About the Episode
As colleges and universities face the impending enrollment cliff, it's critical for marketers to understand the challenges and act as change agents to help their institutions prepare. Lucky for us—Carrie is an expert on how to do this! Tune in to gain actionable advice and learn how marketers can leverage their skills to navigate the enrollment cliff and drive meaningful change within their institutions.
Key Takeaways
- The Enrollment Cliff Is Real: Starting in 2025, colleges will face a significant decline in traditional-age students, with the effects lasting well into 2037.
- Changing Demographics: Diverse and underrepresented student groups, including Hispanic and Black students, will grow, requiring institutions to adapt their marketing and support strategies.
- Three Strategies to Prepare:
- Prioritize branding to stand out and build affinity.
- Foster collaboration between marketing, admissions, and academics.
- Identify niche strengths and lean into them for differentiation.
- Build Long-Term Awareness: Brand awareness campaigns provide a longer runway for students to engage with your institution before decision time.
- Collaborative Problem-Solving: Mapping the student journey across departments can help identify and streamline bottlenecks in enrollment and onboarding.
Episode Summary
What Is the Enrollment Cliff, and Why Should We Care?
The enrollment cliff refers to the projected decline in traditional-age students attending college, starting in 2025. This trend stems from the 2007 recession, which led to lower birth rates. Coupled with an increasingly competitive higher ed landscape, where alternatives like trade schools and online programs are gaining traction, this decline represents a $4.2 billion challenge to the industry.
Additionally, the makeup of the student population is shifting. While the number of white students is expected to decline, Hispanic and Black student populations are set to grow. These students often have different needs and require more institutional support, meaning marketing strategies must account for both attracting these groups and ensuring their success.
What Role Do Marketers Play?
Higher education marketers have a pivotal role in mitigating the effects of the enrollment cliff. According to Dr. Phillips, marketers are the natural "change agents" who collaborate across departments—academics, admissions, student retention, and advancement. This cross-functional role enables marketers to identify problems, streamline processes, and craft strategies that resonate with evolving audiences.
Strategies for Tackling the Enrollment Cliff
- Focus on Branding
Institutions need to clearly define who they are and what they stand for. Branding should not just be about programs but should reflect the values, strengths, and unique qualities that make the institution stand out. Dr. Phillips emphasizes that branding helps build emotional connections, which are critical in differentiating from competitors. - Collaborate with Admissions and Academics
Alignment with admissions goals is essential. Marketing teams must understand what the enrollment team is targeting and ensure their campaigns support those goals. Similarly, conversations with academics can identify standout programs to promote, avoiding pitfalls like highlighting programs with capacity challenges. - Lean Into Niching
Institutions must focus on their unique strengths instead of trying to appeal to everyone. Highlighting one specific program, value, or initiative can elevate the institution’s profile and attract the right students. For instance, Northeastern University’s emphasis on co-ops transformed it from a commuter school to a globally recognized institution.
How to Build Buy-In and Collaboration
- Host Regular Meetings: Establish weekly cross-departmental meetings to foster collaboration and build relationships.
- Share Success Stories: Communicate marketing wins to other departments to demonstrate value and encourage partnership.
- Provide Tools and Training: Offer Lunch and Learn sessions to teach faculty and staff about content creation, website updates, and social media strategies.
- Simplify Processes: Avoid overwhelming stakeholders with complex materials. Make guidelines and workflows user-friendly.
Addressing the Challenges
Marketers face several hurdles in navigating the enrollment cliff:
- Securing Buy-In: Not all marketing teams are represented at executive levels, limiting their influence.
- Balancing Strategic and Tactical Work: The urgency of service requests often overshadows long-term planning.
- Budget Constraints: Brand-building efforts are harder to quantify in terms of ROI, making them vulnerable to budget cuts.
To overcome these, marketers must advocate for their role, communicate the value of brand awareness, and provide data that supports their strategies.
What Should You Do Next?
- Say Thank You
Acknowledge and appreciate the partners you already collaborate with. Share updates on your marketing efforts to reinforce the impact of your work. - Start a New Collaboration
Identify a department or community partner you haven’t worked with yet and initiate a conversation to explore shared goals and strategies.
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If this sounds like something you could benefit from, give those folks a ping and be sure to mention that Enrollify sent you to claim a 10% discount on any of their SEO offerings.
Head on over to enrollify.org/ddaseo, or simply follow the link in the show notes below…that will guarantee you get a 10% discount off of your audit.
About the Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Our podcast network is growing by the month and we’ve got a plethora of marketing, admissions, and higher ed technology shows that are jam packed with stories, ideas, and frameworks all designed to empower you to be a better higher ed professional. Our shows feature a selection of the industry’s best as your hosts. Learn from Jeremy Tiers, Zach Busekrus, Jaime Hunt, Allison Turcio, Jamie Gleason and many more.
Learn more about The Enrollify Podcast Network at podcasts.enrollify.org. Our shows help higher ed marketers and admissions professionals find their next big idea — come and find yours!
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