April 25, 2025 • 17 mins
This week's blog roundup: How Schools Are Rethinking Marketing, SEO, Branding & AI
This episode shares practical marketing strategies for colleges and universities. Learn how schools are adjusting to changes in student search behavior and how artificial intelligence is reshaping SEO. We cover clear steps to improve online visibility, build trust with prospective students, and stay competitive in a crowded education market.
The discussion also covers brand reputation, segmentation, and how email and budget planning support enrollment growth—especially for adult learners and continuing education. We also review important updates to federal funding, including changes to Pell Grant rules.
Absolutely — here’s the updated timestamp section with each description reduced to roughly half the original length, while keeping key terms for SEO and clarity:
Topics Covered:
00:00 – Intro
Quick intro to higher ed marketing in 2025.
00:44 – Student Search Trends
Students ask specific questions—answers must be clear.
01:33 – How AI Affects Search
AI changes how content appears in search.
02:11 – SEO for Higher Ed
Structure content for both AI and search.
04:50 – Local SEO
Location terms and reviews help private colleges.
06:46 – Brand Building
Consistent visuals and proof build trust.
08:40 – Grad Program Differentiation
Show value: careers, flexibility, faculty.
10:31 – Email Marketing
Email still drives action and engagement.
11:53 – Marketing Budgets
Track ROI to guide smarter spending.
13:38 – Adult Learners
Offer flexible formats and clear outcomes.
15:04 – Pell Grant Changes
New rules impact aid messaging.
15:58 – Wrap-Up
Key takeaways and next steps.
Learn more about the Higher Education Marketing Institute:
- Website: https://highereducationmarketinginstitute.com/
- X: https://x.com/HEMInstitute
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/higher-education-marketing-institute/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HigherEducationMarketing
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jack (00:00):
Welcome everyone.
(00:00):
We're exploring the, uh, reallydynamic world of higher
education marketing today.
It's definitely a challengingspace right now.
Jill (00:08):
Absolutely.
Standing out is tough with allthe competition and, you know,
student expectations keepchanging.
Plus there's always thatpressure to show your marketing
is actually working,demonstrating that ROI.
Jack (00:18):
Right?
So today we're looking at somerecent reports and articles
trying to pull out key insights.
We've got sources coveringeverything from like.
SEO tactics specifically forprivate schools to broader
trends and how students search,and even whether email is still
relevant.
Jill (00:36):
Yeah, quite a mix.
The goal really is to providesome actionable takeaways, some
things to think about to helphigher ed marketers.
Well stay ahead of the curb abit.
Jack (00:44):
Okay, so let's start with how students are actually
searching.
Simpson Scarborough had someinteresting findings suggesting
the landscape is changing quitea bit.
It's not just Google anymore.
Jill (00:54):
No, definitely not.
Students are all over the place.
Um, think about TikTok for thatquick visual vibe of a campus or
Reddit for those reallyunfiltered student opinions.
And then you've got AI toolspopping up for quick answers.
It's much more fragmented at
Jack (01:08):
fragmentation.
Sounds like a real challenge.
Jill (01:10):
It is.
And what's really interesting isseeing some schools have success
with like short unpolishedvideos from actual students on
TikTok.
Sometimes those perform betterthan the.
Slick produced marketing stuff.
Jack (01:23):
Hmm.
So authenticity really cutsthrough,
Jill (01:25):
it seems like it, that peer-to-peer influence, that
raw, relatable voice.
It really resonates.
It suggests a shift in whostudents trust.
Jack (01:33):
That brings us neatly to AI's impact on search.
EA B's been talking about thisquite a bit.
Google's AI overviews chat, GBTBing copilot.
Jill (01:42):
Yeah, and the big thing EAB points out is how these
tools prioritize giving concise,direct answers right there on
the results page.
This could lead to what they'recalling a zero click
environment.
Jack (01:52):
Zero click.
Mm-hmm.
Meaning students might not evenneed to visit the university
website.
Jill (01:56):
Exactly.
If they get their answerdirectly from the AI summary,
why click through?
So this fundamentally changeshow we need to think about SEO.
Marketers have gotta figure outhow to get their key messages
into those AI summaries.
Jack (02:10):
Okay, so how do we do that?
EAB offered some specific advicefor optimizing.edu sites for
this AI world.
First point was about targetingquestions, not just keywords
Jill (02:21):
precisely.
So instead of just optimizingfor say, MBA program, you create
content that directly answers aquestion like, is an MBA worth
it in 2025?
It's about matching the user'sintent more directly.
Right,
Jack (02:32):
and you could use tools like Answer the Public or
SEMrush to find those questionspeople are asking.
Jill (02:37):
Yeah, exactly.
Those tools are great foruncovering the actual language
and questions perspectivestudents use.
It gets you closer to theirmindset,
Jack (02:45):
E B's.
Second point was about buildingcontent authority beyond just
the basic program pages.
