that shape how AI systems understand and rank institutional authority. However, they are not sufficient on their own. They must be elevated and validated through external sources to carry meaningful weight in this ecosystem. 

    Owned content becomes most effective when it is distributed and linked through credible channels. Media coverage, thought leadership placements and backlinks from high-authority outlets all play a critical role in reinforcing an institution’s visibility and shaping its reputation in the broader information landscape. What matters most is not just what institutions say about themselves, but where and how those messages are repeated, cited and trusted. 

    For leaders building their broader growth roadmap, the dynamics of AI, trust and visibility align directly with the strategies outlined in The 2026 Growth Strategy Higher Ed Needs Right Now and in the 2026 Higher Education Digital Marketing Trends and Predictions. 

    We Cannot Let the Work Go Unseen 

    The transformational work happening within higher education is substantial, but it is often not reaching the audiences who need to see it most. Whether it is a first-generation student securing a high-impact internship, a research partnership influencing policy or faculty-led innovation with industry implications, these stories are powerful proof points of institutional value. Yet too often, they remain confined within internal channels or are overlooked altogether. 

    Public relations plays an essential role in ensuring this work does not go unseen. Visibility must be actively cultivated, not assumed. Trust is built not only through consistent messaging, but through third-party validation that reinforces an institution’s credibility and relevance. As AI becomes the first layer of search for many users, the presence of credible, external proof will determine whether institutions are even included in the digital conversation. 

    The absence of that visibility has consequences. When institutions are not showing up in external media, not being cited in trusted sources and not contributing to narratives beyond their own platforms, they become harder to discover and easier to overlook. That decline in visibility often coincides with declines in public trust, prospective student interest and donor engagement. Reversing those trends begins with being present and recognized in the places that matter most. 

    For many colleges and universities, that also means grounding PR strategy in data from resources like the EducationDynamics’ Marketing and Enrollment Management Benchmarks, which tracks how visibility, demand and student behavior are shifting across the sector. 

    Public Relations Is Not a Press Release Function 

    In many institutions, public relations remains anchored to a traditional calendar of announcements tied to internal milestones. Press releases about new buildings, faculty honors, strategic plans and major gifts continue to dominate the output. While these updates have their place, they rarely break through the broader noise or shift the public narrative in a meaningful way. The same structural constraints that can keep marketing from leading, as we describe in Marketing Can’t Lead If Shackled by Structure, often limit what PR is allowed to be. 

    Today, public relations must function as a core strategic asset, not a service center. Its value lies in its ability to translate institutional mission and outcomes into public narratives that are credible, compelling and consistent with the institution’s brand. These stories should not be reactive, nor should they be generic. They should be aligned with the brand pillars that define what the institution stands for and where it is headed. 

    Institutions that claim leadership in areas like social mobility, research innovation or workforce readiness must make those claims evident through the stories they place and the voices they elevate. It is not enough to state the promise. It must be demonstrated through ongoing, credible engagement that reflects those themes in national and regional conversations. 

    This is where owned content and earned media intersect. Blogs, faculty profiles and campus features continue to matter, but they must be intentionally positioned and supported through media outreach and content distribution that expand their reach. 

    According to Muck Rack’s 2025 Generative Pulse report, more than 95% of the sources cited by generative AI tools are unpaid. Of those, 27% are journalistic, with the most frequently cited outlets including Reuters, NPR, the Associated Press, The New York Times and Bloomberg. These platforms are not pulling directly from institutional press centers. They are reflecting content that has been validated, shared and linked widely across trusted networks. 

    For institutions that want to shape public perception, these are the environments where visibility must be earned. That means placing stories where they will be seen, cited and shared. It also means ensuring that those stories reflect the strategic priorities and differentiators that define the institution’s place in a competitive market. 

    Leaders do not have to guess where to begin. EducationDynamics’ market research solutions and consulting services are built to help institutions translate insight into narrative strategy, then connect that strategy to measurable revenue and reputation outcomes. 

    Public relations is no longer optional. It is an infrastructure investment in how institutions are discovered, described and believed. It builds the signals that matter most to both human audiences and machine-driven systems. It is not enough to have a good story. It must be findable, credible and aligned with the identity the institution wants to project. 

