Higher Education Content Marketing: The Student Journey
Content is an untapped well of potential that can draw students to your doorstep—when done properly.
In higher education, content marketing isn't just throwing paint on a wall and hoping something sticks. It's about understanding each student’s journey.
So, how can we apply this knowledge in practice?
Let's dive deep into the four stages your students go through:
Becoming aware of a problem your program can solve
Recognizing the available solutions
Understanding your program’s offer
Making the decision.
Each stage has its own unique needs. We'll explore various types of content that truly resonate with your student prospects at every phase.
Table of Contents
The #1 Mistake in Content Marketing for Universities, Colleges and Higher Ed Programs
Content marketing and SEO are powerful tools for attracting potential students to your higher education institution. The ultimate goal is to provide prospective students with the information they need at every stage of their journey, from initial interest to final enrollment decision. But there's a common pitfall that many institutions fall into - focusing solely on the end-stage content.
Bottom Funnel Content — Necessary but Not Sufficient
All too often, we see universities and colleges pouring all their efforts into creating detailed content about their degree programs, courses, instructors and so forth. Of course this type of content marketing strategy is critical; after all, it wouldn't be much of an educational website without such these details. But focusing exclusively on this aspect leaves out crucial stages in the student's decision-making process.
Addressing the Entire Student Journey
Your prospects start researching well before they decide what program or school suits them best. They may have questions about financial aid options or want tips on how to balance work with studies effectively; perhaps they're looking for insights into different career paths post-graduation or testimonials from alumni who've walked similar paths before them.
These topics represent just a few examples among countless others which make up a significant part of your prospect’s research phase – essentially forming most parts below surface level if you consider 'student journey' as an iceberg model.
To truly stand out amidst competition and increase enrollments significantly for your university or college via effective content marketing strategies, you'll need to address these early-to-mid stages as well by providing relevant answers through various forms of content.
By neglecting these stages, you're missing out on opportunities to engage potential students early in their journey and guide them towards choosing your institution.
Want a FREE Higher Ed Content Plan?
Here’s what you’ll get:
✅ Opportunity analysis prepared by our team
✅ Custom 3 Month “Student Journey” Content Strategy
✅ Forecast of Traffic, Applications and Enrollments
✅ A sweet “program-led” content dataviz to share with your team
Understanding the Higher Education "Student Journey"
The student journey is an essential concept to grasp when it comes to marketing for higher education. It's like a roadmap that shows you where students are, what they're thinking, and how you can meet their needs at each stage.
Problem Aware (Stage 1)
The student journey commences with a prospect who is problem aware. This signifies that your potential students are conscious of their aspirations, such as becoming a software engineer or getting into college, but they may not be familiar with the specifics of your program or even realize that it's what they need.
Keys to Success:
1. Guide Student Prospects
To guide these prospects effectively, you'll want to provide them with useful resources tailored to their interests and goals. For instance, if someone wants to pursue data science, offer guides on career growth for software engineers, tips on how to become one, or interviews featuring successful individuals in the field. These types of content help clarify different areas within data science and can steer them towards considering your program.
2. Attract Media Mentions for Your Education Program
Beyond providing targeted content for prospective students, another crucial aspect involves creating linkable assets like studies about software engineering or infographics detailing a typical salary in this profession. While these pieces might not directly target your prospects, they're designed more for media outlets and authorities within the sector.
Solution Aware (Stage 2)
At the solution aware stage, your potential students have identified their need for a specific program, such as data science. They're actively seeking out the best programs and comparing them to determine which one fits their needs perfectly. Your institution's role at this juncture is pivotal in shaping their decision.
Your website should be equipped with comprehensive content that addresses these searches directly. For instance, if you offer a top-notch data science program, create dedicated pages or blog posts highlighting its unique selling points compared to other institutions' offerings.
Keys to Success:
1. Promote Your Education Institution
Beyond just having this information on your site, it's also crucial to promote it externally through collaborations with influencers and authorities within higher education space. This not only increases visibility but adds an element of third-party validation that can significantly sway prospective students towards choosing your institution.