What does that look like inpractice?
Jill (02:51):
It means becoming a go-to resource.
For a cybersecurity program,maybe you create career guides
showing different job paths ordetailed FAQs, addressing common
worries or articles highlightingindustry partnerships.
Mm-hmm.
Even like thought leadershippieces on new cyber threats, it
shows both AI and students thatyour institution really knows
(03:13):
its stuff.
It's an authority.
Jack (03:15):
Okay?
And the third rule wasoptimizing content specifically
for featured snippets and thoseAI overviews.
How do we make our content morelikely to be picked up?
Jill (03:24):
Conciseness is key.
Aim for clear factual answers.
Maybe in that 40 to 60 wordsweet spot.
Use really clear subheadingsthat almost mirror the questions
people ask.
Jack (03:34):
Makes sense.
Jill (03:34):
Structure your content logically too.
Use bullet points, numberedlists, clear definitions.
And definitely implement Schemamarkup.
Jack (03:41):
Schema markup.
Remind us what that is.
Again,
Jill (03:43):
it's like adding hidden labels to your web content that
tell search engines exactly whateach piece of information is.
This is an event date.
This is a program description.
This is an application deadline.
It helps'em understand andfeature your content better.
Jack (03:56):
Got it.
So for something like how toapply as a transfer student,
you'd use clear numbered stepsand simple language.
Jill (04:03):
Exactly.
Make it super easy for the AI topull out the key information.
Jack (04:07):
And EABs.
Final point on SEO was aboutmeasurement.
If we're getting fewer clicks,how do we measure success?
Jill (04:15):
Right.
Traditional click-through ratesmight not tell the whole story
anymore.
We need to look at visibility.
Are we showing up in those AIoverviews?
Are people seeing our brandmentioned in the summaries?
Yeah.
Yeah.
We should also track overallimpressions in Google Search
console and look at onsiteengagement.
For the clicks, we do get like,how long are people staying?
Are they scrolling down thepage?
(04:35):
It needs a more holistic
Jack (04:36):
view.
She almost sounds like goingback to basics, focusing on
brand awareness and visibilityfirst.
Jill (04:41):
In a way, yes.
Visibility within those AIanswers becomes a primary goal.
Again, forcing us to adjust howwe track effectiveness.
Jack (04:49):
Okay.
Shifting gears slightly, butstill on SEO, Dina Salazar put
together a guide specificallyfor private schools.
How does her advice differ?
Or maybe reinforce what EABsaid.
Jill (05:01):
Well, a lot of lines, but she really emphasizes things
critical for private schoolslike local SEO, since they often
serve a specific geographicarea, getting that NNP name
address.
Phone number consistent acrossall online directories is huge.
Jack (05:18):
Right.
Like Google Business profile,Yelp, those kinds of places.
Jill (05:21):
Exactly.
And encouraging reviews fromlocal parents, building that
local trust and visibilitythat's vital for them.
Jack (05:28):
She also mentioned keyword research, distinguishing between
short tail and long tailkeywords.
Can you give an example?
Jill (05:34):
Sure.
A short tail keyword might besomething broadly.
Private elementary school,Boston, pretty general.
Okay.
But a long tail keyword is muchmore specific.
Like affordable MontessoriElementary school in back Bay,
Boston with afterschooltutoring, someone searching that
has a much clearer idea of whatthey want.
Jack (05:51):
Gotcha.
More specific intent.
Jill (05:52):
Right.
And Salazar also covers theon-page SEO basics, things we
shouldn't forget,
Jack (05:57):
like optimizing title tags and meta descriptions.
Jill (06:00):
Yes, making them compelling and keyword rich.
Using headers, H ones, H twos,to structure the content
logically, making sure URLs areclean and descriptive, adding
good alt text to images, usinginternal links to connect
related pages.
It's all foundational stuff thathelps search engines understand
your site
Jack (06:19):
and content.
Of course, high quality contentis always key.
Jill (06:22):
Absolutely.
Salazar stresses, creatingcontent that really speaks to
prospective families.
Think blog posts answeringcommon parent questions,
authentic testimonials, maybevirtual tours, detailed FAQs,
covering curriculum, tuition,applications,
Jack (06:38):
all things that build trust and provide value.
Jill (06:40):
Exactly.
Keep publishing fresh, relevantstuff.
It signals to search enginesthat your site is active and
useful.
Jack (06:46):
Okay, let's pivot now to branding.
Scotter has a strong take onthis arguing that brand
reputation isn't just nice tohave anymore.
It's fundamental.
Jill (06:55):
He really emphasizes that, especially in this market share
driven environment.
A strong brand isn't just forenrollment.
It's crucial for fundraisingtoo.
It helps you cut through all thenoise.
Jack (07:05):
He outlines four key elements for a strong higher ed
brand.
The first is story over facts.
What's the idea there?
