Colleges and universities are closing while the demographic cliff rapidly approaches. Higher ed admission leaders and marketing officers can’t rely on what’s been done in the face of new challenges in our industry.
If the last five years in higher education proved anything, it’s that we can no longer ride out enrollment cycles like a lazy river. COVID-19 ushered in unprecedented times. The fall of affirmative action required us to readjust how we recruit to enroll a diverse population. The FAFSA fiasco necessitated adaptations in financial aid policy and award dates. Recently, College Board announced its erasure of race data. And of course, the impending demographic cliff means student search strategies will require a shakeup.
These back-end strategies are important, but they’re not front-facing. What is front-facing to prospective students is how you tell the story of your institution. Yes, that too needs a metamorphosis.
Disrupt the Comfort of Your Story
Every college and university has its ingrained story, its longstanding selling points, and, of course, the pillars on which the principles of the institution stand.
We hate to break it to you, but when it comes to selling your story to a prospective student, those aren’t going to do the trick. Let’s break it down.
It’s okay to have pillars and larger-than-life principles, but in the storytelling matrix, those are abstractions. They’re not concrete or tangible, nor do they elicit an image or experience in a prospective student’s head. You’re telling them the theme of your institution’s story, but students need to be shown it.
Things constantly change within a single institutional ecosystem, and higher ed is notoriously slow to follow suit. Decisions get bogged down by committees, board members, you name it–we have too many subject matter experts. By the time new messaging gets the green light, it’s already time to update.
We can’t get overly comfortable with our elevator pitch because the longstanding specialness about your institution isn’t as unique as you think it is.
You have small classes? Great, so do almost all of your competitors.
You need to look further. What’s happening in those small classes that’s groundbreaking, exciting, and inspirational?
This is also a great opportunity to evaluate what your competitor institutions are saying, so you can avoid sounding like the rest and blending into the sea of sameness.
Alternatively, have they switched something up in their storytelling? Why? Is it time for you to shake things up as well?
Rediscover Your Institution
Often in administrative, admissions, and marketing roles, we’re flying at a bird’s eye view to the everyday happenings at our college or university. But we miss out on so much when we stay up high on autopilot.
We often say that students are the heroes of the story, and institutions are like the wise sage guiding them to greatness. How wise and helpful can we be if we don’t know what’s actually going on within our campuses?
You miss so much of what’s happening at cruise control. The incredible and the new occurring in that upstairs classroom go unnoticed, and that story goes untold unless someone accidentally stumbles upon it. Happy accidents are not reliable forms of marketing, nor are hidden gems.
And who wants to be a hidden gem? You’re missing an entire population when you keep the novel, innovative parts of your institution hidden. Diamonds shine better with more facets anyhow.
Our suggestion? Discovery days…and lots of them. Schedule a day once a month where you explore your campus with fresh eyes. Peek into classrooms, join a club meeting, sit down with students in the dining hall. We bet you’ll find something around every corner.
Control the Narrative of the Walkaway
Okay, so you’ve gotten a better handle on showing your story from a distance (think publications, emails, social media even).
It’s time to get them to campus. We know campus visits and campus tours can be make-or-break. So when you’re asking students to sign up for campus tours or schedule campus visits, don’t create preemptive barriers.
That means avoid bombarding them with qualifying questions before signing up for the tour. We know you want to cater the tour to their interests and needs, but those qualifying questions can wait till after they’ve scheduled their visit.
And hey! With that follow-up, it’s another touch opportunity to continue the conversation and show that you’re eager to make the tour as personalized as possible.
Now, how often are you re-evaluating your campus tours? Has your admissions team become too comfortable with the standard campus tour as well? Use those discovery days to breathe new life into your campus tours. That way, you can better control the walkaway.
In our experience interviewing students, almost all said they knew immediately after a tour whether or not they’re going to enroll at that institution.
That means unearthing your “so what” moment. In storytelling, that’s the why should I care moment; in higher ed, that’s the first thing a student talks about with mom or dad on the drive home.
Of course, we can’t expect every student to visit campus. Traveling is expensive, time-consuming, and some simply don’t have that option. That means you have to take the same level of inquiry to your virtual tours.
Don’t treat them like Google Maps. Virtual tours have the same opportunity to elicit emotion and excitement when done well.
Shake Things Up with The Parish Group
Ultimately, we need to put prospective students behind the eyes of our current students to best experience the institution and recruit them accordingly.
Be curious about your institution. Be specific when storytelling. And be disruptive to the status quo.
If you need an extra set of eyes when it comes to auditing communications, brand strategy, and even tours, The Parish Group is at your service.
With 38 years of higher ed marketing experience, we’re accustomed to shaking things up in order to stay ahead of industry needs.
Reach out at success@parishgroup.com or call us at 828.505.3000.
Together, we do BIG things.