2. Create Program Comparisons
A highly effective approach during the solution aware stage involves creating comparison content—blog posts or articles that compare different types of programs side-by-side based on various parameters like curriculum depth, faculty expertise, placement statistics etc. Such comparison content marketing strategy can effectively showcase how your programs stack up against others in the market.
3. Leverage Education Program Influencers
Influencer marketing is another powerful tool at this stage where respected voices in academia or industry review and recommend your program over others. Reach out to influencers who share a similar audience base and propose collaboration opportunities such as guest blogging or podcast interviews discussing aspects of your academic programs. Here’s more about leveraging influencer marketing in higher education.
Remember, the solution aware stage is all about showcasing your institution's offerings as the best fit for potential students. By providing comprehensive comparison content and leveraging influencer marketing, you can effectively sell your program to prospects at this crucial decision-making stage.
Program Aware (Stage 3)
The next stage in the student journey is "program aware". At this point, your prospective students have become familiar with your educational institution and are now evaluating your programs and courses to determine if they align with their academic goals and aspirations.
Keys to Success:
1. Emphasize Your Program’s Unique Value Proposition
Your content at this stage should not only provide detailed information about each program or course but also emphasize what sets you apart from other institutions. This could be a unique teaching method, highly qualified faculty members, successful alumni stories or state-of-the-art facilities. Here's how you can effectively communicate your unique value proposition.
2. Differentiate From The Competition
In today’s competitive higher education market, it's essential that you differentiate yourself from others offering similar programs. Highlight specific features of your programs that competitors may lack such as smaller class sizes for personalized attention or internship opportunities with top companies. Learn more about differentiating from competition here.
3. Focus on Your Ideal Student Profile
Your content should resonate specifically with the type of students who would benefit most from enrolling in your institution. Identify these ideal profiles based on factors like career goals, learning styles and personal interests then tailor the messaging accordingly. Check out our guide to identifying an ideal student profile here.
Final Decision (Stage 4)
In the final decision stage of the student journey, your branded content takes center stage. This includes compelling information about student outcomes, reviews of your program and direct comparisons to other programs. It's crucial at this point that you understand just how vital this information is for shaping all other content on your site.
Keys to Success:
1. Create Branded Content
We cannot overstate the importance of starting with this type of content when developing a strategy. If you're unsure where to begin with your EdTech or SaaS marketing, look no further than here.
This is not only because it’s an integral part in informing potential students about what they can expect from enrolling in your institution but also because it provides invaluable insights into their needs and concerns which will help shape rest of your website design and overall content strategy.
2. Understand Your Students' Pain Points
Your primary goal should be understanding what challenges or 'pain points' prospective students face during their education journey. By focusing on these pain points, we can tailor our offerings to provide solutions that meet their specific needs effectively - making us stand out among competitors as a top choice for higher education institutions.
3. Leverage Program Reviews
Detailed program reviews and comparisons are key components in helping potential enrollees make informed decisions about pursuing higher education at your institution. They offer tangible proof that demonstrates how well-suited our educational services are towards meeting individual learning goals compared to others available in market today. Remember, knowledge gained from these resources informs every aspect – from designing engaging web pages through creating effective promotional materials – so never underestimate its value!
10 Types of Content You Can Use to Increase Student Enrollment — Today
In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education marketing, it's crucial to adapt your content strategy to meet prospective students where they are. Here at Journey Engine, we've developed a student journey framework that leverages ten types of content guaranteed to increase traffic and enrollments on your institution's website.
1. Higher Education Student Outcomes
In the world of higher education marketing, focusing on student outcomes is a powerful strategy. It's not just about telling prospective students what they'll learn—it’s also showing them where your program can take them.
A shining example of this approach is Quantic, one of our clients at Journeyengine Inc. We worked together to create an impactful series spotlighting their alumni, illustrating how Quantic helped these individuals achieve their career goals and overcome challenges along the way.
The Power of Student Spotlights
We adopted various content formats for this initiative but found that podcast-style interviews between admissions team members and key alumni resonated particularly well with audiences. These discussions delve into everything from the discovery process to navigating through the program and eventually landing dream careers post-graduation.