Jill (07:13):
Well, oand notes that universities often lead with
rankings, stats.
You know the facts.
I.
Which are important.
Sure.
But he argues a stronger brandelevates the emotional story,
the student transformations, thefaculty's passion, the impact of
alumni.
The facts then support thatstory.
Jack (07:31):
So connecting on an emotional level first,
Jill (07:33):
kind of, yeah.
Yeah.
Making it more resonant, morememorable than just a list of
achievements.
Jack (07:37):
Okay.
The second element isdistinction.
How do you stand out when somany schools seem to say similar
things?
Jill (07:45):
That's the challenge, right?
Ochen stresses.
You have to really dig deep tofind and articulate what
genuinely makes your institutiondifferent from competitors.
What's your unique edge?
You have to be crystal clearabout it.
Jack (07:56):
Third element, human expression.
Making the brand feel more.
Jill (07:59):
Yeah,
Jack (08:00):
human.
Jill (08:00):
Exactly.
Injecting personality andemotion into communications.
Showcasing the real people,students, faculty, staff,
letting the institution's corevalues shine through in how you
talk and interact.
Jack (08:11):
And the last one is personalized segmentation.
So tailoring the message,
Jill (08:16):
right?
Moving away from those one sizefits all campaigns.
O Chand advocates for a centralbrand message, but then
expressing it in highlypersonalized ways for different
audiences, undergrads, gradstudents, alumni, donors.
It needs to be data informed.
Jack (08:32):
Makes sense.
Build the core story, then tellit differently depending on who
you're talking to.
Jill (08:37):
Precisely.
It allows for much moremeaningful engagement.
Jack (08:40):
Yeah.
The EAB drawing in Val Fox'swork looked specifically at
differentiating graduateprograms.
Why is that particularlychallenging right now?
Jill (08:49):
Well, there's just massive growth in the number of grad
programs available.
Fierce competition plus studentsare maybe applying to fewer
schools than before, doing moreresearch upfront.
Jack (08:58):
Ah.
The stealth applicants youmentioned earlier.
Jill (09:00):
Exactly.
They do a ton of online diggingbefore they ever contact you.
So your unique value has to besuper clear online right from
the start to even get on theradar.
Jack (09:09):
So how do you define that differentiation for a grad
program?
Fox suggests starting withcompetitor analysis.
Jill (09:16):
Yes, a deep dive.
What are competing programsoffering curriculum, faculty
focus, career outcomes?
Where are their weaknesses?
Where can your program offersomething distinct?
You need to know why someonemight pick them over you.
Jack (09:30):
And then understanding your target audience for that
specific program.
Jill (09:35):
Critically important.
What are their career goals?
What kind of learningenvironment do they want?
What challenges are they facing?
You need to tailor the programand the messaging directly to
their needs.
Jack (09:45):
And finally, she says, take an honest look at your own
institution's strengths,
Jill (09:48):
right?
What assets can you leverage?
Is it your location specificfaculty expertise?
A really strong alumni network.
Industry partnerships.
You need to build on what yougenuinely do.
Well,
Jack (10:00):
Fox also had criteria for what makes a true value
proposition, not just a feature.
Jill (10:05):
That's a great point.
It needs to be truly relevant tothe audience.
First off, it needs to bedifficult for competitors to
copy easily.
It should apply to a good chunkof your potential students, not
just a tiny niche.
And crucially, it has to beprovable.
You need evidence, alumnioutcomes, testimonials, third
party rankings or recognition.
Jack (10:24):
So not just saying you're innovative.
Showing how through tangibleproof.
Jill (10:29):
Exactly.
It has to be credible.
Jack (10:31):
Let's switch gears to a channel that always seems to
spark debate.
Email marketing.
Is it dead?
EAB recently argued, well, maybenot.
Jill (10:42):
Yeah, their 2025 student communication preferences survey
had some frankly surprisingresults.
Despite everything else, emailis still the top preferred way.
Students wanna get info fromcolleges, especially as they get
deeper into their search.
Jack (10:56):
Really still number one, still
Jill (10:58):
number one preference.
And it's not like they aren'tchecking it.
Jack (11:00):
How often are they checking
Jill (11:01):
the data?
Showed a big majority checkemail at least once a day and
over half check it multipletimes a day.
So the inbox is definitely stillan active space.
Jack (11:10):
Interesting.
EAB called this the responsiveopportunity.
What do they mean by that?
Jill (11:15):
Basically, since students are checking email frequently,
institutions that can respondquickly when a student shows
interest, maybe fills out aform, downloads something, and
then communicates consistentlyvia email, they can gain a real
edge speed and consistencymatter.
Jack (11:29):
But EAB also acknowledge email isn't without its
problems.
Right?
Oh,
Jill (11:33):
definitely.
Deliverability can be tricky.
Tracking engagement is gettingharder.
With privacy changes, AI mightfilter things out.
