Anchor Your Strategy in Data, Not Familiar Tactics
In today’s higher education marketing, there’s a delicate balance between the familiar comfort of past successes and the demands of a data-driven, performance-oriented strategy. Marketers who rely heavily on preference-based decisions risk missing key growth opportunities, particularly within the nuanced world of digital channels. To maximize ROI, institutions need to look beyond instinct and actively align strategy with what the data says is working. Here’s a guide to applying a more advanced, data-first approach for stronger outcomes.
- Shift From One-Size-Fits-All to Microtargeted Campaigns
Rather than depending on broad, catch-all tactics, consider segmenting and microtargeting campaigns based on granular audience insights. For instance, analyze behavior patterns across your digital channels to identify and prioritize key audience segments, like students nearing a decision versus those at the start of their search. You can also use first-party data matching to capitalize on niche segments. Social and search ads, which allow detailed demographic, geographic, and psychographic targeting, offer the flexibility to tailor messages to fit each segment’s needs precisely.
- Let Conversion Data, Not Engagement Metrics, Drive Strategy
It’s tempting to favor high-reach channels like social media or visually appealing platforms when they generate good engagement metrics, but focusing solely on reach can miss the true drivers of conversions. Instead, give weight to cost-per-lead (CPL), lead-to-inquiry ratios, and other down funnel conversion metrics. By understanding which channels convert efficiently versus those that are more reach-oriented, you can redirect budgets toward the platforms and content types that actually generate applications. A data-driven attribution model that tracks each channel’s contribution to conversions will also give a clearer picture of where to focus resources.
- Optimize Digital with Agile Budget Allocation
In digital media, agility is key to staying relevant. If you’re still working within a set budget allocation that treats each channel equally, it’s time to adopt an agile budget approach. For example, continually monitor campaign performance on channels like Google Ads, Facebook, and LinkedIn, reallocating budget mid-campaign based on real-time performance. When a certain ad set or keyword consistently delivers lower CPL or higher inquiry rates, a flexible budget lets you quickly shift funds to these high-performing assets. This agile allocation strategy minimizes waste and maximizes your ROI without waiting for quarterly or annual budgeting cycles.
- Apply Incremental Changes Through Dynamic Testing
For more sophisticated insights, move beyond simple A/B testing and explore dynamic testing. While A/B tests are effective for testing isolated variables, multivariate testing can evaluate the interaction between multiple elements (e.g., image, headline, CTA) within the same campaign. For example, if you’re running a campaign targeting graduate students in healthcare, dynamic testing might reveal that combining certain visuals with specific calls to action increases inquiry rates significantly. These insights allow for more nuanced, high-impact adjustments to campaigns that standard A/B testing can’t reveal, optimizing results across your channels.
- Integrate Cross-Channel Data for a Cohesive Strategy
To capture a holistic view of your performance, integrate data across paid, organic, and referral channels. Google Analytics 4, for example, offers cross-channel attribution that can illuminate how users move across platforms before converting. Understanding that a student may engage with a search ad, visit your landing page, then come back via an organic social post before submitting an inquiry gives critical context to which channels are effective as touchpoints, and which drive final action. Using these insights, you can create content that meets students at multiple points in their journey and allocate resources to the most influential channels.
By consistently putting performance over preference, institutions can cultivate a more data-driven approach that achieves high-impact, scalable results. Moving beyond familiarity to embrace insights from advanced tracking, testing, and cross-channel attribution allows institutions to engage students meaningfully at every stage, optimizing their digital investment and creating a stronger pathway to enrollment success.
About the Author
Jess Lanning began her career in higher education at a private university where she served as director of enrollment marketing on a record enrollment team. Over her decade-long career, she has focused on strategizing and implementing digital marketing campaigns as a senior vice president of strategy and senior partnership manager for higher education-specific agencies. In these roles, she served undergraduate, adult, and graduate audiences across the verticals of paid social, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, conversion rate optimization, digital PR, and user experience. Jess now serves as a Director of Digital Strategy at Liaison and we are very lucky to have her!