    What Leadership Should Do Now 

    For presidents, CMOs and enrollment leaders, treating PR as infrastructure starts with a few concrete moves: 

    • Audit your external visibility 
      Compare how you are described on your own channels with how you show up in search results, media coverage and AI summaries. Identify the gaps between the story you tell and the story the market sees. 
    • Align PR with brand and enrollment goals 
      Build PR around a small set of institutional themes, such as social mobility, research impact or workforce readiness, that reinforce your brand and support priority programs. Measure success in terms of visibility, inquiry growth and reputation, not just clips. 
    • Prioritize a short list of voices and proof points 
      Elevate a consistent bench of leaders, faculty and partners who can speak to your themes with credibility. Match their stories to concrete outcomes, such as student trajectories, employer partnerships or policy influence. 
    • Resource PR to lead, not just respond 
      Shift PR from a press release calendar to a proactive pipeline of narratives aimed at the outlets, conversations and audiences that matter most. Integrate that work with marketing, enrollment and crisis leadership, as we emphasize in Leadership Matters During Crisis. 

    These steps move PR from a communications activity to a strategic system that shapes how your institution is discovered and believed. 

    Leadership Cannot Afford to Miss This Moment 

    The question is no longer whether an institution is doing meaningful work. It is whether that work is being seen, cited and valued in the right places. Institutions that fail to show up in earned media, in search results and in national conversations are not simply underexposed. They are at risk of becoming irrelevant, not because they have failed to deliver, but because they have failed to be discovered. 

    The stakes of that visibility gap increase during times of disruption. The same is true for the sector’s own story. EducationDynamics’ In the News presence and Insights hub illustrate how consistent, strategic visibility can reinforce a clear point of view and a challenger mindset in the market.  

    This is not a short-term communications problem. It is a long-term visibility challenge. For colleges and universities that want to remain vital to the communities they serve, public relations may be one of the most urgent and strategic tools available right now. When PR is aligned with full-funnel marketing services, enrollment strategy and market intelligence, it becomes a force multiplier for both revenue and reputation. 

    Discover how we help institutions proactively shape their narrative in an AI-driven world. Contact the PR experts at EducationDynamics for a personalized discussion. 

    Source link

  • The 2026 Growth Strategy Higher Ed Needs Right Now

    The 2026 Growth Strategy Higher Ed Needs Right Now

    Why Playing It Safe Is the Riskiest Strategy 

    The convergence of changing demographics, economic volatility and the relentless disruption of AI presents every leader with a stark choice: drive transformative growth or manage a legacy of decline. The choice is yours.

    The era of steady traditional enrollment is over. Beginning in 2026, most institutions will confront a lasting decline in their core undergraduate market. At the same time, public faith in higher education’s value is weakening, leaving institutions to rebuild trust through proof, not promises.

    Findings from EducationDynamics’ 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report highlight a critical truth: volatility is the new normal and transformation is no longer optional.

    Growth in this new era demands more than adaptation—it demands reinvention. Institutions must lead with strategy, act with urgency and build around the Modern Learner. Because in a market defined by disruption, there are only two paths forward: reinvent or risk irrelevance.

    Key Takeaway #1: An Unstable Economic and Employment Landscape 

    Economic volatility is rising as job creation slows, and uncertainty spreads. The workforce is growing more cautious than ambitious, and in this climate, the traditional promise of a college degree is under siege.

    College graduates still enjoy higher employment rates, yet public faith in that value is eroding. The perception gap is widening, and institutions can no longer rely on reputation alone to carry their story.

    This is the moment to lead with proof, not platitude.

    Institutions must demonstrate return on investment with clarity and consistency. Publish outcomes data. Showcase alumni success. Connect every program to real career mobility. This isn’t just about convincing students, it’s about rebuilding trust across the entire ecosystem of alumni, employers, policymakers and the public.

    In today’s economy, outcomes are the new currency of reputation. The institutions that clearly and consistently prove their value will be the ones that grow.

    Key Takeaway #2: A Radically Transformed Enrollment Environment 

    Institutions now operate in a fundamentally different enrollment landscape. The long-anticipated demographic cliff is no longer a future threat; it’s here. The 2025 cycle marked the high-water mark for traditional-aged undergraduates. From 2026 on, institutions will face a sustained and irreversible decline in their core market. 

    But this doesn’t have to be a crisis. It’s an opportunity to pivot and capture where growth has moved. The new lifeblood of higher education lies in: 

    • Adult learners seeking rapid reskilling in a volatile economy 
    • Dual-enrollment students accelerating their path to a degree 
    • “Some college, no credential” learners returning to finish what they started 

    The lines between traditional and nontraditional students have disappeared. These aren’t separate segments—they’re one unified audience shaping the future of higher education.

    Leaders who continue to operate with outdated distinctions risk designing strategies for a market that no longer exists. Modern Learners value cost, convenience and career outcomes—and they expect institutions to deliver all three.

    This is the moment to retire the old playbook, embrace a new mindset and build for the learner who’s already redefining what comes next.

    Key Takeaway #3: AI Is an Unmistakable Force with Far-Reaching Implications 

    AI is accelerating change across every dimension of higher education, from how institutions engage to how graduates build careers. 

