5 Scalable Strategies to Improve Student Admissions

The approach towards student admissions is evolving rapidly, with HubSpot CRM emerging as a pivotal tool in streamlining this process. The strategies outlined below are tailored to enhance student admissions by leveraging the capabilities of HubSpot CRM, ensuring a more dynamic, efficient, and personalised experience for prospective students and their guardians.

Covered in this article

1. Attract through Informed Content Creation
2. Convert with Customised Engagement
3. Nurture with Strategic Campaigns
4. Close with Analytics-Driven Insights
5. System Processes and Awareness
Case Study: Athabasca University Achieves 75% Lead Growth
Finding A Trusted HubSpot Partner
FAQs About HubSpot In Higher Education

1. Attract through Informed Content Creation

Optimising both new and existing content is crucial for driving site traffic and enhancing program awareness. By utilising blogging, microsites, social media, and your main website, you can effectively attract a larger audience. The key is to create content that resonates with your target audience's interests and needs, thus ensuring a higher engagement rate.

2. Convert with Customised Engagement

Conversion is all about engaging your audience with content that's tailored to their specific needs and stage in the admission cycle. Whether it's through their intended area of study or past interactions on your website, customised content can significantly increase the likelihood of conversion.

3. Nurture with Strategic Campaigns

The nurturing phase involves creating multiple touchpoints to engage prospective students, thereby shortening the time between their first visit and application submission. This can be achieved through targeted email campaigns, informative webinars, and interactive digital content that keeps them engaged and informed.

4. Close with Analytics-Driven Insights

Employing closed-loop analytics allows for a comprehensive understanding of a prospective student's journey from initial contact to enrollment. This data-driven approach not only attributes enrolments to specific marketing campaigns but also provides valuable insights into improving future strategies.

5. System Processes and Awareness

A centralised CRM system like HubSpot can streamline administrative tasks and improve overall efficiency. Moreover, digital marketing strategies can be employed to increase school visibility and reach a broader audience, thus attracting more prospective students.

By implementing these scalable strategies, schools can effectively utilise HubSpot CRM to enhance their student admissions process. It's about creating a seamless, engaging, and personalised journey for each prospective student, from the moment they first encounter your institution online to the point of enrolment. For more in-depth insights and strategies, exploring resources like our blog and educational marketing guides can be highly beneficial.

Case Study: Athabasca University Achieves 75% Lead Growth

Athabasca University's journey  from a fragmented marketing approach to a unified, data-driven strategy highlights the transformative power of HubSpot's Marketing Hub. This case study showcases the university's remarkable achievements in lead generation and conversion rates, underscoring the importance of integrated marketing solutions in the education sector.

The Challenge: Disparate Tools and Lack of Cohesion

Athabasca University, a beacon of open, online education, faced significant hurdles in its marketing efforts due to the use of multiple, disjointed tools. This not only hampered the visibility of its data but also made it challenging to present a unified marketing front. The absence of integration among tools like Mailchimp, Unbounce, and custom APIs resulted in a fragmented understanding of the marketing ecosystem, making it difficult for the university to harness the full potential of its campaigns.

The Solution: A Unified Platform for Holistic Insight

The adoption of HubSpot's Marketing Hub marked a turning point for Athabasca University. By consolidating its marketing tools onto a single platform, the university gained unprecedented insights into the student journey. This holistic view enabled the marketing team to refine their strategies, leading to a significant uplift in marketing performance.

Impactful Results: Enhanced Lead Generation and Conversion Rates

The results of Athabasca University's strategic overhaul are nothing short of impressive:

• A 75% increase in overall lead growth over three years, showcasing the effectiveness of a cohesive marketing strategy.
• A 100% year-on-year growth in marketing-influenced leads, highlighting the increased impact of marketing efforts on lead generation.
• A doubling of conversion rates, indicates a more efficient pathway from interest to enrolment.

Data-Driven Decisions and Strategic Improvements

The integration of HubSpot's analytics tools allowed Athabasca University to make informed decisions, leading to several strategic improvements. For instance, the university enhanced its programmatic marketing, focusing on specific courses like arts, science, and business degrees. This targeted approach, coupled with the insights gained from HubSpot, resulted in highly successful marketing campaigns and a more effective conversion tool.

A Model for Success in the Education Sector

Athabasca University's experience serves as a compelling model for educational institutions looking to improve their student admissions process. The university's success story underscores the importance of adopting a unified, data-driven marketing platform like HubSpot's Marketing Hub. By doing so, institutions can achieve a comprehensive view of their marketing efforts, enabling them to make informed decisions that drive lead growth and improve conversion rates.

Finding A Trusted HubSpot Partner

Finding a trusted HubSpot Partner can significantly amplify your institution's potential to attract, engage, and delight prospective students. A HubSpot Certified Partner agency, like Velocity, possesses the expertise, tools, and strategies tailored to navigate the complexities of student admissions effectively.

Partnering with Velocity offers several unparalleled advantages:

• Expertise in Educational Marketing: Velocity understands the unique challenges and opportunities within the educational sector, applying proven inbound marketing strategies to enhance student recruitment and engagement.
• Customised HubSpot Solutions: Velocity leverages HubSpot CRM to its fullest potential, creating custom solutions that align with your institution's specific goals, and ensuring a seamless admissions process.
• Comprehensive Analytics and Reporting: With a keen focus on data-driven decisions, Velocity employs HubSpot's robust analytics to track the success of marketing campaigns, providing insights into student behaviour and campaign ROI.
• Continuous Support and Training: Beyond implementing strategies, Velocity offers ongoing support and training to your admissions and marketing teams, ensuring your institution remains at the forefront of educational marketing trends.

By choosing Velocity as your HubSpot Partner, you're not just gaining access to a suite of marketing tools; you're embracing a strategic ally committed to driving your institution's growth and enhancing the student admissions journey.

FAQs About HubSpot In Higher Education

1. How can HubSpot CRM transform the student admissions process?

HubSpot CRM enhances the admissions process by providing tools for effectively attracting, engaging, and nurturing prospective students. It allows institutions to tailor content, manage interactions seamlessly, and assess the impact of marketing strategies, leading to better conversion rates.

2. Is HubSpot CRM capable of integrating with existing systems in educational institutions?

Yes, one of the key strengths of HubSpot CRM is its ability to integrate with a wide range of platforms and systems commonly used by educational institutions, ensuring a cohesive approach to student recruitment and admissions.

3. Can educational institutions of all sizes benefit from HubSpot CRM?

Absolutely. HubSpot CRM is designed to be scalable and adaptable, making it a suitable choice for educational institutions of any size, from smaller private colleges to larger universities, thanks to its customisable features.

4. How does HubSpot CRM enable the measurement of admissions campaign success?

HubSpot provides comprehensive analytics and reporting tools that allow institutions to closely monitor the effectiveness of their admissions campaigns, with the ability to track key metrics such as lead conversions and application rates in real-time.

5. What kind of support do educational institutions receive from a HubSpot Partner like Velocity?

As a certified HubSpot Partner, Velocity offers specialised support in deploying and maximising HubSpot CRM for admissions purposes, including strategic planning, technical assistance, and ongoing training for your team.

6. How does HubSpot CRM facilitate a personalised admissions experience?

With HubSpot CRM, institutions can segment their audience based on various criteria and deliver targeted communications and content, ensuring a personalised and engaging experience for each prospective student.

7. Can HubSpot CRM help in nurturing leads who are not ready to apply immediately?

Indeed, HubSpot CRM excels in lead nurturing, enabling institutions to maintain engagement with prospective students through automated communications and personalised content, guiding them towards application when the timing is right.