Leveraging Audience Intelligence to Shape Top-of-the-Funnel Strategies
My first campus job (and first job, period) was as a regional recruiter for my alma mater (shoutout to Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO). I have distinct memories of late nights at the office making phone calls, stacks of printed directions in the front seat of my company Corolla, and countless days spent giving tours, tabling in high school cafeterias, or meeting in counseling offices. And so, so many free boxed lunches (IYKYK).
2006 me could’ve never fathomed what a 2023 recruiting cycle would look like. And though much has changed, a lot has stayed the same. But here’s the thing—it doesn’t have to.
You heard from Liz earlier this month about the power of audience-centric social media to impact enrollment strategy. Social listening can also inform and shape top-of-the-funnel strategies for enrollment managers—yes, all the way down to the tried-and-true high school visit or campus tour.
The Power of Unfiltered Feedback
CRM data is great, but it doesn’t paint the whole picture, and it sure doesn’t capture your entire prospective audience. Social listening is real-time, unfiltered market research. At the prospect/inquiry phase, it can provide valuable insight into what your audience wants and needs, what they believe to be true about you, and even how they view you vs. key competitors. Armed with audience intelligence, enrollment managers can create new, customized approaches and strategic enrollment plans that better meet current prospects where they are, as well as help attract and engage additional right-fit applicants.
Identifying Trends and Topics
Comprehensive listening (not just monitoring) allows colleges and universities to identify trends and topics that resonate with target audiences. Using this lens, campuses can gain valuable insight into what truly matters most to prospective students.
For example, if there's a surge in conversation about sustainability, you can focus your messaging and plan—from the copy for a digital ad campaign down to the theme for an on-campus visit day—on how you’re advancing in your sustainability efforts. You could even intentionally highlight affiliated campus majors in a drip campaign or during campus tours to align with the interests of potential applicants (and, to draw in additional students who align). Instead of making assumptions about the outreach or in-person programs that will have the biggest impact on growing your applicant pool, let the data—and the students—drive.
Competitor Analysis
Social listening isn't limited to your own institution. It can also analyze your competitors or an identified peer-group. Understanding what prospective students say about your market-at-large (and, at a micro level, how they’re deciding where to apply) can help your campus refine its unique selling points and tailor marketing content and outreach efforts to drive home differentiation early in the awareness stage. This competitor insight can even inform in-person efforts—from strategically selecting the fairs you attend, to the schools you visit, to the language you use in printed materials. Pro tip: You may be surprised at who you believe your competitors to be vs. who your students tell you they are. Listen to them.
Driving Sentiment
We know the admissions process is an emotional experience, and social listening can provide you with a clear vision of the current sentiment around your institutional brand. Are prospective students expressing positive feelings about your academic programs, campus facilities, and/or faculty? Or do you hear of pain points that need addressing in your process or on campus overall?
This information can inform internal improvements and external communication efforts, and shape your messaging to lean into areas that drive more positivity and increase word-of-mouth (and thus, your pipeline).
Engaging with Prospective Students
Engagement can be one of the most powerful ways to build on this positive sentiment. When students or parents are in this initial research mode, simple actions like responding to questions, sharing relevant content, and actively participating in online discussions can make your campus more approachable. Let’s face it—even if students aren’t commenting, they’re looking. And building trust matters.
The college admissions landscape will continue to evolve (as it should, given the shifting needs of our audiences). But if we’re willing to listen, enrollment managers and marketing teams can innovate, build momentum, and create more empathy in the prospect and inquiry phase by using social intelligence to:
Create content and programs that align not just with who you are, but with what your audiences care about most.
Drive home differentiation and know how and where (both online and in-person) to promote these messages.
Address negative sentiment head-on by proactively improving the process, leaning into the positive to create more impactful and positive word-of-mouth for your institutional brand.
Develop engagement strategies that foster meaningful interaction and build trust with prospective students and their families/supporters.
Webinar: From Reputation to Recognition | October 19
Leveraging Admissions Audience Insights for Stronger Branding | Register
Top themes from forum conversations and strategic insights you can take action on to meet your audience-specific needs and your institution's future success and brand health.
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