    While the technology itself isn’t new, its rapid integration is rewriting the rules. AI has fractured the traditional recruitment funnel. Modern Learners use AI-powered tools to search, compare and evaluate options before they reach an institution’s website. The student journey is now self-directed, hyper-personalized and constantly evolving, demanding that marketing and enrollment teams adapt in real time. 

    But AI’s impact extends far beyond recruitment. Its growing influence in the workforce is forcing institutions to rethink their academic mission. Institutions that lead will design education for the AI era by combining technical fluency with human-centered skills such as creativity, critical thinking and ethics. 

    Key Takeaway #4: AI Is an Unmistakable Force with Far-Reaching Implications 

    Incrementalism is now the greatest risk. In an age of constant disruption, small adjustments and siloed strategies hinder growth. The institutions that succeed will lead with clarity, agility and a unified vision centered on the Modern Learner. 

    Sustained growth demands leadership that acts decisively across three dimensions: 

    1. Align program portfolios with high-growth sectors. Move beyond tradition-bound curriculums. Invest in programs that meet labor-market demand and retire those that no longer serve a clear purpose. 
    2. Unify brand and enrollment strategies. The boundaries between undergraduate, graduate and online student populations are disappearing. Institutions must speak with one voice and focus on the three factors that drive every learner’s decision: cost, convenience and career outcomes. 
    3. Lead the conversation on value and outcomes. Public trust cannot be rebuilt through messaging alone. It must be earned through transparency, data and measurable results.

    This is the moment that will define the next decade of higher education. The difference between survival and sustainable growth hinges on decisive, informed action. Leaders must either seize this moment to shape the future or watch their institutions be defined by it. 

    From Insight to Action: Ten Strategic Imperatives for Sustainable Growth 

    The era of incremental adjustment is over. Conviction is now the currency of leadership. This moment demands bold leadership and a decisive strategy that converts disruption into a roadmap for measurable growth. 

    The EducationDynamics’ 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report delivers that roadmap. Our Ten Strategic Imperatives are pragmatic, research-driven levers designed to help your institution build resilience and sustainable momentum for 2026 and beyond. 

    Imperative #1: Prove Outcomes. Protect Reputation.  

    Publish transparent results and illustrate career alignment to help students understand program value. 

    Imperative #2: Market ROI Relentlessly. 

    Lead with affordability and clearly communicate a projected and proven return on investment. 

    Imperative #3: Capture the Dual Enrollment Surge.   

    Build structured high school-to-degree pipelines. 

    Imperative #4: Own the Adult Learner Market.

    Offer flexible, online and stackable options with the support working learners need to balance their multiple priorities. 

    Imperative #5: Prioritize Accessibility through the Three C’s.  

    Deliver education that meets learners on cost, convenience and career outcomes. 

    Imperative #6: Lead in Responsible AI Adoption.  

    Optimize marketing for AI discoverability and AI powered platforms, while Integrating AI into advising, engagement and instruction. 

    Imperative #7: Reinvent Vulnerable Disciplines.  

    Reframe liberal arts around adaptability and skills attainment. 

    Imperative #8: Re-engage the Stopped-Out Majority. 

    Convert the 43 million with some college, no credentials into completers through credit recovery, tailored pathways and adult-first design. 

    Imperative #9: Stack Credentials into Careers.  

    Link short-term certificates to degree pathways. 

    imperative #10: Advocate for Policy Stability. 

    Simplify aid communication and push for predictable funding. 

    Together, these imperatives form a blueprint for how higher education can evolve from reactive adaptation to proactive growth. 

    Transform Disruption into Growth

    The time for caution has passed. Those who hesitate or fail to act with purpose will fall behind in a marketplace that does not wait. 

    At EducationDynamics, we partner with colleges and universities prepared to lead this transformation—those who understand that meeting the Modern Learner where they are is not just an enrollment strategy but the new mission of higher education. 

    For deeper insights and actionable strategies, download the full 2026 Landscape of Higher Education Report and learn how your institution can stay ahead of the curve. 

    Source link

  • Why Some Colleges are Thriving While Others Are Falling Behind 

    Why Some Colleges are Thriving While Others Are Falling Behind 

    The New Reality of Enrollment Management 

    For many colleges, the fall 2025 enrollment numbers brought a mix of emotions. While some institutions are celebrating record-breaking classes and hitting their targets, others—equally committed to their mission—fell short. This stark contrast isn’t just a symptom of demographic shifts; it reveals a deeper, more urgent truth: the status quo is failing higher education.

