From Dormant Prospects to Engaged Applicants with a Multi-Channel Nurturing Strategy
Re-Engaging Prospective Students Through Personalized Communication
A public online university, has over twenty years of experience in offering online education in a variety of fields. With over a one hundred degree programs, the university prides itself on giving its students a path to a better future by offering degree programs that allow students discover their passion and pursue their purpose.
While the university takes great pride in providing supporting resources for students, they recognized an opportunity existed to grow enrollments by better engaging an existing pool of prospective students. The school sought out a strategic partner to help them nurture and re-engage those who had previously inquired with the school over a two year period. After a thorough search, the school engaged EducationDynamics to support their inquiry nurturing efforts based on EDDY’s experience and history of helping schools convert interest to enrollments. Working together with the school, EducationDynamics developed and implemented a personalized communication outreach plan to reconnect with these individuals and reignite their interest in the university.
The Objective
- Develop a comprehensive multi-channel nurturing plan
- Increase engagement levels with prospective students
- Encourage potential students to apply and enroll into the university’s online degree programs
- Increase application completion volume for the January 2024 semester
The Solution
EducationDynamics’ dedicated team initiated the project by conducting an extensive discovery process to gain a deeper understanding of the university’s enrollment challenges and barriers. Through this process, EDDY’s team identified crucial areas for improvement. Building on these findings, a comprehensive multi-channel nurturing campaign was developed. The strategy aimed to divide the university’s audience into two segments, undergraduate and graduate programs, and effectively engage prospective students at different points of their decision-making journey.
Recognizing that graduate students typically require more time to mature, EDDY initially focused on to the undergraduate audience, aiming to make a significant impact for the January 2024 class commencement. Each nurture campaign was meticulously crafted with personalized communication tactics, with email and SMS messaging forming the cornerstone of their approach. The messaging emphasized the flexibility of the online program, addressed concerns about financial aid, and provided application resources while promoting the upcoming start date to encourage prospective students to apply.
Of the 500+ applications generated from multiple sources, the university saw:
- 22% lift in applications
- 61% applicants engaged via SMS, email, and/or both
- $159 directly attributable cost-per-application
- $97 directly attributable cost-per-application and applicants that were influenced by the nurture campaign
The EDDY Difference
The collaboration between the university and EducationDynamics highlights the importance of personalized communication across multiple communication channels. By understanding the university’s unique challenges and barriers, EDDY was able to develop a tailored multi-channel nurturing campaign that effectively engaged potential students. As a result, the university saw an increase in application volume and engagement levels, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.
By leveraging technology and industry expertise, EDDY helped the university reconnect with potential students, nurture their interest, and ultimately help them achieve their academic and career goals. With the ever-changing landscape of higher education, personalized communication has become a crucial factor in driving enrollment success, making EducationDynamics an invaluable partner for universities alike.
Ready to turn more of your inquiries into enrolled students? Contact the experts at EducationDynamics to learn how they can help you develop a custom communication plan that nurtures prospective students throughout the journey and turns your prospects into students. If you’re seeking to increase enrollment through personalized communication, EducationDynamics is here to help you achieve your goals.