This type of content serves dual purposes:
It provides invaluable insights for your own team, teaching you how best to discuss your programs by highlighting real-life experiences and success stories.
It makes excellent material for repurposing on social media platforms or other channels—helping generate interest among potential enrollees who are embarking on their own educational journeys.
Leveraging Student Stories: General Assembly Example
Another organization making waves in this area is General Assembly (GA). GA has built an extensive library showcasing its diverse array of student stories—all produced with high-quality visuals and compelling narratives. This comprehensive resource paints a vivid picture of GA's student profiles—their aspirations, struggles, triumphs—and ultimately demonstrates why GA was instrumental in propelling these students toward achieving their personal and professional goals.
Creating student outcomes content is not just about showcasing your institution's success—it’s also about connecting with prospective students on a personal level, addressing their concerns, aspirations, and motivations. This strategy can transform your website into an effective enrollment generating machine.
2. Higher Education Program Reviews
In the digital age, prospective students are more informed than ever. They don't just want to know about your program; they want insights from those who have experienced it first-hand. This is where branded higher education program reviews come into play.
If you're targeting prospects who are already aware of your program, developing content tailored for them should be a top priority. These individuals will likely search for reviews of your brand or specific programs – like "Harvard online MBA review".
Control Your Program Reviews.. Or Someone Else Will!
You can see in the screen-cap below that on searching for reviews of Harvard’s MBA program, several negative reviews surface in the top video results.. No bueno for Harvard!
Another common pitfall among institutions is failing to provide relevant content that meets this need. For instance, Harvard's online MBA page titled "Are Online Business Courses Worth It? 10 Benefits To Consider" might not resonate with someone looking specifically for course reviews.
To cater effectively to these potential students, you need to produce dedicated content pages filled with authentic and comprehensive reviews from past and present learners.
Better Practices: Quantic's Approach
An excellent example in this regard comes from our client - Quantic School of Business and Technology. We helped them create a dedicated reviews page, featuring testimonials by their students and graduates which now ranks highly when people search "Quantic MBA reviews". The results speak volumes about the effectiveness of such targeted content strategies.
Sponsoring Higher Education Influencer Reviews & Video Testimonials
Sponsored influencer endorsements: Another effective tactic involves sponsoring influencers to write genuine product evaluations like E Cornell did with its online courses review. Such endorsements can boost your visibility in search engine results.
Video testimonials: General Assembly, for instance, has done an exceptional job with their alumni video reviews, which rank high on Google's video results. Video content is a powerful tool that can help humanize your brand and make it more relatable to prospective students.
Creating diverse types of content – from written reviews to sponsored posts and videos - will enable you to dominate the search engine result page (SERP) landscape. This not only improves traffic but also boosts enrollments by providing prospects with the insights they're actively seeking.
3. Higher Education Program Comparisons
In the realm of higher education marketing, one type of content that often goes overlooked is branded program comparisons. This involves comparing your institution's programs with those offered by other institutions. For instance, a prospective MBA candidate might be searching for "Harvard versus Stanford MBA". In such cases, having a well-crafted comparison on your site can provide valuable insights and tilt the scales in favor of your institution.
The Power of “Branded” Content
Branded content gives you control over how potential students perceive differences between similar programs at different schools. By presenting factual and positive aspects about your own program while also acknowledging strengths found elsewhere, you build trust with prospects who are researching their options.
Filling The Gap in SERPs
If we take a look at Google's search engine results page (SERP), it becomes evident that there are numerous reviews for Harvard versus Stanford MBA but surprisingly none from Harvard University itself on this topic. This represents a missed opportunity to influence decision-making right when prospective students are actively seeking information.
Leveraging Your Website’s Domain Authority
Your website’s Domain Rating (DR) plays an essential role here as well. DR is essentially an SEO metric developed by Ahrefs signifying the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0-100; higher scores indicating greater likelihood to rank well in search engines. Consider this: if we examine some pages ranking for these terms already, they have DR scores around 25 out of 100 whereas Harvard’s official site boasts score upwards towards 90! Clearly demonstrating how much easier it would be for them to claim these rankings with targeted content creation.