Yeah, those are real challenges.
Yeah.
But their point is when email isdone well, when it's timely,
personalized, actually helpful,it still holds significant value
for connecting with prospects.
It's not dead, just maybe harderto do.
(11:53):
Right.
Jack (11:53):
Okay.
Let's look at the bigger pictureof marketing investments and
trends.
The 2024 UPC EA marketing surveyfocused on online and
professional continuingeducation units.
What did it find regardingbudgets and revenue?
Jill (12:06):
It showed pretty substantial average annual gross
revenues for these units, andthe median was significant too.
But interestingly, it alsohighlighted a growing gap in
marketing budgets, both indollar amounts and as a
percentage of revenue.
Some are investing a lot morethan others.
Jack (12:20):
And what about staffing for marketing in those units?
Jill (12:23):
There was a slight increase in the average number
of full-time marketing staffcompared to previous surveys.
It suggests institutions arerecognizing these programs need
dedicated marketing expertise,
Jack (12:34):
but even with more staff, did marketing leaders feel they
had adequate budgets?
Jill (12:38):
Not really, no.
Only a minority felt theircurrent budgets were enough to
hit their goals and not manymore expected big increases
soon.
Mm.
Yet there was a strongexpectation that they'd need to
target new student segments.
So the pressure is on to do morepotentially without huge budget
bumps.
Jack (12:55):
What strategies are these units using?
The survey confirmed Digital isdominant.
Jill (13:00):
That's right.
The core is a mix of email,social media, SEO, and content
marketing.
But the survey also reallyhighlighted the growing
importance of personalization,using data analytics to make
smarter decisions, anddefinitely optimizing for
mobile.
Jack (13:15):
Did traditional marketing still play a role?
Jill (13:17):
Yeah, it seems so The survey noted some continued use
of traditional methods alongsidedigital, and another key trend
was growing collaborationbetween marketing and admissions
departments.
Oh.
Jack (13:29):
Breaking down those silos
Jill (13:30):
exactly.
Recognizing it's a shared goaland requires integrated effort.
Jack (13:35):
So we've talked a lot about attracting students.
What about keeping adultlearners engaged once they
enroll, particularly incontinuing education.
Ray's article looked at microlearning and and gy.
Jill (13:47):
Yes, this is super important.
Adult learners just havedifferent needs and frankly,
less time than traditionalundergrads.
Tailoring the learning is key.
Jack (13:56):
So microlearning first.
What are the benefits there?
Jill (13:59):
It's about delivering content in small focused chunks,
bite-sized information.
This fits much better into busyadult schedules.
It lets them focus on specificskills they need right now, and
it can actually help withretention, learning a bit,
applying it, then learning thenext bit
Jack (14:13):
makes sense for people juggling work and family and
and, and drag aji the principlesof adult learning.
Jill (14:18):
Right.
Andragogy recognizes that adultsare usually self-directed.
They come with a lot of life andwork experience, so effective
learning for adults taps intothat experience, gives them some
autonomy and focuses on solvingreal world problems, making the
learning directly relevant.
Jack (14:34):
So how do micro learning and andragogy work together
effectively?
Jill (14:38):
Well, you can use micro learning to deliver concise,
relevant content that respectstheir time, but design those
micro lessons based on andrprinciples.
Let them build on existingknowledge.
Encourage them to apply itimmediately to their context.
Give them some choice in theirlearning path.
Jack (14:56):
So it's about the format and the philosophy behind it.
Jill (14:58):
Exactly.
That combination can reallyboost engagement and help adults
stick with the program andactually get value from it.
Jack (15:04):
Finally, let's touch on something more operational, but
very important.
Pell Grants.
Mike Keen's article highlightedsome upcoming changes.
Jill (15:12):
Yeah, some significant ones.
Institutions need to prepare forPell eligibility is being
restored for incarceratedindividuals, which is a major
shift.
The maximum award amount isincreasing.
Eligibility is also expanding tocover students in some shorter
term certificate programs, notjust longer degree programs.
And importantly, DACA recipientswill become.
(15:33):
Eligible.
Jack (15:33):
Wow, those are quite a few changes.
What do institutions need to do?
Jill (15:38):
They really need to get proactive.
Update financial aid policies.
Update their systems.
Update their communications.
It's crucial to get the word outto current and prospective
students so they know aboutthese new opportunities and
eligibility rules.
Right.
Jack (15:50):
Ensure people who might now qualify actually know they
can apply.
Jill (15:55):
Exactly.
It could open doors for a lot ofpotential students.
Jack (15:58):
So looking back at everything we've discussed, a
few themes seem to keep poppingup.
Jill (16:02):
Definitely there's this clear need for a marketing
strategy that's, um, reallyholistic and adaptive.
Recognizing how fragmentedthings are online now.
Jack (16:12):
Yeah.
And the enduring power of good,relevant content and making
genuine connections seems moreimportant than ever.
