4 things you might not know about higher education lead generation
As experts in higher education marketing and inbound marketing strategies, we are constantly tracking the trends our clients and their competitors are using to gain quality leads. Here we share 4 things you may not know about higher education lead generation and how you can add them to your media marketing mix.
Improve conversion with lead gen forms in social media
Social media lead gen forms are newer to the market and are becoming essential for lead generation, especially in higher education, because they allow the user to fill out a form directly within the social channel (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn). This eliminates a step for the user because they don’t have to navigate to a landing page to fill out a form which can be arduous on a smartphone or tablet. It saves time for your prospect and increases the likelihood that you will capture their information because they can fill it out right away – taking advantage of the immediate gratification mentality. Using the platform’s autofill also saves time.
Mix it up with interactive content
Have you ever taken a quiz online? There’s just something exciting about getting your results and even comparing them to others. If there’s a way for you to create a quiz, a poll or a quick questionnaire for your audience, you might see higher engagement rates – especially if you keep it simple and allow sharing on social media. You can also deploy this interactive content as a part of your lead nurturing strategy by including it in your outbound emails and communications to your qualified leads.
Articles are still super-influential
According to demandmetric.com interesting content is one of the main reasons people follow brands on social media. Taking it a step further, 70% of people would rather learn about a company through articles rather than an ad. Why is this extremely relevant for higher education? Articles written by current students showcase an experience – they allow the prospective students to see themselves attending your school and participating in the classroom. Articles written by faculty enhance credibility so prospective students can get a taste of who they will be learning from. Articles written by admissions staff provide helpful tips that are unique to your school and give prospects the feeling of having an “insider’s perspective” they can use when making decisions and preparing to submit an application.
Gated content
Although this concept certainly isn’t new in higher education marketing, you may not be aware of the full extent of its benefits. Gated content is when you require a reader to enter their contact information before accessing a piece of premium content that is not available anywhere else. This premium content is intriguing to prospects because it gives them the feeling of having a competitive advantage over their peers – they may receive unique insights that will give them a leg up in the information gathering or application process. Examples of premium content include a white paper, a faculty research synopsis, a deeper dive into a topic of interest, an eBook, a podcast or a webinar. It may also give early access to apply, complete an interactive assessment or attend a class. Gated content is a win-win for both you and your prospects. You gain information from quality leads and they gain valuable content.
Interested in exploring more?
As you look for new ways to engage prospects through your digital advertising strategy, lean on partners who have experience in developing unique ways to meet higher education enrollment goals and convert leads with success. GPRS can help you evaluate ways to add to your media mix with new tactics and strategies.
During a time when many schools are being forced to stretch their marketing and operations dollars, you may be looking for a creative solution to meeting your enrollment targets. A new approach could be seeking out a shared risk relationship with a digital marketing agency that gives you more freedom, not more restrictions.