Taking Advantage of Competitor Comparisons
While it's crucial to create content comparing your programs with those of top competitors, don't stop there. Consider writing guides on other competitors versus each other and then subtly insert your institution into that discussion. This can help broaden the reach of your content while also establishing a presence in conversations where you might not have been considered before.
Incorporating these strategies into your higher education content marketing plan will ensure you are maximizing opportunities to attract and engage prospective students at every stage of their journey.
Taking Advantage of Forums like Reddit and Quora
Forums like Quora and Reddit are incredibly important to student prospects looking for education program reviews.
For example, note the search engine result page for “UCLA Medical School versus USC” is dominated by these two forums.
You want to become part of that conversation. You might even consider developing your own threads or enter this conversation somehow, have your alumni enter those conversations.
4. Higher Education Program Landing Pages
As we move forward in our student journey framework, we reach the Solution Aware stage. At this point, your prospective students are aware that they need a program like yours but aren't yet familiar with what you offer specifically.
The majority of higher education institutions have these types of pages on their websites. However, many fail to properly optimize them for search engines which can significantly impact visibility and enrollment numbers.
Optimizing Your Higher Education Landing Pages
To ensure your educational program landing pages rank high in search results, it's crucial to focus on SEO optimization strategies such as keyword targeting and content quality.
Keyword Targeting: Many marketers aim to rank their pages for competitive keywords like "best HR certificate online" or "best nursing program". But your landing pages are NOT the appropriate type of content for this (more on the right type for that below..). For your landing pages, instead target keywords without the "best" modifier, such as "HR certificate" or "online EMBA". See the results below:
Avoid Common Mistakes When Optimizing Your Landing Page
Beyond keyword targeting and creating high-quality content though there are some common mistakes you should avoid when optimizing your landing page:
Poor Navigation: Your landing page should be easily accessible from your homepage. Don't bury it deep within your site where search engines and users can't find it.
Slow Load Times: Pages that take too long to load can frustrate users and lead them to abandon the site, which in turn negatively impacts SEO rankings.
To wrap up this section, remember - effective optimization of educational program landing pages is not just about ranking for competitive keywords but also providing valuable content that meets user needs while avoiding common pitfalls. By following these strategies, you'll increase traffic to your institution's website and boost enrollments significantly.
5. Higher Education Program Roundups
If you're aiming to rank for the "best <X type of program>", a roundup post that highlights your prospects' options is essential. Prospects at this stage are seeking an unbiased list of their best choices, which will aid them in making informed decisions about their future course of action.
Many consultants and agencies may discourage you from attempting to rank for such terms, claiming it's impossible due to domination by authoritative sites like US News and World Report, Poets and Quants for business schools, among others. However, we challenge this notion. Ranking your website with “best of” content is achievable; our client National Society of Health Coaches stands as proof.
The Right Type Of Content Is Key
To successfully rank, however, requires the right kind of content. Your prospects want an impartial review that includes all top competitors in your field. Therefore, this page must discuss these competitors while simultaneously highlighting why your program differs and how it can better serve prospective students.
Your ideal student profile isn't just looking for any reviews—they're searching specifically for unbiased ones. One highly effective tactic involves sponsoring influencers or notable alumni who can record videos similar to what edX has done here.
Emphasize On Uniqueness And Value Proposition
In order to stand out amongst competition highlighted on these round-up pages, emphasize on unique selling points (USPs) - factors that make your institution different from others listed alongside it – be it innovative teaching methods or exclusive internship opportunities etc., Always remember: differentiation is key when competing against well-established institutions.
Create Engaging And Comprehensive Content
Lastly, ensure that your content is engaging and comprehensive. It should not only list the best programs but also provide detailed information about each one of them – course structure, faculty credentials, alumni success stories etc., This will help prospective students make an informed decision while positioning your institution as a trusted source of information.
6. "Best" Program Content for a Student Subset
Creating content that caters specifically to certain subsets of your student population is key. This is particularly crucial when dealing with solution-aware prospects who are actively searching for the best program suited to their needs and career goals.
