Social Media, Data, and Mobile: What’s Next in College Recruitment? [Bonus]

In this episode, we dig into the future of college recruitment, from social media dominance to voice search.

Explore bold strategies like guerrilla marketing, influencer partnerships, and direct mail, plus the latest trends shaping 2025.

Learn how schools are standing out and connecting authentically with students. 

We cover:

•Why 95% of Gen Z uses social media to research colleges

•The rise of integrated online and offline recruitment strategies

•How mobile optimization is critical for applications

•The importance of authentic, student-driven content


00:00 Introduction to Higher Ed Marketing Insider

00:08 The Changing Landscape of College Recruitment

00:40 Social Media Dominance in Student Engagement

01:26 Integrating Online and Offline Strategies

01:51 The Importance of Mobile Optimization

02:14 Data-Driven Marketing and Analytics

02:37 Debates in Higher Ed Marketing

04:51 Innovative Offline Marketing Strategies

05:45 Emphasis on Metrics and Analytics

06:20 SEO Trends and User Experience

07:17 Conclusion and Future Outlook

08:11 Closing Remarks and Podcast Details

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

Episode Transcript

Jerry (00:00):
Welcome to the Higher Ed Marketing Insider, where we
break down the latest topics inhigher ed marketing.
And now our host, Will Scott.

Will (00:08):
What if everything we thought we knew about reaching
prospective students is becomingobsolete?
Today we're digging into therapidly evolving world of
college recruitment strategiesand the surprising trends
shaping the future of higher ed.
As we approach 2025, collegesand universities are facing
unprecedented challenges inattracting and retaining
students.

(00:29):
The competition is fierce, andinstitutions are having to get
increasingly creative to standout.
But with these challenges comeexciting opportunities for
innovation and connection.
One of the most prominent trendsis the continued dominance of
social media.
Institutions are leveragingplatforms like Instagram, to

(00:49):
engage with students and buildcommunity.
But it's not just about having apresence on these platforms.
It's about using themauthentically and strategically.
Schools are taking a variety ofapproaches.
Some are encouraging students toshare their own experiences
through user generated content.
Others are featuring unscriptedinterviews with current students
or alumni.

(01:10):
The key is to provide a genuinelook at campus life and academic
experiences.
one interesting statistic I cameacross shows that 95 percent of
Gen Z students use social mediato research colleges, and 58
percent say it's their preferredmethod of communication with
schools.
Another interesting trend iswe're seeing a real push towards
integrating online and offlinestrategies.

(01:32):
Combining digital campaigns withevents, direct mail, and
partnerships is creating wellrounded approaches that reach
students where they are.
For example, an institutionmight launch a social media
campaign highlighting uniqueaspects of campus life, then
follow up with personalizeddirect mail invitations to an on
campus event.
On the technology side, mobileoptimization is crucial now more

(01:54):
than ever.
With students increasingly usingsmartphones for everything from
research to applications,institutions that aren't
optimizing for mobile are goingto be left behind.
In fact, a recent study foundthat 71 percent of students use
their smartphones to researchcolleges, and 45 percent have
completed college applicationson their mobile devices.

(02:14):
A continuing trend is theimportance of metrics and
analytics.
Institutions are using data torefine their strategies and
demonstrate ROI.
It's not just about throwingideas at the wall and seeing
what sticks anymore.
They're looking at engagementrates on social media, click
through rates on emails,attendance at events, and
ultimately, application andenrollment numbers.

(02:37):
It's not all good news though.
There are definitely some ideasthat are stirring up debate in
the higher ed marketing world.
Take guerrilla marketing, forexample.
Some institutions areexperimenting with tactics like
chalk art and sidewalk stickersto create buzz, but there's a
risk that these could be seen asunprofessional by some
audiences.
And then there's the issue ofinfluencer partnerships.

(02:59):
While they can be impactful,there's always the risk of
coming across as inauthentic.
Interestingly, there's also alot of debate around direct mail
campaigns.
Some argue that it's an outdatedapproach, while others see it as
an untapped opportunity forpersonal connection in an
increasingly digital world.
One study found that 58 percentof Gen Z actually prefer direct

(03:21):
mail over email for certaintypes of communication.
Me, I think getting in thephysical mailbox is a lot less
crowded than the digital onetoday.
There's always going to be aneed for digital marketing
innovation too.
Given the rise of AI overviews,Siri, ChatGPT, and the like,
there's a lot of discussionaround Voice search
optimization, for example.
Some marketers are pushing forheavy investment in this area,

(03:43):
arguing that as smart speakersand virtual assistants become
more common, optimizing forvoice search will be crucial.
Others argue it might bepremature, given its slower
adoption among students.
It's a tricky balance betweenstaying ahead of the curve and
not wasting resources onunproven technologies.
And there's growing concernaround hyper personalized ads.

