For most students, deciding where to go after high school is a substantial decision, one that often involves careful deliberation and thought.
Yet, while we know how complicated this decision can be, how often do we send only one or two emails to prospects and expect them to apply?
This is where Drip Marketing comes in. It’s a series of emails delivered over a period of time to a targeted group, culminating in a strong call-to-action (CTA). Drip campaigns are designed to help you build a relationship with prospects, which in turn results in stronger conversions.
Benefits of Drip Marketing
Not only does drip marketing connect you with students at every stage of the recruitment journey, but it’s proven to be 80% more effective at generating opens than a single send.
By telling your institution’s story over a period of time, you are better able to engage students and ultimately recruit them to your school.
3 Tips for Building a Drip Campaign
1. Identify Your Target
First things first, identify your target audience. Are you looking to improve enrollment in an undersubscribed program, reach specific equity-seeking groups like BIPOC students or members of the LGBTQ+ community? The more refined your target is, the more personalized your messaging can be — which in turn produces stronger engagement.
2. Choose Your Messaging
When choosing the content for your drip campaign, stick to one topic per email. This ensures your message is succinct and won’t get lost in translation. Some common topics include:
- Program options
- Student life
- Financial aid
- Experiential learning
Use these emails as a chance to clearly communicate what makes your institution unique!
3. Optimize Your Email Templates
To ensure as much engagement as possible, here are some more best practices:
- Use personalization (first name, program of interest, etc.) in the subject line and email body to boost opens and click-throughs
- Minimize the copy as much as possible (no more than 150 words total) to keep the message concise
- Add one clear CTA that relates to the topic of the email
- Use a few images that can further illustrate your messaging, such as campus photos or images of real students
- Add a recruiter’s signature with name, email, and photo where possible to make the emails feel more personalized
Drip Marketing in Action: Capilano University Case Study
Recently, we employed the drip marketing strategy with Capilano University to target students living in Canada, aged 17-19, interested in studying in BC, and with an intended start date of Fall 2020.
We sent four emails to 3,661 students total, focusing on the university’s program offerings, campus life and more. The fourth email culminated in a strong call-to action — apply now. Each email also included a recruiter’s name and signature, which helped generate interest by encouraging advising appointments and one-on-one chats.
In the end, 64% of students from the campaign opened one or more emails, which resulted in 123 total applications for Capilano’s Fall 2020 term.
For more information on this case study, click here. It includes screenshots from the campaign with subject line and preheader details.
If you’re looking for a way to see similar results, or need help communicating and connecting with prospective students, the SchoolFinder Group can help!
