Luck isn’t a marketing strategy (neither is hope, but that’s for a different newsletter). Plan ahead to meet Q2 enrollment and engagement goals.
✅ Build a Q2 content calendar (student success stories, faculty highlights, campus events) 📅 ✅ Batch-create content in advance to streamline outreach 🏆 ✅ Use seasonal themes like "Spring Enrollment" and "Campus Tour Season" 🌱 ✅ Repurpose existing content into new formats (webinar → blog → Instagram reel) 🔄
💡 Pro Tip: Use Asana, Trello, or Notion to organize your content calendar and Canva to create visually compelling social posts and infographics.
3. Give Your Website a "Spring Cleaning"
Your website is your digital campus—don’t let it feel outdated. Take a few minutes to freshen things up!
✅ Fix broken links & update program pages (dead-end links turn away prospects!) 🔗 ✅ Improve page load speed (dlow-loading sites = lost applicants) ⚡ ✅ Refresh top blogs & landing pages with stronger CTAs (Apply Now, Book a Tour) ✍️ ✅ Ensure your site is mobile-friendly (because students research on their phones 📱)
Stop throwing money at ads—make them work harder for student recruitment.
✅ Analyze Q1 ad performance—Which programs saw the best engagement? 📊 ✅ Test new ad creatives and messaging to reduce ad fatigue 🎨 ✅ Retarget past visitors (prospects who visited but didn’t apply? Bring ‘em back!) 🔄 ✅ Increase spend on platforms with the best ROI (Google, Meta, LinkedIn) 💵
Stop Wasting Ad Spend! 💸 PPC Tips for Smarter Spring Budgets
If you’re tired of throwing money at Google or Meta Ads with mixed results, these smart, budget-friendly hacks will help you lower your cost per click, increase conversions, and boost ROI.
1️⃣ Align Your Ads With Seasonal Enrollment Demand 🌱🚀
Spring brings key student decision moments, which means your ad copy and targeting should shift accordingly.
Example: A graduate program campaign
❌ Before: "Advance Your Career with a Master’s Degree" ✔️ After: "Spring Enrollment Closing Soon! Apply Today for Fall 2025"
2️⃣ Stop Bidding on Low-Intent Keywords 🚫💸
Not all traffic is good traffic! If your PPC costs are skyrocketing, but conversions aren’t improving, your keywords might be too broad. Instead, focus on long-tail, high-intent keywords that attract enrollees—not just casual browsers.
Example: If you’re promoting an MBA program
❌ Broad Keyword: "Business degree" (high CPC, vague intent) ✔️ Better Keyword: "Best part-time MBA for working professionals" (specific, conversion-focused)
3️⃣ Double Down on Retargeting & Lookalike Audiences 👥🔥
Students rarely apply on the first visit—bring them back with retargeting and expand reach with lookalike audiences.
Best Audiences to Retarget: ✔️ Prospects who started an application but didn’t submit: Remind them of deadlines. ✔️ Visitors to program pages (no action taken): Show them student testimonials. ✔️ Alumni who engaged with your content: Use lookalike audiences to find similar prospective students.
Game-Changing AI Marketing Tools to Watch (And Try Out!) in Q2 🤖💻
🔥 ChatGPT-4.5: AI Copywriting That Sounds Like Your Institution The world’s most used writing assistant just got an upgrade! ChatGPT 4.5 was released at the end of February, and ChatGPT-5 will be released mid-year. Unlike its predecessors, it now understands tone, audience nuances, and even brand-specific guidelines—meaning your content sounds less robotic and has your institution’s voice.
Prospective students expect fast responses, and if they don’t get them, they might move on to another institution. Drift offers AI-powered chatbots that engage visitors in real time, 24/7. It can answer FAQs, guide them through application steps, and even schedule meetings with admissions counsellors.
Want your program pages and blogs to rank higher? This AI tool scans top-ranking content in your industry and gives real-time recommendations on structure, keywords, and readability. Surfer SEO helps ensure every blog post or landing page is search-engine optimized before it even goes live.
Need a professional video that will help you advertise your institution and its programs? Create AI-powered videos with virtual avatars and lifelike voiceovers—perfect for admissions explainers, alumni interviews, or campus highlights. No expensive film crew required!
