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Table of Contents
What’s Included in Higher Ed Marketing Services?
Advertising campaigns
At HawkSEM, of course, we take care of the digital campaigns. This includes the development and execution of targeted marketing campaigns across platforms like Google Ads, Meta, and LinkedIn. This may also include offline deliverables such as print and radio.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
On the organic side of digital marketing, SEO campaigns aim to place your web content and landing pages near the top of the first search engine results page (SERP).
Lead Generation Strategies
Student recruitment is a higher ed institution’s bread and butter. Lead gen strategies include the creation of landing pages, lead magnets, and other tactics to attract potential students.
Analytics and Reporting
This involves regular reporting on the performance of your marketing efforts, as well as analysis to determine action steps. Common metrics we track include engagement rates, website traffic, conversion rates, and ROI.
Digital Content
This encompasses a wide range of materials such as content strategy, blog posts, landing pages, social media content, web content, digital ad copy, and multimedia content like videos and infographics.
Website design and development
Nowadays, a clean, user-friendly website is key to attracting new site visitors (and to enrollment marketing).
How Much Do Higher Ed Marketing Services Cost?
Your marketing goals will be different depending on your institution, but here are a few general guidelines to get you started.
For smaller schools looking to dominate their geo
Full-service higher education marketing
Larger schools that need more resources
These are a few things we consider when determining costs
- Business goals
- Speed (desired time for goal)
- Competition
- Account size
Zero setup fees
Other agencies charge fees upfront for account setup – not here at HawkSEM.
No contracts
We believe in earning your trust through building a good relationship and getting you great results. No need to sign on a dotted line.
Detailed plan before working together
Our team will do an audit of your existing digital footprint and give you a detailed action plan before we begin working together
How Long It Takes to See Results
Digital marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. While both PPC and SEO campaigns can show initial results in 2-3 months, significant and sustainable results require a longer-term approach.
Core Phase (0 - 6 months)
This phase is all about researching, creating benchmarks, and identifying “quick wins”. For PPC campaigns, this might be building a solid foundation on which to build. SEO might be optimizing meta tags, fixing technical issues, or improving website speed and user experience.
Amplification Phase ( 6 - 12 months)
In this phase, we get cookin’. We do this by creating predictability, conducting any necessary pruning optimizations, and determining how to boost your position in the marketplace.
Domination Phase (12+ months)
At this stage, we’re cookin’ with gas! Here, we focus on market leadership, expansion, and scaling your marketing efforts.
Who We Help
For over ten years, we’ve helped hundreds of clients across multiple industries achieve (and exceed) their marketing goals. Our roster includes companies across a wide variety of sizes, products, and niches.
Healthcare
When marketing in the healthcare industry, trust and clarity are paramount. We’ve helped multiple healthcare facilities reach new patients, build trust, and put searchers at ease.
Nonprofits
A strong inbound marketing strategy can make a huge difference when it comes to reaching fundraising goals. We can help get your organization in front of the right people at the right time.
Law firms
Our team of experts can help make sure your firm’s ads are clear, concise, and relevant to prospective clients.
Real estate
Put up the sold sign! Marketing services can help you increase website traffic and put ads in front of potential home buyers.
Financial services
Marketing services can help FinServ companies showcase credibility, build brand recognition, and boost conversions.
Lead generation
Ads not reaching the right audience? We’ve got you. Our team of marketing pros can help put your content in front of prospective students at just the right time.
Here are a few other report card highlights:
ConversionIQ
Our proprietary marketing tech, ConversionIQ, is designed to streamline your marketing efforts. From Google Ads to Microsoft Ads to social media, ConversionIQ consolidates all your marketing info into one comprehensive, data-driven dashboard.
We’re a Google Premier Partner
Our company ranks among the top 3% of agencies nationwide. We’re also recognized as an official Microsoft Advertising Partner and Meta Business Partner, showcasing our commitment to expertise and excellence.
Top-of-class Expertise
With over a decade of experience and a team made up of exclusively senior-level pros, we have a solid track record of holding ourselves to the highest standards to help ensure your success.
Results From Our Services
7x increased conversions
Doubled ecommerce conversion rates
30% increase in conversions
Cut CPA in half
3x lead volume
Doubled holiday sales
Meet the Minds Behind the Madness
We make things happen, but
don't take our word for it.
Rave reviews from our lovely clients...
The ConversionIQ System: Our smart way of marketing to drive more revenue.
ConversionIQ is our proprietary methodology built to drive actionable insights, full-funnel attribution and high-quality conversions that continuously improve your bottom line.