    Many institutions are struggling not just because of demographics, but because of outdated, fragmented enrollment strategies. They are kept in silos—admissions, marketing, financial aid—creating an inconsistent student experience that leads to missed starts, early attrition and lost potential.

    Today’s Modern Learners are more discerning than ever. They expect speed, personalization and transparency, making fragmented approaches not only ineffective but unsustainable. The future of higher education does not belong to those defending the past. It belongs to institutions bold enough to build what’s next—a unified, data-informed strategy that transforms these challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth.

    Missed Starts: The Silent Threat to Student Recruitment  

    Enrollment managers face a stark reality: the decision-making window has never been shorter. Students aren’t shopping around like they once did. Students are making decisions faster than ever. According to our latest Engaging the Modern Learner Report, 67% inquire at only one or two institutions, and 45% apply to just one. This is a fundamental shift. In 2015, only 43% of learners would enroll at the first school that contacted them. By 2025, that figure has skyrocketed to nearly three in four. For your institution, this is a wake-up call. The window to turn interest into enrollment is closing, and any delay, inconsistent follow-up or fragmented outreach means you lose students before they even begin their journey.

    Speed and consistency are not just critical—they are the price of admission. Slow, fragmented communication—whether through delayed responses, inconsistent messaging, or glaring gaps across departments—is not an inefficiency. It is a direct cause of a hemorrhaging enrollment funnel. The only way to transform this challenge is with a unified enrollment management approach.

    Think of the bright prospective student who loves your campus culture after a visit. The prospective student sends a follow-up email with a simple question about a scholarship deadline, but the admissions team is swamped, and a response is delayed. Meanwhile, another school sends a personalized text message with the needed information, along with a link to a testimonial from a student in the desired major. This prospective student’s trust is built and stolen by the competing school, and your school is now completely out of the consideration mix—not because of your academics or campus life, but because of a missed connection.

    The Four Pillars of Strategic Enrollment Management

    The path to reversing missed starts and early attrition isn’t guesswork—it’s a disciplined, coordinated approach. The Four Pillars of Strategic Enrollment Management give institutions a clear framework to turn insights into action, strengthen recruitment and improve student success. By combining brand alignment, AI-driven analytics, full-funnel marketing and student-centric engagement, campuses can act decisively, close gaps in the enrollment process, and ensure every touchpoint moves students toward enrollment and persistence. 

    Strategic Brand Alignment for Student Recruitment 

    In a crowded market, a compelling and authentic brand is not optional—it’s the foundation of any winning student recruitment strategy. Reputation drives decisions more than ever, with 31% of all applicants and 51% of traditional undergraduates ranking it among their top factors for choosing a school. Most Modern Learners start their search with the institution itself rather than a specific program, which means that without a strong, visible brand, your institution risks being overlooked before the conversation even begins. For marketing and enrollment leaders, this makes it clear that visibility and authenticity are essential for influencing enrollment outcomes.

    Brand is also about proving value. Affordability remains important, but today’s Modern Learners are increasingly focused on career outcomes and program benefits in addition to cost. Messaging must clearly convey the tangible return on investment and the real-world impact of a degree to resonate with prospective students. By aligning programs with student aspirations and demonstrating clear student success outcomes, institutions can create meaningful, personalized engagement that drives enrollment forward.

    AI-Powered Analytics and Performance Optimization 

    Data alone won’t drive results; insights must inform every decision. Integrating AI into your enrollment strategy isn’t a strategy of the future—it’s a strategy of now. Competitive institutions use predictive insights to identify which students are most likely to apply, enroll and persist, turning complex data into actionable strategies. By analyzing engagement, inquiries, social sentiment and historical trends, enrollment managers can uncover funnel leaks, prioritize outreach, and allocate resources effectively. 

    At EducationDynamics, we combine AI-driven insights with human expertise to ensure recommendations are contextually grounded. This lets teams act quickly, maintain consistency and optimize every touchpoint. Integrated with targeted marketing insights, these analytics help institutions reach the right students with personalized messaging, strengthening enrollment management and driving long-term success. 

    Full-Funnel Marketing for Student Recruitment and Retention 

    Modern Learners move seamlessly across digital, social, email, and traditional channels—and they expect institutions to meet them wherever they are. A full-funnel marketing approach ensures every interaction reinforces the institution’s brand while delivering timely, personalized and meaningful engagement. 

    Now more than ever, students’ attention spans are short and their decision-making windows are fast. Consistent, relevant communication at every stage of the journey is critical: it keeps prospects engaged, strengthens trust, and positions your institution as a top choice. By aligning program-specific messaging with the broader institutional brand, enrollment managers create a unified narrative that drives conversions, builds credibility, and strengthens student engagement across the entire enrollment journey. 

