5 Tactics for Engaging Mobile-First Students with Digital Marketing

In today’s higher education landscape where enrolment numbers are unpredictable and student expectations are evolving, Australian universities can no longer rely on outdated engagement methods.

With proposed caps on international student enrolments and rising competition for recruitment numbers across the education sector, institutions must enhance student communications at every stage of their journey.

Enter digital marketing—the key to connecting with prospective students, faculty, and alumni through their preferred mediums, wherever they are.

In mobile-first environments, email marketing and SMS marketing are leading the charge, offering complementary touchpoints to traditional marketing and customer service channels that together create a more impactful, personalised experience.

This holistic approach is especially critical as time-pressed university departments seek marketing platforms that prioritise security, reliability, and ease of use.

Multichannel Marketing: A Strategic Imperative in Education

In a saturated market where students have a seemingly endless variety of post-secondary school options—including vocational training, online courses, and international study—universities must find ways to differentiate themselves.

Social media marketing provides a platform to showcase unique programs, cutting-edge field research, and campus culture. However, the long-term success of recruitment efforts hinges on strategy, timing, and relevance—areas where a multichannel marketing strategy, incorporating email, social and SMS, truly excels.

5 Effective Digital Marketing Tactics for Higher Education

Beyond recruitment, email and SMS marketing can improve alumni relations, strengthen employee communications, enhance an institution’s brand, support fundraising efforts, and cultivate a vibrant academic community—all in a targeted, cost-effective way.

To harness the full potential of omnichannel marketing, universities should adopt strategies that prioritise relevance, engagement and trust:

1. Aim for Deep Personalisation Beyond First Names
Personalisation transcends generic greetings—it's about delivering content tailored to individual interests, preferences and roles within the academic ecosystem. Leverage data on their program, year or interests and behavioural data such as website activity to create targeted and highly relevant messaging. A prospective student interested in engineering might receive updates about faculty accomplishments in the field, while current students could benefit from stress management tips during exam season and a graduating student looking at postgraduate website content would likely welcome an invitation to an MBA information event.

2. Leverage Automation with a Human Touch

Automation helps university marketers streamline communication and reduce administrative burdens, but maintaining a human touch is essential. Automated email sequences triggered by actions such as event registrations or curriculum downloads can provide timely, personalised follow-ups that feel relevant to each student. SMS automation further enhances engagement by sending reminders for tasks like completing surveys, offering direct, immediate communication. To maximise effectiveness, it’s also important to build flexibility into your automation, allowing you to adapt as needed.

3. Deliver Value through Storytelling

Don’t underestimate the power of an expertly-crafted newsletter to boost your engagement rates. In fact, Vision6’s email marketing metrics show that the education and training industry achieves an impressive average open rate of 46% (October 2024), well above the industry average. Focus on providing real value by incorporating multimedia elements, interactive surveys, and giveaways to enhance engagement. The goal is to create emails that recipients look forward to opening each time, whether they’re on a desktop, tablet or mobile device.

4. Use Sophisticated Segmentation for Precision Targeting
Segment audiences based on engagement levels or past behaviour, not only their demographics. For example, alumni who have previously donated can be invited to exclusive supporter events, while postgraduate students can be targeted with research opportunities. Segmentation allows you to meet each group’s unique needs, fostering a sense of connection with the university’s mission. It’s particularly important to segment when rolling out SMS campaigns as sending irrelevant messages via this medium will drive up unsubscribes and spam complaints.

5. Make Data Security a Top Priority in Your Marketing Campaigns

Finally, transparency in data usage, clear opt-in and opt-out processes, and strict adherence to privacy policies are non-negotiable for Australian universities. Handling personal data requires unwavering commitment to compliance and regulations, including the Spam Act 2003, the Privacy Act 1988 and its amendments, and GDPR requirements for international stakeholders. To minimise compliance risks and enhance data security, universities should consider partnering with providers that store data securely on-shore. Beyond legal obligations, safeguarding data is fundamental to maintaining the trust of students, staff, and alumni.

Tip: Partnering with digital marketing platforms like Vision6, which prioritise security and store data locally, enables universities to meet regulatory requirements and take a proactive approach to student privacy concerns.

Vision6: Empowering Universities Through Secure Email & SMS Marketing

As a locally-based and operated platform, Vision6 is a strategic partner for  Australian educational institutions seeking to elevate their email and SMS marketing efforts. Here's how Vision6 supports the unique needs of the education sector:

• Command Centre for Unified Oversight: Manage multiple departments or faculties seamlessly, ensuring consistent messaging and branding across the entire university.
• AI Content Assistant for Intelligent Engagement: Leverage artificial intelligence to craft content efficiently that resonates with specific audience segments, enhancing relevance and open rates.
• Dedicated Local Support and Training: Benefit from a Brisbane-based support team that understands the local education landscape, providing timely assistance and tailored training on the latest requirements. For example, Vision6 can walk your team through creating emails that comply with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, ensuring your communications are inclusive and accessible.
• Robust Data Security Measures: With data stored on Australian servers and compliance with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 standards, Vision6 offers a secure environment for all email marketing activities.

Transform Student Engagement Through Digital Marketing Anytime, Anywhere

To succeed in higher education, universities must create meaningful connections with students and staff, wherever they are, on any device.

If you're eager to elevate your institution's communication strategy, start a free trial and see how Vision6 can boost your application rates, engagement and retention.

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