“We’re here to help. Are you interested in grad school? Yes or no.” Sometimes, it’s beneficial to just ask the question. That’s what one Capture Higher Ed partner did during the recent enrollment cycle to gauge interest and enroll students in its graduate studies program.
The school — a mid-sized, private, liberal arts university in the Northeast — served this simple form to anonymous visitors who went to three or more web pages related to its graduate programs.
The question was simple. The number of responses was significant. Who chose to answer was ever more significant.
More than 303 prospective students answered “yes.” Of those, 285, or 94 percent, were new, organic inquiries. Nearly 130 were interested in Fall 2018 enrollment; almost 160 were interested in terms beyond Fall 2018, or did not specify a term.
A good question now might be: what is the value of enrolling just one student that you never knew was interested in your institution?
Serving content to identify interested visitors increased the university’s 2018 graduate pool by 32 percent. These weren’t name-buys or a paid-lead sources. These identifications were prospective students organically raising their hands and asking to know more about the institution and programs.
Progressive identification — the short form that collects basic information such as name, email, phone number, etc. to identify a visitor — is just one type of dynamic content facilitated by Capture Behavioral Engagement (CBE), marketing automation created and designed specifically for higher education to help enroll students. Completed forms can also trigger other pieces of dynamic content, like a triggered email with more information that is pertinent to the visitor’s search.
How many prospective graduate students are on your site, waiting to be asked if they are interested in your program?
By Amanda Scott, M.A.Ed., Senior Director, Capture Higher Ed