    Every touchpoint—from initial awareness to follow-up engagement—works in concert to reduce lost starts, increase inquiry-to-application conversion and support long-term student success. This integrated approach ensures your marketing investments deliver measurable results while keeping prospective students moving efficiently through the enrollment funnel. 

    Student-Centric Enrollment and Retention for Student Success 

    Personalized engagement is a critical pillar in turning prospects into enrolled students and lifelong advocates. Students expect timely guidance, responsiveness and a sense that their individual goals are understood and valued. AI tools, including chatbots and virtual assistants, provide 24/7 support for routine questions, ensuring no inquiry is left unanswered. While technology handles the routine, your team’s expertise remains the essential ingredient. It’s the human connection—the empathy, the guidance and the personal touch—that ultimately drives commitment. Technology amplifies your reach; your team delivers the relationships.

    A student-centric approach ensures every touchpoint aligns with the learner’s journey, making communications, guidance, and support feel relevant and meaningful. With the right tools, data, and training, campuses can anticipate student needs, address obstacles proactively, and build confidence early in the enrollment process. This approach strengthens trust, boosts engagement, improves persistence, and turns every interaction into an opportunity to reinforce your institution’s brand while driving measurable student success.

    Uncover the Student Experience 

    By now, it’s clear: fragmented enrollment strategies and inconsistent outreach cost institutions students. Modern Learners expect speed, personalization and clarity—anything less, and they move on. The challenge for enrollment managers is not just knowing where students drop off, but having the tools to act before interest is lost.

    Mapping the student journey provides that clarity. By tracing the entire enrollment process from inquiry to start, it uncovers friction points—broken links, slow follow-up, confusing financial aid—that silently derail prospects. Enrollment teams can pinpoint exactly where disengagement happens, intervene strategically and ensure every touchpoint reinforces your brand promise while supporting student success.

    To take it a step further, you can secretly shop your own institution to reveal how your enrollment experience truly feels to the student. Delayed responses, generic messaging or unhelpful chat functions aren’t just minor inefficiencies—they signal misalignment and break trust. By uncovering these gaps, this process informs targeted improvements in communication, staff workflows and recruitment strategies, keeping your institution competitive in a fast-moving market.

    Together, these tools offer a concrete roadmap to unify brand, marketing and engagement efforts—turning insights into action, closing gaps before students disengage, and ensuring every interaction drives measurable enrollment and student success.

    In today’s competitive landscape, the institutions winning enrollment aren’t just reacting—they’re thinking bigger. They recognize that success comes from cross-functional collaboration, where departments work together to deliver cohesive, personalized experiences for Modern Learners.

    A Unified Enrollment Strategy turns isolated efforts into a coordinated system designed to:

    • Capture student intent faster
    • Reduce missed starts
    • Increase retention
    • Strengthen long-term student success

    This is more than efficiency—it’s a strategic mindset. By aligning every department around the student journey, anticipating needs, and curating experiences that reflect the expectations of Modern Learners, institutions build trust, enhance engagement and position themselves for sustainable growth and measurable outcomes.

    Transform Your Enrollment Strategy 

    The status quo won’t carry institutions into 2026 and beyond. To stay competitive, enrollment leaders must move beyond fragmented processes and adopt integrated strategies that deliver speed, personalization, and authenticity at scale. At EducationDynamics, we do more than unify departments—we help institutions transform scattered efforts into a cohesive system that drives measurable student success. 

    Don’t let a fragmented strategy define your future. It’s not too late to turn things around. We help institutions move beyond the status quo to build a unified system that fixes funnel leaks, increases retention and delivers measurable student success. 

    Source link

  • A Full-Funnel Marketing Guide for Higher Education

    A Full-Funnel Marketing Guide for Higher Education

    What is Full-Funnel Marketing for Higher Education? 

    At its core, full-funnel marketing means investing in upper-funnel awareness and mid-funnel consideration strategies to drive lead generation efforts and investing in post-inquiry marketing to continue to nurture prospects into students.  

    While we like to think of the student journey as a linear process and clear path that every student follows, the reality is that every student journey is unique, and it rarely follows the exact path we proscribe. In spite of this reality, it is helpful to understand the stages of the journey that all prospective students must go through in some form. Understanding the stages of the student journey allows us to deploy a full funnel approach to our marketing and enrollment management efforts – one that takes a holistic approach and creates a student-centered experience that is more likely to result in better outcomes for your marketing efforts and ultimately your students.  

    Rather than focusing marketing efforts on lead generation efforts, a full funnel marketing approach invests in upper funnel activities and post-inquiry student engagement opportunities. Upper funnel marketing builds awareness and educates prospective future students. Down funnel pre-post-inquiry marketing nurtures prospective students, builds a relationship and helps the student move from consideration to enrollment and graduation. 