For instance, consider our client Quantic. They've realized that they have an edge when it comes to serving MBA prospects who are engineers or software engineers looking to level up in their careers. Consequently, Quantic has invested time and resources into producing targeted content explaining why its programs offer these specific students the best route towards achieving their objectives.
Crafting Content That Resonates With Your Ideal Student Profile
In order to replicate this success, you'll need first to identify which groups within your student body could benefit most from tailored content. Once you've done this, focus on crafting engaging and informative pages detailing how your particular programs can help them reach their career aspirations faster or more effectively than other institutions' offerings.
Demonstrate expertise: Highlight any specializations or unique aspects of your program that make it especially suitable for this subset of students.
Showcase testimonials: Use real-life stories from past students who fit into this category as proof points. Their experiences will resonate strongly with similar prospective enrollees.
Promote relevant faculty: If members of your teaching staff have notable achievements or industry connections related directly to these fields, make sure future students know about it!
Your ultimate goal should be creating compelling narratives around why these individuals would thrive at—and only at—your institution because you understand better than anyone else what they need to succeed.
Remember: the more targeted your content is towards a specific subset of students, the higher its chances of ranking well in relevant searches—and ultimately driving more traffic (and potential enrollments) to your institution's website.
7. Higher Education Program Type Comparisons
As prospective students journey up the educational ladder, they become more aware of various solutions available to them. One critical decision point in this process involves choosing between different types of programs. For instance, should one pursue an MBA or opt for an EMBA? Is it better to aim for a Project Management Professional certification or a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)? Should aspiring healthcare professionals go for Registered Nurse credentials or invest their time and resources into earning a Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSN)?
To help these solution-aware prospects make informed decisions, higher education institutions must provide content that not only educates about both program options but also guides them towards determining which is best suited to their career goals and personal circumstances.
By producing such comparative content that helps prospective students weigh their options effectively, your institution's website becomes an invaluable resource on their educational journey. This not only increases web traffic but also builds trust with potential enrollees – turning your site into an enrollment generating machine!
8. How-To Content for Higher Education Student Prospects
In the realm of higher education content marketing, a key stage to target is the problem-aware phase. At this juncture, potential students may not be aware that your institution offers programs they're interested in. However, they are cognizant of their desire to achieve specific goals or land certain careers.
Your mission? Develop engaging and informative how-to content that guides them on possible paths towards achieving these career objectives - whether it's becoming a CMO, securing a job at Microsoft, or embarking on medical professions like doctors and nurse practitioners.
The Power of Problem-Aware Stage Content
By addressing the needs of prospects during their problem-aware stage with relevant how-to content, you stand an excellent chance to boost traffic significantly. Many clients we've worked with at Journeyengine have witnessed substantial results from focusing on this aspect.
An exemplary case study here would be General Assembly who has developed comprehensive video series catering specifically to prospective data scientists, UX designers, data analysts and software engineers among others. By doing so, they effectively address this crucial part of the student journey. General Assembly's approach illustrates just how effective tackling problem-aware stage can be when done right.
Crafting Effective How-To Content
To emulate such success stories in your own strategy calls for crafting high-quality educational material tailored towards helping prospects realize their dream careers. The aim should always be enlightening them about best practices and various options available for getting there.
Detailed Guides: Create comprehensive step-by-step guides detailing what it takes to enter desired professions - prerequisites needed; the kind of courses to consider; potential career paths, and so on.
Expert Opinions: Incorporate insights from industry experts. This could be through interviews or guest posts that provide a first-hand account of what it's like in those professions.
Educational Webinars: Host webinars where prospects can directly interact with professionals in their desired fields. Such platforms are great for answering specific questions and dispelling any doubts they may have about these careers.
In conclusion, creating problem-aware stage content is an integral part of higher education marketing strategy that shouldn't be overlooked. By doing so, you're not only driving traffic but also positioning your institution as a trusted resource for achieving career aspirations.