(04:04):
While tailoring content toindividual students can be
incredibly effective, there's arisk of crossing privacy
boundaries.
It raises important questionsabout data usage and ethical
marketing practices.
Many institutions are developingstrict guidelines around data
usage and transparency, and someare even involving students in
the conversation.
We're also seeing a big push forstudent generated content and

(04:26):
peer to peer marketing.
Institutions are encouragingstudents to share photos from
campus events, participate inonline challenges or trends, and
promote upcoming college events.
It's all about building anonline presence and showcasing
authentic campus life.
Some schools are even creatingofficial student ambassador
programs.
Getting current studentsinvolved is a great tactic, and

(04:48):
it dovetails with other efforts.
For example, a renewed interestin creative offline marketing
strategies.
Institutions are hostinginnovative on campus events,
participating in college fairsin unique ways, and even
experimenting with guerrillamarketing techniques.
For example, one institutioncreated a mobile experience lab,
essentially a high tech trailerthat they could take to various

(05:11):
locations.
It featured virtual realitytours of the campus, interactive
displays about differentacademic programs, and even a
small recording studio whereprospective students could
record a video application onthe spot.
It's harder and harder forinstitutions to stand out, so
they're not just relying ontheir own efforts.
Many institutions are leveraginglocal partnerships with

(05:32):
businesses and communityorganizations to reach a wider
audience and gain credibility.
For example, some are partneringwith local tech companies to
offer coding workshops or withenvironmental organizations for
sustainability initiatives.
All of this ties into theemphasis on metrics and
analytics.
Institutions are tracking thingslike event attendance, inquiry

(05:52):
generation, and lead conversionto measure the success of their
marketing efforts.
Some are even using advancedattribution models to understand
which touch points are mostinfluential in a student's
decision making process.
It's become incredibly datadriven.
As we saw in our own datadeveloped with UPCEA, those who
measure are more likely to beconfident in their efforts than

(06:14):
those who don't.
All that data is helpingmarketers understand what's
bringing value and ROI.
In fact, our team and UPCEArecently put on a webinar that
highlighted some of the tophigher education SEO trends for
2025.
Website optimization is stillcrucial, of course, but there's
also a growing emphasis onmobile optimization and voice

(06:35):
search.
Institutions are having to thinkabout how students might phrase
questions verbally, which can bequite different from how they
type search queries.
This is leading to a focus onmore conversational, long tail
keywords in content strategy.
User experience is becomingincreasingly important.
It's not just about ranking highin search results anymore.
Institutions need to ensure thatonce students land on their

(06:57):
website, they have a greatexperience and can easily find
the information they need.
This includes things like fastload times, intuitive
navigation, and accessibledesign.
In fact, a recent study foundthat 38 percent of prospective
students said they would removea school from their list if they
had a poor experience on theinstitution's website.
The key takeaway is that highereducation marketing is more

(07:19):
dynamic and complex than everbefore.
Institutions are having to beincredibly creative and adaptive
to stand out in a crowded field.
They're balancing traditionalmethods with cutting edge
technologies, all while tryingto maintain authenticity and
build genuine connections withprospective students.
It's a challenging landscape,but also an exciting one full of

(07:40):
opportunities for innovation.
Higher ed marketers need to stayflexible and keep the focus on
the students.
It's easy to get caught up inthe latest marketing trends or
technologies, but at the end ofthe day, it's about connecting
with students and helping themfind the right educational path.
Institutions that can do thatauthentically and effectively,
whether through innovativesocial media campaigns or good
old fashioned campus visits, arethe ones that will thrive.

(08:03):
As we look to the future, it'llbe fascinating to see how these
strategies evolve and what newtechnologies emerge to shape the
higher education landscape.
And to our listeners, whetheryou're a student navigating the
college search process, a highered professional looking to up
your marketing game, or justsomeone interested in how higher
ed marketers are adapting to ourchanging world, we hope this
review has given you some foodfor thought.

(08:25):
Remember, behind all thesemarketing strategies are
institutions full of passionateeducators and students eager to
learn and grow.
Until next time, keep onlearning.

Jerry (08:33):
Thanks for listening, friends.
Tune in next time.
And don't forget to like,subscribe, and share your
comments.

Cedric (08:41):
This podcast was created using AI.
Will and I and other voices areall AI Generated voices, in some
cases cloned from the original.