Digital and hybrid recruitment strategies combine the best of both worlds. You offer prospective students more than one method of getting to know your brand, values, and story. While in-person visits are still important in influencing someone's enrollment decision, leveraging virtual experiences removes geographical barriers and allows you to reach a wider audience.
Below are strategies you should consider while recruiting prospective students to increase enrollment.
1. Connect with Prospects Using Personalized Content
Personalization is essential in connecting with your target audience. Prospective students want to feel prioritized during the recruitment process. When you treat potential applicants as just another number, they will likely lose interest quickly and consider other colleges.
You can communicate your school's values and foster deep connections with a new generation of students by offering insight into campus life. A video viewbook highlights the most valuable asset you offer: the story of your college.
With a customized viewbook, you make a lasting impression by engaging prospects at every stage of the recruitment funnel. You can incorporate testimonials and stories from former students about their experiences at your institution. They can speak about the academic programs and how their time on campus shaped their lives. You want to communicate the right message, so prospective students know your college cares about them and their future.
2. Create an Immersive Experience Online and Offline
Campus tours often turn prospective students into applicants. They might be on the fence about whether to apply, but after visiting, they discover the college is the perfect fit for them. Although in-person tours are still crucial in engaging prospects and showing them what campus life is all about, virtual visits are also necessary.
Multiple obstacles prevent some prospective students from traveling to visit their top choice schools. Whether it's money or location, a physical tour isn't possible. That's why offering virtual tours is vital. You must allow your audience to walk around your campus from anywhere in the world.
StudentBridge offers Virtual Campus Experience, a self-guided campus tour app. The app uses Google Maps to provide real-time information about the locations users visit. Text and audio highlight every stop and provide helpful information about the institution.
Your institution can also offer interactive campus maps. Instead of viewing a simple layout of the campus and surrounding areas, visitors to your website can get a feel for your school with 360-degree images of the academic buildings, athletic fields, and other facilities. They don't have to imagine what walking to class or around the quad feels like. They can experience it.
3. Get Everyone Involved with Virtual Events
You should continue offering in-person events for students, faculty, alum, and future enrollees. However, virtual events are also valuable for overcoming the limitations some prospective students face. Combining traditional on-campus events with immersive digital experiences offers something for everyone.
Instead of missing out on opportunities to communicate with current students and faculty about life on campus, attendees can participate in a virtual environment. Offer multiple segments during each event, allowing prospective students to attend question and answer sessions, tour the campus, or discuss academic programs with lecturers. They can choose sessions they're interested in to obtain more information and what aspects of the event they can skip.
Attract New Students and Drive Enrollment with Help from StudentBridge
An effective hybrid recruitment strategy can attract prospective students to your college and influence their enrollment decision. You'll be in a position to understand your target audience's behavior, connect with potential applicants, and boost enrollment numbers when you approach your marketing strategy correctly.
StudentBridge helps educational institutions create compelling and exciting content by incorporating unique features into their websites.
Request a demo or contact us at (678) 824-8181 to learn more about what we can do for your school.
