Today’s competitive international education market makes it essential for institutions to have a cohesive digital marketing strategy that matches their core business objectives. Without this, marketing efforts can become scattered and ineffective, resulting in wasted resources. Here’s how to ensure your educational establishment’s marketing strategy truly aligns with your goals.

Define SMART objectives

The first step is to establish clear objectives using SMART criteria – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Vague goals won’t provide enough focus. For example, instead of “increase student enrollments”, a SMART objective would be “generate 25% more enrollments for autumn 2024 intake compared to autumn 2023, through digital marketing for computer science Masters programmes”. This kind of objective is specific to programmes, measurable with a percentage increase, achievable based on past performance, relevant to the institution’s goals, and time-bound to a particular intake.

Map the student journey

With your SMART objectives defined, next map out the entire journey a prospective student takes, from initial awareness of your institution to enrollment. At each stage, identify key touchpoints where your marketing efforts can influence their decisions. Then, align specific campaign objectives to speak to their needs, motivations, and pain points at those specific journey stages.

Set measurable KPIs 

To accurately gauge performance and make changes accordingly, set concrete, measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) directly tied to your SMART objectives. For enrollment goals, relevant KPIs could include website conversion rates, cost-per-acquisition, and email marketing metrics. For awareness goals, track website traffic, impressions, engagement rates, and other top-funnel metrics.

Leverage reporting and analytics

Finally, consistent tracking, reporting, and data analysis are crucial for understanding how your marketing activities are truly impacting your goals. Invest in robust analytics tools and periodic reporting to gain insights into what’s working and what needs adjustment. Utilise A/B testing and campaign experimentation to continuously optimise and refine your strategy.

These key steps will enable you to effectively align your marketing strategy to drive meaningful results for your institution. If you need support bringing all these elements together, get in touch with Schools & Agents – we can help get you on the right track.

Written by Stephanie Clark