There’s a buzz erupting about the role of parents in higher ed recruiting efforts. As we look to fold parents into those, Capture has unlocked the code to target this population of decision influencers.
We are capturing parent data in three ways: first, through from Search partners that pass us parent data; second, through your CRM or application if you are collecting parent information (easy peasy to do if you have Slate); and third (and most useful, especially if you’re just starting parent efforts or looking to ramp them up) through dynamic content, like Google ads, PID forms, etc.
These can be directed at parents or directed at students while asking for parent information. Once we receive data, a parent and a student become related, and, within Engage, they have separate records allowing us to segment out parents and add information regarding their student.
I had the opportunity to sit in during a meeting with our brilliant enrollment advisors this week while they brainstormed ways to capture our parents through content. I was diggin’ it! We talked about what our Call to Action is for parents: brand awareness and exploration. How do we get them this information and where do we direct them? You’ll want to send parents to pages with a wealth of information, preferably a parent page but likely NOT your current student’s parent page. (Side note: If you’re interested in a parent page but don’t have the capacity at this time, we can create one for you!)
Then we talked about what content can allow us to find our parents, grab their attention and get them involved. Some of our partners are already finding success with marketing content and I’ve included some examples below.
Incorporating the collection of parent information on PID forms for future communication ability.
Getting parents and families involved in discovery by inviting them to campus with this popover on parent pages. 
Using Google Ads allows the most reach as we can use parameters such as: look-a-like parent audiences, city/zip, “has expressed interest in X schools,” age, etc. to find parents where they are. (Note: this screenshot was taken THE DAY this campaign deployed and already had 9,746 impressions!)
Once we have a segment of parents within Engage, we can deploy emails that keep them involved in the enrollment process by communicating about events and offering other information. My favorite part of how our product team set up parent records is that we can speak in general, “your student” language, or, with the relationship in Engage we can personalize it to say, “Your daughter, Cat.”
The short on parents? They can be your biggest enrollment cheerleader and they need to be involved in their student’s enrollment process. So let’s reach out to them and tell em’ who you are!
By Cat Hollands, Client Trainer, Capture Higher Ed
