Persona Development: A Fundamental in Higher Ed Marketing

Discover the Power of Inbound Recruitment: Anticipating Prospective Students' Needs

In today's higher education recruitment landscape, institutions of all sizes and specialties must understand how prospective students consume media. Gone are the days when university-provided brochures and handbooks were enough to establish a lasting relationship with college-bound students as they navigate their complex decision-making process.

Even students with average GPAs in their eleventh grade are bombarded with exploratory recruitment emails, making blanket awareness campaigns ineffective. In fact, top-performing students may start engaging with universities as early as the ninth grade, influenced by alumni, parents, and recruitment counselors. It is clear that simply relying on direct mail and sporadic email outreach will not build the necessary rapport with prospective students.

To truly stand out from the competition, universities must anticipate the needs of their ideal candidates and be prepared with the right answers to their frequently asked questions. By understanding the needs and concerns of prospective students, institutions can nurture these prospects effectively and stay ahead of the curve in the recruitment process.

1. Emphasize Building Strong Connections and Sustaining Student Loyalty.

Move away from the notion that you are simply trying to sell an education to someone and discard the typical sales pitch. Instead, focus on nurturing prospects and guiding them seamlessly from awareness to consideration to a decision phase. Higher education involves a lengthy sales cycle, and students and parents are carefully evaluating the return on this significant decision from the beginning.

According to The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's Transfer and Mobility study in 2015, around 38% of first-time college students in the U.S. transferred at least once during their college journey. Within that group, 45% changed institutions more than once.

While admissions personnel understandably have quotas to meet, it is crucial to ensure that your program can withstand the test of time and provide lasting value to incoming students.

Improving student retention and establishing yourself as the right institution for the right student right from the start is invaluable. Consistent communication and precise messaging can greatly assist in achieving this goal.

2. Placing Personas at the Forefront of Personalization Strategies

But how can you make sure that you have the perfect solutions to address common concerns, provide valuable resources when needed, and truly comprehend the needs of your prospective students? The key lies in embracing the inbound methodology, which lies at the core of the higher education recruitment process.

The heart of the inbound methodology lies in its four essential steps, which have been tailored specifically for schools. These steps include driving web traffic to your site, converting that traffic into leads (students who are considering applying and attending), nurturing those leads, and ultimately closing them by receiving their application. At the core of this methodology are personas, which play a crucial role in attracting applicants who are perfectly aligned with your university.

Personas are generalized semi-fictitious representations of your ideal student.

In the intricate and demanding process of attracting prospective students, it is essential to recognize that your diverse student body shares certain common goals. However, relying on generalizations alone will not yield fruitful results. Instead, by investing in thorough persona development, you can effectively segment your contacts, align your inbound tactics, and ignite the nurturing process. This lies at the very heart of the attraction phase, where your university's unique qualities and appeal are highlighted.

With the help of CRM and Marketing/Sales software, universities now have a plethora of opportunities to guide prospective students throughout the entire recruitment process, going beyond just attracting their attention.

Marketing automation platforms, such as HubSpot, revolutionize the inbound methodology for higher education marketing. They seamlessly bridge the gap between university website visitors and applicants, effortlessly navigating the nurturing phase. With advanced contact management, targeted calls-to-action that deliver valuable and engaging content, and automated email campaigns, these platforms ensure a dynamic and effective personalization process.

3. Conducting In-Depth Research for Persona Development

It is crucial to ask thought-provoking questions when understanding prospective students. What are their online search habits and where do they spend most of their time? What concerns do they have about attending college? Are scholarships a determining factor for them? When identifying their pain points, it is important to consider their goals after graduation, primary obstacles and challenges, accreditation concerns and needs, as well as the educational backgrounds of their parents or influencers.

Understanding the concerns and priorities of prospective students is essential in the higher education recruitment process. By conducting keyword research and tapping into the wealth of knowledge that current students possess, institutions can gain valuable insights into where prospective students may have reservations or hang-ups. This information should not be overlooked, as it can help shape personalized messaging and communication strategies.

In today's digital age, students are accustomed to receiving emails with personalization tokens based on their name. However, by utilizing persona grouping, institutions can take personalization to the next level, tailoring their messaging to meet the specific wants and needs of different groups of students. It is important to note that creating a single persona is not realistic, as students are not static entities. Instead, institutions should recognize the diverse priorities of students, whether they are 16-year-old STEM students exploring their options, student-athletes, or working professionals pursuing evening online programs. Additionally, the influence of outside decision-makers and influencers should be considered, and personas can help address these unique aspects.

By understanding the different personas and their priorities, institutions can effectively craft content that resonates with prospective students and drives traffic to their website. Consistency and maintaining a relationship throughout the application process are key, as prospective students seek reliability and reliability. By utilizing persona development worksheets and templates, institutions can streamline their efforts and develop primary personas that align with their programs and offerings.

4. Transitioning from Engagement to Enrollment: Guiding Prospective Students to Make the Right Choice

Ensure to highlight the role of your university in this process. What makes your university stand out with its unique program offerings? Understanding the strengths you emphasize in your recruitment messaging will help align ideal personas with your programs.

Working in the awareness phase may seem broad and complex. However, by thoroughly researching prospects and creating well-defined personas, you can become proactive and responsive.

Create content that addresses frequently asked questions from your primary personas, positioning yourself prominently amidst the abundance of content and driving consistent web traffic back to your university site. Remember that maintaining a relationship and understanding the ever-changing nuances of the application process are crucial – prospective students seek consistency.