Looking to scale?
If you’ve scrolled this far, you might be ready to partner with a marketing agency. Or maybe your current agency isn’t quite fitting the bill.
It might be time to hire a (new) marketing company if:
- You’re an established institution looking to expand and grow revenue, and Google Ads is your next step
- You tried to manage ad campaigns in-house, but it takes too much time or too many resources
- Your internal marketing team is doing great — but could use additional horsepower to level up
- You’re ready to scale marketing solutions and improve performance
- You plateaued with your existing efforts and need an upgrade
- You had a disappointing experience with a digital advertising company before but are ready to try again (with a more performance-focused partner)
Any of that sound familiar? Let’s talk.
Higher Education Marketing Services
This refers to the tactics and strategies used to promote community colleges, universities, and other higher ed institutions. These services aim to achieve a few different goals:
- Enhance an institution’s reputation
- Increase enrollment
- Engage with stakeholders
- Support overall institutional goals
Helpful Resources
We’re proud to provide helpful content that educates and informs (whether or not you work with us). Here’s a sampling from our repertoire:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do higher education institutions need marketing services?
Marketing services can help institutions stand out in a competitive landscape, enhance their reputation, communicate effectively with their target audience, and even increase enrollment numbers.
While marketing services aren’t absolutely necessary for an institution to succeed, they can help you reach your goals faster and more effectively.
What types of marketing strategies are commonly used for higher education clients?
Common strategies include:
- Digital marketing: Social media, email marketing, SEO, and PPC advertising
- Content marketing: Blogs, videos, and webinars
- Traditional marketing: Print ads, direct mail
- Event marketing: Open houses, virtual tours
Keep in mind that the most effective strategy for your needs will depend on your goals.
How do you measure the success of a higher ed marketing campaign?
Measuring success in digital marketing is all about the data. Often, it’s measured using various metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, lead generation, application rates, enrollment numbers, and ROI.
What are some challenges in higher ed marketing?
Challenges in higher education marketing are similar to lots of other industries. These include adapting to changing digital trends, measuring ROI accurately, staying ahead of competitors, and reaching diverse audiences effectively.
The Benefits
Expertise and experience
Marketing agencies bring specialized knowledge and experience in higher education marketing, ensuring that strategies are aligned with industry best practices (and effective).
Targeted marketing
Professional marketers can develop targeted campaigns that reach specific demographics, such as prospective students, alumni, and donors, increasing the likelihood of achieving your desired outcomes.
Brand awareness and consistency
Higher ed marketing agencies can help develop and maintain a strong, consistent brand identity that resonates with your values and mission, enhancing both reputation and appeal.
Resources
Outsourcing marketing efforts allows your internal staff to focus on core responsibilities while leveraging the expertise of marketing professionals to handle the promotional stuff.
Access to advanced tools and tech
Marketing agencies often have access to advanced tools and technologies for analytics, automation, and campaign management, providing insights and efficiencies that may not be available in-house.
Creative campaigns
Marketing pros can bring fresh perspectives and creative ideas to campaigns, helping you to stand out in a competitive market.
Scalability
Marketing services can scale efforts up or down based on your needs, allowing for flexibility in response to changing goals, budget constraints, or market conditions.
Market research
A higher education marketing agency can conduct market research and competitive analysis, providing valuable insights that inform strategic decisions and help the institution stay ahead of competitors.
Lead generation and nurturing
Professional marketing services can implement effective lead generation and nurturing strategies, ensuring a seamless student journey through optimized landing pages, email campaigns, and follow-up processes.
Increased enrollment and retention
By leveraging targeted digital marketing strategies, institutions can see an increase in student applications and enrollments, as well as improved student retention through ongoing engagement efforts.
Enhanced alumni and donor relations
Marketing services can create campaigns to engage alumni and encourage donations, building a strong support network and fostering long-term relationships with former students.
The Bottom Line
Hiring marketing services provides access to specialized expertise, advanced tools, and creative strategies.
This can significantly enhance your ability to attract and engage with your target audiences, improve brand perception, and achieve enrollment and retention goals.
Ready to fly? Let’s chat.
Request a Free Consultation
Request a Free Consultation
At the end of the day, we know the most effective marketing centers on people and connections, not just search engine results.
No BS, just results. Clients see an average 4.5X ROI
- Dramatically improve ROI
- Outperform the competition
- Increase conversion volume
- Better track ROI
- Reduce cost per acquisition
- Improve lead quality
Ready to see if we're a match made in marketing heaven? Let's find out together