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Seniors, it's November. AKA college application time!
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Abby deSilva : October 24, 2024
Is your enrollment funnel less full than you'd like?
Looking for ideas on how to fill your funnel with top-notch content? No problem, we did the thinking for you.
In this blog post, we'll begin by breaking down the enrollment funnel stages, and then jump into content ideas (for your website, blog, emails, social media, and more) for each stage in the student’s journey, plus different student segments to consider creating content for.
It's important to understand the higher education enrollment funnel so you can identify any gaps in your content strategy, and put yourself in the students' shoes so you can create content that resonates.
There are multiple variations of the enrollment funnel. Here we outline the most common one.
We’ve divided the funnel into three funnel groups (top, middle, and bottom) and six funnel stages.
Students at the top of the funnel have identified higher education as a potential post-high school plan. TOFU students are leads.
Prospects are currently in your database at this stage. They likely have interacted with your institution in a light-touch way, whether through college fairs, your website, etc. Or, your institution may have gathered their name from a referral source or a list.
Inquiries are students who have taken their relationship with your institution a step further. This could mean signing up to receive some sort of communication from you, whether that’s an email newsletter, following on social media, or similar actions. At this stage, institutions are encouraging students to take a variety of actions, from scheduling college tours to talking to their admissions point of contact on campus.
Key Stats to Track: Keyword ranking, click-through rates, open rates
Students in the middle of the funnel have built a college list and are starting to apply to colleges on that list. MOFU students may be considered Marketing Qualified Leads.
Applicants have applied to your institution (and others). They may start sitting in on a class in their preferred study area at your institution at this stage or are ironing out financial aid.
Admits have received an acceptance letter from your college. They may have the opportunity to meet fellow students and more faculty and staff at this stage or start thinking about pre-college events.
Key Stats to Track: Follow to application rate (on each marketing channel)
When students reach the bottom of the funnel, they start to take serious action in response to their acceptance letter. TOFU students may be considered Customers.
Deposits include students and families who put down their deposits.
Enrolls are beginning orientation and starting to enroll in classes.
Key Stats to Track: Yield and melt
Content can help students progress through every stage in the enrollment funnel. The more personalized and helpful you can make that content, the better.
These topic ideas can be used on multiple channels, from your website or blog to social media to email marketing to tools like Scoir.
Writing niche content for different student and parent/guardian segments can improve relevancy and qualified traffic to your site and channels.
Here are some ways you can segment your audiences (other than by their stage in the enrollment funnel).
Be sure to highlight how your school shines in each academic department or school.
Students from different locations may have different needs and college preferences.
Things like...
Segment your audience based on how they're currently interacting with your content.
What do students value, and how can your institution help them expand on their values and grow?
Looking for more inspiration to fuel your enrollment funnel? Check out these articles for helpful info for enrollment marketers and college admissions staff:
This article was originally published on April 26, 2024. It was updated on October 24, 2024 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Abby deSilva is the Inbound Marketing Strategist at Scoir. She loves content ideation, writing, marketing strategy, HubSpot, and helping marketing and sales collaborate to deliver top-notch results.
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