Jill (16:18):
Absolutely.
And just fundamentallyunderstanding who your
perspective students are, whatthey need, what they value.
That's gotta be the foundation.
Jack (16:26):
So clear messaging, personalization, driven by data.
Being smart about adopting newtech like ai.
These seem like non-negotiablesnow
Jill (16:35):
for sure, and especially for graduate programs as we
discussed.
Really nailing down and provingthat unique value proposition is
just vital in such a crowdedfield.
Jack (16:44):
So a final thought for the higher ed marketers listening,
I.
In this constantly shiftinglandscape, how does your
institution go beyond just beingseen to becoming truly
indispensable to your targetaudience?
Jill (16:55):
That's the big question, isn't it?
Which of these insights reallyhits home for the challenges
you're facing right now?
It's probably worth digging intothe original sources we talked
about for more detail on theareas that resonate most.
Welcome everyone.
(00:00):
We're exploring the, uh, reallydynamic world of higher
education marketing today.
It's definitely a challengingspace right now.
Jill (00:08):
Absolutely.
Standing out is tough with allthe competition and, you know,
student expectations keepchanging.
Plus there's always thatpressure to show your marketing
is actually working,demonstrating that ROI.
Jack (00:18):
Right?
So today we're looking at somerecent reports and articles
trying to pull out key insights.
We've got sources coveringeverything from like.
SEO tactics specifically forprivate schools to broader
trends and how students search,and even whether email is still
relevant.
Jill (00:36):
Yeah, quite a mix.
The goal really is to providesome actionable takeaways, some
things to think about to helphigher ed marketers.
Well stay ahead of the curb abit.
Jack (00:44):
Okay, so let's start with how students are actually
searching.
Simpson Scarborough had someinteresting findings suggesting
the landscape is changing quitea bit.
It's not just Google anymore.
Jill (00:54):
No, definitely not.
Students are all over the place.
Um, think about TikTok for thatquick visual vibe of a campus or
Reddit for those reallyunfiltered student opinions.
And then you've got AI toolspopping up for quick answers.
It's much more fragmented at
Jack (01:08):
fragmentation.
Sounds like a real challenge.
Jill (01:10):
It is.
And what's really interesting isseeing some schools have success
with like short unpolishedvideos from actual students on
TikTok.
Sometimes those perform betterthan the.
Slick produced marketing stuff.
Jack (01:23):
Hmm.
So authenticity really cutsthrough,
Jill (01:25):
it seems like it, that peer-to-peer influence, that
raw, relatable voice.
It really resonates.
It suggests a shift in whostudents trust.
Jack (01:33):
That brings us neatly to AI's impact on search.
EA B's been talking about thisquite a bit.
Google's AI overviews chat, GBTBing copilot.
Jill (01:42):
Yeah, and the big thing EAB points out is how these
tools prioritize giving concise,direct answers right there on
the results page.
This could lead to what they'recalling a zero click
environment.
Jack (01:52):
Zero click.
Mm-hmm.
Meaning students might not evenneed to visit the university
website.
Jill (01:56):
Exactly.
If they get their answerdirectly from the AI summary,
why click through?
So this fundamentally changeshow we need to think about SEO.
Marketers have gotta figure outhow to get their key messages
into those AI summaries.
Jack (02:10):
Okay, so how do we do that?
EAB offered some specific advicefor optimizing.edu sites for
this AI world.
First point was about targetingquestions, not just keywords
Jill (02:21):
precisely.
So instead of just optimizingfor say, MBA program, you create
content that directly answers aquestion like, is an MBA worth
it in 2025?
It's about matching the user'sintent more directly.
Right,
Jack (02:32):
and you could use tools like Answer the Public or
SEMrush to find those questionspeople are asking.
Jill (02:37):
Yeah, exactly.
Those tools are great foruncovering the actual language
and questions perspectivestudents use.
It gets you closer to theirmindset,
Jack (02:45):
E B's.
Second point was about buildingcontent authority beyond just
the basic program pages.
What does that look like inpractice?
Jill (02:51):
It means becoming a go-to resource.
For a cybersecurity program,maybe you create career guides
showing different job paths ordetailed FAQs, addressing common
worries or articles highlightingindustry partnerships.
Mm-hmm.
Even like thought leadershippieces on new cyber threats, it
shows both AI and students thatyour institution really knows
(03:13):
its stuff.
It's an authority.
Jack (03:15):
Okay?
And the third rule wasoptimizing content specifically
for featured snippets and thoseAI overviews.
How do we make our content morelikely to be picked up?
Jill (03:24):
Conciseness is key.
Aim for clear factual answers.
Maybe in that 40 to 60 wordsweet spot.
Use really clear subheadingsthat almost mirror the questions
people ask.
Jack (03:34):
Makes sense.
Jill (03:34):
Structure your content logically too.