    In this article we will discuss the following topics:

    Understanding the Student Journey 

    The student enrollment funnel is a critical framework for understanding the path prospective students take from initial awareness to becoming enrolled students. By recognizing the key stages and the specific needs of students at each point, institutions can tailor their outreach and support to maximize enrollment success. 

    Here’s a breakdown of the key stages of the student enrollment funnel: 

    1. Awareness: The Brand Foundation 

    When prospective students are just starting to consider higher education or specific programs, they are forming their first impressions on a variety of universities. This broad stage is your institution’s opportunity to grab their attention and inform them of who you are. The goal here is the craft and deliver messaging that excites your prospective students to learn more and easing them into the next stages of their decision-making journey.  

    You must lead with your brand story and values. This is where you establish your reputation as a forward-thinking innovator, a career catalyst or a community builder. Use powerful visual storytelling on social and video. Use organic content to expose the authentic student experience. This is how you bypass the noise and build a foundation of trust before a student even knows your name.

    Grab the attention of these prospective students so that they’re aware of your institution through these channels: 

    • Search 
    • Social media 
    • Over-the-top (OTT) advertising 
    • Program Display 
    • Audio 
    • Video 

    Crafting and delivering messaging that focuses on your institution’s unique strengths such as innovative programs, a vibrant campus life, outstanding online options, or personalized student support can be beneficial for guiding potential students through the early stages of their decision-making journey.  

    2. Consideration: The Value Proposition

    At this stage, students have narrowed their focus to a few institutions and are actively researching their options. This consideration stage is recognized as the longest in the student journey, lasting from the moment they first become aware of colleges all the way through enrollment. During this extended period, prospective students constantly revisit and refine their choices, narrowing down their top pick schools. According to our latest Engaging the Modern Learner Report, a majority of students have at most three schools in their consideration set. This highlights the importance of maintaining engagement throughout this critical phase.  

    Pie chart showing a breakdown of the number of schools online college students consider during their initial search. Data from EducationDynamics' 2024 Online College Students Report

    The content here must prove your value. Forget the general brochures. Provide dynamic, personalized content that highlights your reputation in a way that’s relevant to the student’s specific interests. If you’re known for a top-tier nursing program, the content must show career outcomes, job placements and alumni stories. This is about converting curiosity into tangible desire by connecting your brand promise to a student’s personal ambition.

    Highlight your strengths through informative content across various channels: 

    • Search 
    • Social media 
    • Over-the-top (OTT) advertising 
    • Program Display 
    • Audio 
    • Video 
    Infographic of the channels to use for the consideration stage

    By providing informative, clear and confidence-building content that addresses student concerns, your institution can increase its visibility and solidify your institution as a top contender in the prospective student’s final selection process. 

    3. Conversion: The Proof of Promise

    Prospective students compare their top choices and make their final decision. The communication strategy here should focus on addressing the prospective student’s final concerns, offering reassurance and providing clear and accessible information about their next steps.  

    During the conversion phase of the student enrollment funnel, prioritize creating a frictionless experience. By offering clear communication, readily available resources, and a streamlined application process, you can significantly increase your chances of converting prospective students into enrolled students, solidifying their decision to choose your institution. 

    Your admissions process is not just an application. It is a live reflection of your brand. The communication must be consistent with the brand promise. If your reputation is built on student-centric support, every email, phone call and text must be empathetic and helpful. Use hyper-personalized messaging and AI-powered tools that make the student feel heard and valued. The goal is to make the application feel like the first step in a personalized relationship not the end of a transaction.

    Channels for increasing the likelihood of conversion during the conversion phase: 

    • Search 
    • Social 
    • Email 
    • SMS 
    Infographic of the channels to use for the conversion stage

    By providing clear guidance, addressing concerns and showcasing the value proposition of your institution, you can ensure a seamless transition from prospective student to applicant. 

    4. Lead Nurturing: Sustaining the Connection

    Your institution has successfully captured the attention of prospective students and established an initial connection. At this stage, students are dedicating time to carefully consider their top options for advancing their education. Maintain and deepen prospective students’ interest by delivering messaging that is personalized, detailed and addresses each prospect’s specific concerns and questions. The key to a successful lead nurturing strategy is to provide a supportive, no-pressure environment while supporting their decision-making process and nudging them closer to taking the next step with your school.

    This is where you double down on your brand. Your nurturing strategy should not just remind students of deadlines. It should make them feel like a part of your community before they ever set foot on campus. Use targeted campaigns that introduce them to their future classmates, faculty and student support services. Reinforce the values they fell in love with during the awareness stage. This mitigates “melt” and transforms an accepted student into an enrolled student.