9. Higher Education Templates and Tools Content
In the digital age, higher education institutions must leverage innovative content strategies to attract potential students and increase enrollments. One effective method is through offering valuable templates and tools that resonate with your target audience's needs.
For instance, our client Quantic, a pioneer in online learning for startup founders, has successfully utilized this approach. They provide resources like training request letter templates or startup valuation calculators which are not only useful but also generate substantial backlinks boosting their SEO performance.
The Power of Practical Resources
Templates and tools offer practical solutions to common challenges faced by prospective students or individuals seeking further education. A willingness-to-pay calculator can help future learners understand how much they should be investing in their education based on various factors such as income level, career goals, etc.
Capturing Backlinks with High-Value Content
Beyond serving the immediate needs of users, these types of content often garner significant attention from other websites leading to an influx of backlinks—a key factor in enhancing search engine rankings. When you create high-value content like a well-crafted template or tool relevant to your niche market (e.g., EdTech), it’s more likely other sites will link back to yours as a credible resource thereby increasing your site’s authority and visibility online.
Achieving Success Through Strategic Implementation
To maximize results from this strategy, ensure that the templates/tools offered align closely with what your prospects need most at their current stage in the "student journey". For example: If you're targeting aspiring entrepreneurs looking for MBA programs - providing them with business-related tools/templates could prove highly beneficial.
This strategic alignment between user needs & your content offerings will not only enhance the user experience but also increase their likelihood of converting into enrolled students, thereby boosting enrollment rates for your institution.
10. Statistics, Infographics and Data for Higher Ed Marketing
In the digital age, content is king. But not all content is created equal, especially when it comes to generating organic backlinks to higher education websites. Backlinks are the backbone of search engine optimization (SEO), and acquiring them can often be a costly venture. However, savvy content strategists in the higher education sector are increasingly turning to a particular trio of content types that act as backlink magnets..
When it comes to content that naturally garners attention and backlinks for higher education websites, three formats stand out: infographics, statistics, and data. Not only are these content types visually appealing and informative, but they also offer a wealth of shareable information that can generate organic backlinks without the need for a hefty budget.
SEO Link Building for Higher Education
Take, for example, the case of Quantic. By publishing a statistic-laden article on the gender demographics of Fortune 500 CEOs, they earned valuable backlinks from 58 unique websites, including an unsolicited link from Berkeley.edu, a site with a domain rating of 91. This backlink, from a direct competitor no less, highlights the immense value and SEO power of high-quality, data-driven content.
The lesson here is that higher education content marketers can achieve significant SEO gains by creating content rich with infographics, reliable statistics, and compelling data. This strategy not only enhances your site's authority but also naturally attracts high-value backlinks, cementing your position as an informational nexus in the educational sphere.
Elevate Your Institution with the "Student Journey" Content Marketing Framework
By focusing on these 10 potent content types, your institution can not only rise in search engine results but also in the esteem of prospective students and the academic community. Be the catalyst for this change and become the champion your institution deserves.
Unlock Your Institution's Potential with a Free "Enrollment Projection" Analysis
And now, for a proposition that promises to align with your institution's ambition. We’re offering a glimpse into the future of your enrollment strategy without any initial investment. Allow us to present you with a free opportunity analysis, tailored precisely for your education business. Our comprehensive forecast will detail the expected increase in traffic, enrollments, and revenue from a meticulously designed three-month, “program-led” student journey campaign.
Embrace the chance to see the potential uplift before committing resources to the campaign. You’ll receive a detailed report complete with a visually engaging data visualization that you can share with your team. Imagine having a clear forecast of the success that awaits your institution.
Want a FREE Higher Ed Content Plan?
Here’s what you’ll get:
✅ Opportunity analysis prepared by our team
✅ Custom 3 Month “Student Journey” Content Strategy
✅ Forecast of Traffic, Applications and Enrollments
✅ A sweet “program-led” content dataviz to share with your team
Don't miss this chance to make data-driven decisions that could redefine your student recruitment approach. To claim your free analysis, simply sign up below and schedule a quick call with us. We need just a sliver of your time to gather the necessary information, and within two days, your custom forecast will be ready.