Use bullet points, numberedlists, clear definitions.
And definitely implement Schemamarkup.
Jack (03:41):
Schema markup.
Remind us what that is.
Again,
Jill (03:43):
it's like adding hidden labels to your web content that
tell search engines exactly whateach piece of information is.
This is an event date.
This is a program description.
This is an application deadline.
It helps'em understand andfeature your content better.
Jack (03:56):
Got it.
So for something like how toapply as a transfer student,
you'd use clear numbered stepsand simple language.
Jill (04:03):
Exactly.
Make it super easy for the AI topull out the key information.
Jack (04:07):
And EABs.
Final point on SEO was aboutmeasurement.
If we're getting fewer clicks,how do we measure success?
Jill (04:15):
Right.
Traditional click-through ratesmight not tell the whole story
anymore.
We need to look at visibility.
Are we showing up in those AIoverviews?
Are people seeing our brandmentioned in the summaries?
Yeah.
Yeah.
We should also track overallimpressions in Google Search
console and look at onsiteengagement.
For the clicks, we do get like,how long are people staying?
Are they scrolling down thepage?
(04:35):
It needs a more holistic
Jack (04:36):
view.
She almost sounds like goingback to basics, focusing on
brand awareness and visibilityfirst.
Jill (04:41):
In a way, yes.
Visibility within those AIanswers becomes a primary goal.
Again, forcing us to adjust howwe track effectiveness.
Jack (04:49):
Okay.
Shifting gears slightly, butstill on SEO, Dina Salazar put
together a guide specificallyfor private schools.
How does her advice differ?
Or maybe reinforce what EABsaid.
Jill (05:01):
Well, a lot of lines, but she really emphasizes things
critical for private schoolslike local SEO, since they often
serve a specific geographicarea, getting that NNP name
address.
Phone number consistent acrossall online directories is huge.
Jack (05:18):
Right.
Like Google Business profile,Yelp, those kinds of places.
Jill (05:21):
Exactly.
And encouraging reviews fromlocal parents, building that
local trust and visibilitythat's vital for them.
Jack (05:28):
She also mentioned keyword research, distinguishing between
short tail and long tailkeywords.
Can you give an example?
Jill (05:34):
Sure.
A short tail keyword might besomething broadly.
Private elementary school,Boston, pretty general.
Okay.
But a long tail keyword is muchmore specific.
Like affordable MontessoriElementary school in back Bay,
Boston with afterschooltutoring, someone searching that
has a much clearer idea of whatthey want.
Jack (05:51):
Gotcha.
More specific intent.
Jill (05:52):
Right.
And Salazar also covers theon-page SEO basics, things we
shouldn't forget,
Jack (05:57):
like optimizing title tags and meta descriptions.
Jill (06:00):
Yes, making them compelling and keyword rich.
Using headers, H ones, H twos,to structure the content
logically, making sure URLs areclean and descriptive, adding
good alt text to images, usinginternal links to connect
related pages.
It's all foundational stuff thathelps search engines understand
your site
Jack (06:19):
and content.
Of course, high quality contentis always key.
Jill (06:22):
Absolutely.
Salazar stresses, creatingcontent that really speaks to
prospective families.
Think blog posts answeringcommon parent questions,
authentic testimonials, maybevirtual tours, detailed FAQs,
covering curriculum, tuition,applications,
Jack (06:38):
all things that build trust and provide value.
Jill (06:40):
Exactly.
Keep publishing fresh, relevantstuff.
It signals to search enginesthat your site is active and
useful.
Jack (06:46):
Okay, let's pivot now to branding.
Scotter has a strong take onthis arguing that brand
reputation isn't just nice tohave anymore.
It's fundamental.
Jill (06:55):
He really emphasizes that, especially in this market share
driven environment.
A strong brand isn't just forenrollment.
It's crucial for fundraisingtoo.
It helps you cut through all thenoise.
Jack (07:05):
He outlines four key elements for a strong higher ed
brand.
The first is story over facts.
What's the idea there?
Jill (07:13):
Well, oand notes that universities often lead with
rankings, stats.
You know the facts.
I.
Which are important.
Sure.
But he argues a stronger brandelevates the emotional story,
the student transformations, thefaculty's passion, the impact of
alumni.
The facts then support thatstory.
Jack (07:31):
So connecting on an emotional level first,
Jill (07:33):
kind of, yeah.
Yeah.
Making it more resonant, morememorable than just a list of
achievements.
Jack (07:37):
Okay.
The second element isdistinction.
How do you stand out when somany schools seem to say similar
things?
Jill (07:45):
That's the challenge, right?
Ochen stresses.
You have to really dig deep tofind and articulate what
genuinely makes your institutiondifferent from competitors.
What's your unique edge?
You have to be crystal clearabout it.
Jack (07:56):
Third element, human expression.
Making the brand feel more.
Jill (07:59):
Yeah,
Jack (08:00):
human.
