A mobile-centric marketing approach is indispensable to the realm of higher education, given that 40% of all mobile users are Gen Z. Research also suggests that high school students prefer mobile devices to browse for colleges and will not be inclined to opt for those that do not have an optimised online presence.
Integrating artificial intelligence into this marketing approach is crucial since it enables hyper-personalisation and delivers tailored messages and targeted ads that resonate with the audience effectively. This helps EdTech marketers achieve higher conversion rates. Additionally, AR and VR augment the enrollment marketing funnel effectively and help create a visually immersive experience, which consequently enriches conceptual understanding and decision-making.
The need to integrate mobile marketing into higher education
1. Boosts brand awareness and equity
Edtech marketers can leverage the widespread use of mobile devices to tap into a vast audience and establish strong connections with a diverse and global consumer base. Mobile marketers can utilise user demographics, interests, and behaviours in order to tailor messages according to their consumer preferences and increase the likelihood of positive reception. Besides this, location-based marketing can also be deployed to promote local events, offers, or services.
2. Efficiently catering to the
mobile-first generation
There is an increased dependency on mobiles for communication, entertainment, and information. The segment that primarily turns towards these devices is Gen Z and millennials, who are the target audience for higher education institutions. This ensures that institutions effectively reach the tech-savvy demographic and drive more prospects.
3. Leveraging the power of social media
Social media can play a significant role in influencing the decisions of prospective students with regard to admissions. Marketers can showcase the college culture through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to attract and retain more students. An insight into campus life and student testimonials can go a long way in positively impacting potential students’ decisions.
Besides this, creating communities wherein students from one college can connect with those from others with similar interests exposes them to a wide array of opportunities. These college-based social networks foster peer-to-peer learning and help students get guidance and mentorship through live interactive voice events.
4. Personalised communication
Facets like targeted messaging, personalised emails, and mobile applications to provide tailored information catering to the interests of students, their application status, and programme preferences can be fulfilled through mobile marketing.
5. Push notifications
Real-time engagement can be fostered through the implementation of push notifications. Educational institutions can send real-time updates to prospective students and facilitate a smooth admission process. Additionally, event invitations, application statuses, and other information can be effectively circulated with the help of push notifications.
Mobile marketing equips institutions with valuable insights pertaining to user engagement, click-through rates, and other metrics to analyse the effectiveness of their marketing strategies and optimise them if needed.
How do you build a mobile-first marketing strategy for higher education?
1. Ensure that your website is
mobile-responsive.
The navigability of your website on mobile devices needs to be seamless. You can test the mobile-friendliness of your website with the help of Google’s “Mobile-Friendly Test.” You need to enter your URL, and the score of your website will be displayed. In case the score is not good, you can resort to Google’s database of resources related to mobile friendliness to take technical action if required.
2. Optimise your content for mobile
It is important to keep in mind that mobile screens are smaller in size, and therefore the content needs to be structured accordingly.
Try making the content as crisp and clear
as possible to facilitate easy reading and comprehension. Using bullets and pointers wherever necessary and using captivating visuals with shorter headlines and titles can go a long way in retaining the interest of the student in reading the material and taking the desired action.
3. Identify and resolve mobile usability issues.
An automated test can detect a lot of issues with your website, but a custom check is essential to dig deeper into the mobile usability issues. The easiest way to go about it is to
navigate through your website on mobile and take the steps that a prospective student would take while doing so. For instance, learn more about the campus, find their major,
submit an entry for a campus visit, or download an application form. All of these steps need to work as seamlessly as possible to avoid bounce rates.
(The author, Kumar Saurav, is the Chief Strategy Officer at AdCounty Media.)
