College Admissions Marketingi

A local community college aimed to increase enrollment among adult learners, first-time college students, and high school students interested in dual enrollment. Traditional marketing channels were not generating sufficient enrollment applications, prompting the college to seek a fresh approach.

Utilizing Axon, our advanced audience framework, we incorporated both First- and Third-Party data to create precise audience segments for targeted campaigns. Through our robust data capabilities, we successfully identified and engaged diverse student demographics. These segments included:

1. Adult Learners (21-34): Interested in returning to school.
2. First-Time-in-Any-College (FTIAC) Students (18-24): Exploring college options.
3. Influencers: Parents of high school students and counselors.
4. Dual Enrollment Students: High schoolers taking college courses.
5. Reconnect: Adults seeking to continue their education.

We also negatively targeted current students engaging with the college’s student portal button to avoid wasted impressions.

We used a mix of online and offline channels, including Display, Online Video, and DOOH, to provide maximum reach and engagement.

Initially centered on vanity metrics like CTR and VCR, we shifted to conversion-focused actions such as “Apply Now,” form submissions, and click-to-call. These metrics provided precise insights, enabling data-driven campaign improvements.

The Axon audience framework allowed us to surpass campaign expectations, generating an impressive 6,003 applications. Additionally, we achieved an average CPA of $22.55 across programmatic channels and $8.75 across Paid Search.

Shifting to conversion-focused actions fueled significant growth in website traffic, applications, and Click-to-call events.