Jill (08:00):
Exactly.
Injecting personality andemotion into communications.
Showcasing the real people,students, faculty, staff,
letting the institution's corevalues shine through in how you
talk and interact.
Jack (08:11):
And the last one is personalized segmentation.
So tailoring the message,
Jill (08:16):
right?
Moving away from those one sizefits all campaigns.
O Chand advocates for a centralbrand message, but then
expressing it in highlypersonalized ways for different
audiences, undergrads, gradstudents, alumni, donors.
It needs to be data informed.
Jack (08:32):
Makes sense.
Build the core story, then tellit differently depending on who
you're talking to.
Jill (08:37):
Precisely.
It allows for much moremeaningful engagement.
Jack (08:40):
Yeah.
The EAB drawing in Val Fox'swork looked specifically at
differentiating graduateprograms.
Why is that particularlychallenging right now?
Jill (08:49):
Well, there's just massive growth in the number of grad
programs available.
Fierce competition plus studentsare maybe applying to fewer
schools than before, doing moreresearch upfront.
Jack (08:58):
Ah.
The stealth applicants youmentioned earlier.
Jill (09:00):
Exactly.
They do a ton of online diggingbefore they ever contact you.
So your unique value has to besuper clear online right from
the start to even get on theradar.
Jack (09:09):
So how do you define that differentiation for a grad
program?
Fox suggests starting withcompetitor analysis.
Jill (09:16):
Yes, a deep dive.
What are competing programsoffering curriculum, faculty
focus, career outcomes?
Where are their weaknesses?
Where can your program offersomething distinct?
You need to know why someonemight pick them over you.
Jack (09:30):
And then understanding your target audience for that
specific program.
Jill (09:35):
Critically important.
What are their career goals?
What kind of learningenvironment do they want?
What challenges are they facing?
You need to tailor the programand the messaging directly to
their needs.
Jack (09:45):
And finally, she says, take an honest look at your own
institution's strengths,
Jill (09:48):
right?
What assets can you leverage?
Is it your location specificfaculty expertise?
A really strong alumni network.
Industry partnerships.
You need to build on what yougenuinely do.
Well,
Jack (10:00):
Fox also had criteria for what makes a true value
proposition, not just a feature.
Jill (10:05):
That's a great point.
It needs to be truly relevant tothe audience.
First off, it needs to bedifficult for competitors to
copy easily.
It should apply to a good chunkof your potential students, not
just a tiny niche.
And crucially, it has to beprovable.
You need evidence, alumnioutcomes, testimonials, third
party rankings or recognition.
Jack (10:24):
So not just saying you're innovative.
Showing how through tangibleproof.
Jill (10:29):
Exactly.
It has to be credible.
Jack (10:31):
Let's switch gears to a channel that always seems to
spark debate.
Email marketing.
Is it dead?
EAB recently argued, well, maybenot.
Jill (10:42):
Yeah, their 2025 student communication preferences survey
had some frankly surprisingresults.
Despite everything else, emailis still the top preferred way.
Students wanna get info fromcolleges, especially as they get
deeper into their search.
Jack (10:56):
Really still number one, still
Jill (10:58):
number one preference.
And it's not like they aren'tchecking it.
Jack (11:00):
How often are they checking
Jill (11:01):
the data?
Showed a big majority checkemail at least once a day and
over half check it multipletimes a day.
So the inbox is definitely stillan active space.
Jack (11:10):
Interesting.
EAB called this the responsiveopportunity.
What do they mean by that?
Jill (11:15):
Basically, since students are checking email frequently,
institutions that can respondquickly when a student shows
interest, maybe fills out aform, downloads something, and
then communicates consistentlyvia email, they can gain a real
edge speed and consistencymatter.
Jack (11:29):
But EAB also acknowledge email isn't without its
problems.
Right?
Oh,
Jill (11:33):
definitely.
Deliverability can be tricky.
Tracking engagement is gettingharder.
With privacy changes, AI mightfilter things out.
Yeah, those are real challenges.
Yeah.
But their point is when email isdone well, when it's timely,
personalized, actually helpful,it still holds significant value
for connecting with prospects.
It's not dead, just maybe harderto do.
(11:53):
Right.
Jack (11:53):
Okay.
Let's look at the bigger pictureof marketing investments and
trends.
The 2024 UPC EA marketing surveyfocused on online and
professional continuingeducation units.
What did it find regardingbudgets and revenue?
Jill (12:06):
It showed pretty substantial average annual gross
revenues for these units, andthe median was significant too.
But interestingly, it alsohighlighted a growing gap in
marketing budgets, both indollar amounts and as a
percentage of revenue.
Some are investing a lot morethan others.
Jack (12:20):
And what about staffing for marketing in those units?
Jill (12:23):
There was a slight increase in the average number
of full-time marketing staffcompared to previous surveys.
