The Importance Of Effective Recruitment Marketing
Recent research by Google and CEB indicates that people who are emotionally connected to a brand or institution are twice as likely to purchase a product or service, and four times as likely to be able to fully articulate - and defend - their purchase or enrolment decisions.
With fees increasing year on year and more options available for students, prospects are unlikely to apply for or accept a place without doing thorough research first. To ‘click’ with prospective students, Universities need to set themselves apart.
The way universities are allocating their budget when it comes to their recruitment strategy has changed. According to a survey by The Guardian, 72% of Universities said that utilising external digital advertising is most important and 98% have adopted social media advertising.
Be Creative With Marketing Campaigns
In order to attract the attention of generation z and millennials, for whom technology has been an intrinsic part of their day-to-day life, higher education institutions are getting creative with their campaigns and are turning to video to reach as wide an audience as possible.
Take the University of Sheffield for example, which launched a #WeAreInternational video campaign following the Brexit referendum, in a bid to counteract a dip in international applications. Focusing on the stories of international students living and studying in the UK, it shared videos and photos of them doing just that.
A Rise In University Unconditional Offers
Another trend in recent years has been the huge rise in the number of unconditional offers being made to students for university places.
The total made to 18-year-olds from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales has risen by 65,930 over the past five years - from 2,985 in 2013 to 67,915 in 2018 (UCAS2018) This means nearly a quarter of applicants received such an offer.
Bath Spa University’s ‘Guaranteed Place’
Bath Spa University offer these places to help prospects take that important first step to whatever they want to be.
To be selected for an unconditional offer, applicants receive an invitation to book an appointment for a Guaranteed Place interview. Interviews can be either in person or via telephone.
The interview, held by an academic member of the University with a relevant specialism, will determine whether or not to offer a guaranteed place. I kind of wish this was part of the process when I was applying – although no doubt the thought scares many.
Bath Spa Partnering With VideoSmart
As part of its acquisition strategy, Bath Spa University began partnering with VideoSmart in 2018. In November, Bath Spa University delivered its first personalised video campaign to prospective students with an offer for a guaranteed place on their chosen course.
The video itself is just 17 seconds long and includes the student’s first name in both audio and text, spoken from ‘the voice of the student’. The video then ends with a call to action to “check your email to find out more” and secure their guaranteed place.
The tone of voice is relatable, cool and crisp, ensuring viewers were engaged from start to finish. 48 hours after the video is sent, VideoSmart sends an SMS to remind students to take action – adopting a multi-channel approach via the most popular channels for the target segment.
Using an automated workflow, VideoSmart receives data every day and returns the personalised URL’s within just minutes, meaning no student is left waiting.
The Results: A 98% Video View Rate
The results of the campaign have exceeded all expectations, with 90% email open rates and 59% email click through rates. What’s more, a staggering 98% of people watched the video, and 96% of those were played until the end.
But, perhaps most importantly, is the rise in conversions. 36% of people targeted went on to book their guaranteed place interview – a 71% uplift on the previous year. An unequivocal success.
By utilising personalised video, Bath Spa University has generated significant ROI and engaged prospects in a novel and memorable way. Bath Spa have clearly understood their target audience and the results prove that pushing the boundaries of digital marketing pays off.