    Channels that can maximize your lead nurturing efforts include: 

    • Search 
    • Social 
    • OTT 
    • Program Display 
    • Audio 
    • Video 
    • Email 
    • SMS 
    Infographic of the channels to use for the lead nurturing stage

    Truly cultivate an understanding and support for prospective students navigating through the application process by delivering messaging that inspires them to complete their educational journey, personalized guidance and reminds them of the enriching experiences that await them at your institution. 

    5. Enrollment: The Starting Line

    At this stage, prospective students have become applicants, now it’s a matter of getting them to enroll and move forward at your institution. Offering content that effectively addresses any final concerns and provides reassurance that their decision to enroll at your institution is the right choice, right fit and right time for them.   

    Enrollment is not the end of the funnel. It’s the beginning of a lifetime of brand loyalty. Acknowledge and celebrate this moment. Use this stage to welcome them to the community and prepare them for their new life as a student and future advocate for your brand.

    Convert your applicants into enrolled students with these channels: 

    Infographic of the channels to use for the enrollment stage

    Feature content that addresses barriers such as affordability, mental burnout, and enrollment complexity by highlighting the availability of financial aid, scholarships, flexible payment options and personalized support services to promote streamlined enrollment process.  

    Utilizing email and SMS will be the most effective in delivering this type of content. Incorporating strategies such as targeted email campaigns and personalized phone calls can be effective. As long as the content you are offering provides clear and easy-to-follow instructions for the enrollment process, your institution can help eliminate any confusion or frustration and solidifying that the students’ decision to enroll at your school was the right one.  

    The Importance of Full-Funnel Marketing 

    At EducationDynamics, we have always taken a holistic approach to student recruitment and believe it is essential for long-term growth and sustainability. We have seen several shifts in the landscape that make a full-funnel marketing strategy more valuable than ever before.  

    Increasing Complexity in the Media Landscape 

    First, we see increasing complexity in the media landscape, from consumer behavior to advances in marketing channels. The average number of streaming hours consumed continues to rise. At the same time, ad-supported streaming platforms are growing in popularity and the social media landscape is fragmenting. In our latest Online College Students Report 2024, about 70% of online college students utilize primarily ad-supported streaming services and use YouTube, Spotify, YouTube TV, Netflix, and Hulu daily. These landscape changes are important in that they tell a story about where prospective students are spending their time online and how we can effectively reach them with advertising.  

    Pie charts showing the breakdown of online college students that use specific streaming services on a daily basis. Data from EducationDynamics' 2024 Online College Students Report.

    Changes in Prospective Students’ Search and Decision-Making Habits

    Secondly, we are seeing changes in how prospective students are searching for and making decisions about higher education. As the focus on student loan debt and the value of higher education continues to be top of mind for students, we are seeing this manifest in prospective students doing more research even after the point of inquiry. In our 2024 Online College Students Report, 40% of online college students initially inquired at two schools and 21% inquired at three. Once they narrowed their selection 30% of online college students applied to two schools and 16% applied to three. Students are motivated to find the best value. They are therefore continuing to research past the point of inquiry and application to confirm their decision to invest—not just in tuition, but also their time and energy. Higher education marketers aim to respond by continuing to leverage various marketing channels to keep schools in the mix and reassure students why these schools are right for them and their circumstances. 

    Pie chart showing the breakdown of the number of schools online college students have inquired at and the breakdown of the number of schools online college students have applied to. Data from EducationDynamics' 2024 Online College Students Report.

    With all these changes in the market, winning universities and colleges are shifting their marketing strategies to meet this dynamic environment. By implementing a full-funnel marketing approach, institutions can benefit from: 

    • Increased Brand Awareness: A full-funnel strategy keeps your institution at the forefront of prospective students’ minds throughout their entire research journey. This consistent presence across various channels significantly increases brand awareness and strengthens institutional identity. 
    • Improved Student Conversion Rates: By nurturing leads with targeted messaging and valuable content at each stage of the funnel, you effectively guide them towards enrollment. This personalized approach fosters trust and increases the likelihood of conversion from initial inquiry to final acceptance. 
    • Stronger Return on Investment (ROI): Full-funnel marketing allows for targeted campaigns and data-driven optimization. This ensures your marketing budget is spent efficiently, reaching the right audience with the right message at the right time. You’ll see a significant improvement in ROI as you convert more qualified leads into enrolled students. 
    • A Better Student Experience: At the heart of a full-funnel marketing strategy is a desire to deliver a better student experience by meeting the student wherever they are on the journey. A strong full-funnel marketing strategy is empathetic to the prospective student, listens to their direct and indirect engagement cues, and delivers an experience that provides the right information at the right time and on the right platform.  