It suggests institutions arerecognizing these programs need
dedicated marketing expertise,
Jack (12:34):
but even with more staff, did marketing leaders feel they
had adequate budgets?
Jill (12:38):
Not really, no.
Only a minority felt theircurrent budgets were enough to
hit their goals and not manymore expected big increases
soon.
Mm.
Yet there was a strongexpectation that they'd need to
target new student segments.
So the pressure is on to do morepotentially without huge budget
bumps.
Jack (12:55):
What strategies are these units using?
The survey confirmed Digital isdominant.
Jill (13:00):
That's right.
The core is a mix of email,social media, SEO, and content
marketing.
But the survey also reallyhighlighted the growing
importance of personalization,using data analytics to make
smarter decisions, anddefinitely optimizing for
mobile.
Jack (13:15):
Did traditional marketing still play a role?
Jill (13:17):
Yeah, it seems so The survey noted some continued use
of traditional methods alongsidedigital, and another key trend
was growing collaborationbetween marketing and admissions
departments.
Oh.
Jack (13:29):
Breaking down those silos
Jill (13:30):
exactly.
Recognizing it's a shared goaland requires integrated effort.
Jack (13:35):
So we've talked a lot about attracting students.
What about keeping adultlearners engaged once they
enroll, particularly incontinuing education.
Ray's article looked at microlearning and and gy.
Jill (13:47):
Yes, this is super important.
Adult learners just havedifferent needs and frankly,
less time than traditionalundergrads.
Tailoring the learning is key.
Jack (13:56):
So microlearning first.
What are the benefits there?
Jill (13:59):
It's about delivering content in small focused chunks,
bite-sized information.
This fits much better into busyadult schedules.
It lets them focus on specificskills they need right now, and
it can actually help withretention, learning a bit,
applying it, then learning thenext bit
Jack (14:13):
makes sense for people juggling work and family and
and, and drag aji the principlesof adult learning.
Jill (14:18):
Right.
Andragogy recognizes that adultsare usually self-directed.
They come with a lot of life andwork experience, so effective
learning for adults taps intothat experience, gives them some
autonomy and focuses on solvingreal world problems, making the
learning directly relevant.
Jack (14:34):
So how do micro learning and andragogy work together
effectively?
Jill (14:38):
Well, you can use micro learning to deliver concise,
relevant content that respectstheir time, but design those
micro lessons based on andrprinciples.
Let them build on existingknowledge.
Encourage them to apply itimmediately to their context.
Give them some choice in theirlearning path.
Jack (14:56):
So it's about the format and the philosophy behind it.
Jill (14:58):
Exactly.
That combination can reallyboost engagement and help adults
stick with the program andactually get value from it.
Jack (15:04):
Finally, let's touch on something more operational, but
very important.
Pell Grants.
Mike Keen's article highlightedsome upcoming changes.
Jill (15:12):
Yeah, some significant ones.
Institutions need to prepare forPell eligibility is being
restored for incarceratedindividuals, which is a major
shift.
The maximum award amount isincreasing.
Eligibility is also expanding tocover students in some shorter
term certificate programs, notjust longer degree programs.
And importantly, DACA recipientswill become.
(15:33):
Eligible.
Jack (15:33):
Wow, those are quite a few changes.
What do institutions need to do?
Jill (15:38):
They really need to get proactive.
Update financial aid policies.
Update their systems.
Update their communications.
It's crucial to get the word outto current and prospective
students so they know aboutthese new opportunities and
eligibility rules.
Right.
Jack (15:50):
Ensure people who might now qualify actually know they
can apply.
Jill (15:55):
Exactly.
It could open doors for a lot ofpotential students.
Jack (15:58):
So looking back at everything we've discussed, a
few themes seem to keep poppingup.
Jill (16:02):
Definitely there's this clear need for a marketing
strategy that's, um, reallyholistic and adaptive.
Recognizing how fragmentedthings are online now.
Jack (16:12):
Yeah.
And the enduring power of good,relevant content and making
genuine connections seems moreimportant than ever.
Jill (16:18):
Absolutely.
And just fundamentallyunderstanding who your
perspective students are, whatthey need, what they value.
That's gotta be the foundation.
Jack (16:26):
So clear messaging, personalization, driven by data.
Being smart about adopting newtech like ai.
These seem like non-negotiablesnow
Jill (16:35):
for sure, and especially for graduate programs as we
discussed.
Really nailing down and provingthat unique value proposition is
just vital in such a crowdedfield.
Jack (16:44):
So a final thought for the higher ed marketers listening,
I.
In this constantly shiftinglandscape, how does your
institution go beyond just beingseen to becoming truly
indispensable to your targetaudience?
Jill (16:55):
That's the big question, isn't it?
Which of these insights reallyhits home for the challenges
you're facing right now?
It's probably worth digging intothe original sources we talked
about for more detail on theareas that resonate most.
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com