In international education marketing, the generic, one-size-fits-all approach no longer works — prospective students these days expect messaging that speaks directly to their unique needs, interests, and goals. But what effect does personalisation have on decision-making? And how can education providers personalise their marketing strategies effectively? Let’s find out more about this. 

Why personalise your education marketing?

Personalised marketing connects with students on a deeper level by making them feel understood and valued as an individual, not just a number. Messaging that’s tailored towards prospective students’ personal goals has higher engagement rates and is much more effective at guiding students toward enrollment.

Data: The key to personalisation

To personalise effectively, education providers need rich data on prospective students’ demographics, academic interests, cultural backgrounds, career goals, and more. For instance, a working professional considering an online MBA is likely to have different priorities than an international student exploring undergraduate options. Personalising the content, messaging, and channels for different student personas allows you to deliver truly relevant experiences. This information can be gathered through online behaviour tracking metrics, on-site surveys, social media metrics, and other sources. It’s worth investing in a powerful CRM or marketing automation platform to make managing and activating this data much easier.

Applying personalisation across the student journey

Opportunities for personalisation exist at every step of the student experience, from initial awareness campaigns to enrollment and beyond. With a solid audience understanding in place, you can utilise data and marketing automation to roll out personalised campaigns. Dynamic content, personalised email journeys, and targeted social media advertising allow you to automatically tailor experiences based on an individual’s interests, behaviours, and stage in the decision-making process. Even post-enrollment, personalised content can drive engagement and retention.

A personalised, student-centric approach to marketing allows education providers to truly connect with their ideal audiences and enrol students more effectively. While it requires strategy, technology and effort, the payoff in student recruitment and engagement rates makes it well worth it.

Written by Stephanie Clark