    By embracing a full-funnel strategy, institutions can effectively navigate the complex media landscape, address the evolving needs of prospective students, and ultimately achieve their enrollment goals. 

    Growing Enrollment with Full-Funnel Marketing

    While the execution of a full-funnel marketing approach will vary depending on the institution, there’s a common thread: measuring success through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) tailored to each stage of the funnel. This means monitoring and measuring the micro-conversions and engagements along the journey in addition to the more obvious traditional conversion points like requests for information, application and enrollment. 

    Here’s a breakdown of KPIs for different funnel stages: 

    Top-of-Funnel (TOFU): 

    • Brand Awareness: Focuses on metrics like impressions, reach, and brand recall to gauge how effectively your campaigns are building familiarity with your institution. 
    • Website Traffic: Tracks overall website visits and unique visitors to understand how well your TOFU efforts are attracting potential students. 
    • Engagement Rates: Measures user interaction on your website, such as time spent on pages, click-through rates on calls to action, and social media engagement, indicating deeper interest. 

    Mid-Funnel (MOFU): 

    There are two types of ‘Mid-Funnel’ stages in higher education marketing. We refer to the portion of the stage where the focus of marketing is on lead generation as pre-inquiry activities. Whereas, in admissions, enrollment and new student starts are the goal. We refer to this portion of the stage post-inquiry activities.

    Pre-inquiry activities 

    Pre-inquiry activities include efforts made to connect with prospective students prior to directly contacting an institution for information. When tracking the effectiveness of these activities, higher ed marketers may consider these key metrics to determine their strategies’ ability to attract, engage and convert prospective students:  

    • Lead Generation: Tracks cost-per-lead (CPL) alongside the volume of qualified leads generated by your mid-funnel activities (e.g., webinars, downloadable content). 
    • Inquiry Volume: Measures the number of inquiries received through various channels, indicating a stronger interest in your programs. 
    • Content Engagement: Analyzes how users interact with your mid-funnel content (e.g., white papers, blog posts) to assess its effectiveness in nurturing leads. 

    Post-inquiry activities 

    Following prospective students’ application submissions, your institution should prioritize a smooth transition into enrollment. A frictionless enrollment streamlines the process, ensuring a higher conversion rate while enhancing the overall student experience. To track the effectiveness of your post-inquiry activities, consider the following metrics: 

    • Application Yield: Analyzes the percentage of applicants who complete the application process and submit their materials. 
    • Offer Acceptance Rate: Measures the proportion of admitted students who accept your institution’s offer which indicates program interest after the students’ initial hurdle. 
    • Lead Conversion Rates: Tracks the percentage of leads nurtured through email marketing or other channels that convert into applications.  
    • Application Completion Rates: Measures how many inquiries progress towards completing the application process.  

    Bottom-of-Funnel (BOFU): 

    • Enrollment Conversion Rate (Yield Rate): Tracks the percentage of admitted students who finalize registration and officially become enrolled to assess the effectiveness of the enrollment process. 
    • Cost-per-Enrollment (CPE): Analyzes the total marketing spend divided by the number of enrolled students, reflecting the overall efficiency of your marketing efforts. 
    • Deferral Rate: Analyzes the breakdown of admitted students who request to postpone their start date, providing insights into reasons for enrollment delays.  

    Monitoring these KPIs across the funnel stages provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your full-funnel marketing strategy. This allows for data-driven adjustments to optimize each stage and ultimately improve your return on investment (ROI) for student recruitment. 

    By incorporating the costs associated with all stages of the funnel, you can leverage blended cost-per-enrollment (CPE) metrics. This provides a more holistic view of marketing effectiveness and allows you to utilize directional or causal analyses. These techniques go beyond simply observing correlations between upper funnel activities (such as brand awareness campaigns) and lead generation/bottom funnel results (like applications). They can help you understand the cause-and-effect relationships between these stages. Directional analyses can point you in the right direction, while causal analyses can provide more definitive evidence of the indirect impact that upper funnel activities have on lead generation and bottom funnel results. 

    Embracing a Full-Funnel Approach

    As prospective students continue to search for higher education options and make decisions based on value, it is crucial for institutions to adapt their marketing strategies to meet this demand. Embracing a full-funnel approach will ensure that institutions stay competitive in the higher education market and achieve their enrollment goals.  

    Are you ready to transform your transform your marketing strategy to grow enrollment? Start a conversation with EducationDynamics today to discuss how we can help you implement a customized full-funnel strategy that drives enrollment growth and achieves your unique goals. 

    Source link