Developing a strategy for how you’ll advertise your site to prospective students is a critical step in making your site a success. Our Director of Onboarding & Site Development is here to help you brainstorm an effective plan of action that will meet your site’s unique marketing needs and situation.
Your most effective marketing tool is you and your students. Learn about your role and the impact you have as the main contact for your site.
Information sessions: A fun and simple way to engage interested families.
Info cards: Gather proper information from interested students to build your site’s marketing list.
Marketing approval process: Collaborate with SEU to maintain a consistent brand and proper representation.
Developing a strategy is essential to reaching desired enrollment at your site. It involves answering questions like:
The first step in developing a successful enrollment strategy is understanding the Admission Funnel. The Admission Funnel describes each stage of the admission process, from when a student inquires about your site to when they enroll at SEU.
The first step in developing a successful enrollment strategy is understanding the admission funnel. The admission funnel describes each stage of the admission process, from when a student inquires about your site to when they enroll in SEU’s degree programs. Note that the admission funnel becomes increasingly narrow as students move from one stage to the next. This is because not every student who inquires to your site will apply, and not every student who applies will choose to enroll. This is why gathering quality inquiries and guiding them through each stage of the admission process is essential. We recommend starting with the number of students you want enrolled and multiply that number by 4 to determine your minimum inquiry number for that year. For example, if you want 25 students attending your site in the fall, your goal should be to gain a minimum of 100 quality inquiries throughout that year.
Your primary market is high school juniors and seniors and recent graduates (18–25 year olds) who haven’t decided on next steps. While this group, often referred to as traditional students, should be your main focus when creating an enrollment strategy, don’t discount non-traditional students (such as working adults) as prospective applicants. If your site offers an evening/adult program, it’s an excellent idea to market to these students. As well, don’t forget to include parents in your communication strategy for traditional students, as they often have a lot of influence in students’ decisions for higher education.
It’s recommended to begin promotions in early fall for the following academic year. This is when your students high in the admission funnel are applying (and often committing) to schools. Focusing on growing a large inquiry pool the in fall means you have a larger group of students that could convert into applicants. This means you should begin developing your fall enrollment strategy and creating marketing materials in the spring prior. If you are launching a new site, the best time to start marketing is a year prior to your launch.
While we encourage you to think big, don’t underestimate the potential of recruiting students from within your church/organization. This is where your best students already are. Students within your church community already trust you and often hold a sense of loyalty to your church. Of course, you can also visit local high schools or host interest events at coffee shops to build awareness among students within your area.
Creating marketing materials is only half the fun! Now you get to go out and tell everyone how great your program is and recruit students to your site. Here are some tips to help you make a lasting impression and
get more inquiries, whether in your church lobby or at a recruiting event.
Map out your booth space ahead of time. Decide how you want it to look and what materials you need
for any given event. Be sure to order materials several weeks in advance of your event.
Gain access to strategic and academic resources through our Partner Site Playbook & Practicum Resources.
Kami Kolkana
Director of Academic and Extension Operations
kekolkana@seu.edu
Madison McGinnis
Director of Network Enrollment
mmmcginnis@seu.edu