With an increase in the price of continuing education offerings, especially certificate programs, continuing education programs are having to be more proactive about student recruitment.
Student recruitment includes three phases – Lead Generation, Lead Nurturing and Closing the Sale. The following are strategies for each phase.
Phase 1. Lead Generation
-Ask present student for referrals.
-Sell directly to businesses with employees in need of the certificate. One way to know the businesses to contact is by knowing which businesses are already sending employees to what certificate programs.
-Employ social media postings and eMarketing campaigns to existing students and inquiries. Using video and other media highlight the importance of the content and why your option is the best.
-Utilize digital marketing/advertising with relevant and interesting content as the draw. You provide content such as a white paper, and the potential student provides contact information to get content.
-Frontline staff gather leads from calls and other forms of communication.
Phase 2. Lead Nurturing
-Anyone who has shown interest and/or you believe might be interested is added to a drip campaign. For example, they receive over four months monthly email communications with new content highlighting the importance of what is being taught in the certificate program. Tools like Hubspot are helpful for building and managing drip campaigns.
-Instructors are utilized to contact potential students who you believe are warmer leads.
-Anyone who has shown interest and/or you believe might be interested is asked to provide feedback on ways to improve the certificate program. You are engaging them so they a) understand the certificate program is more customized and b) if they respond, they have a greater level of interest.
-Share information about student successes. Share numbers, such as the percentage of students who get a job or promotion because of the certificate program. This may also be the time to use apprehension tactics …if you do not participate in this certificate program, you will not be prepared for the changes in your field.
-Invite them to a free webinar on a topic that will be covered in the certificate program.
Phase 3. Closing the Sale
-Get the potential student to attend an information session. Face-to-face is better than online, but either way this is a chance to determine their level of interest.
-Provide a discount for purchasing the whole certificate program instead of one course at a time. Normally up to 25%.
-Get them into the first course (could be with a discount) and then have in place (normally with Operations Team) follow-up where students are encouraged to sign up for additional courses, thus to complete the certificate program.
-Make sure the student or potential student has a person they can contact for any questions they might have.
-Have a student who has completed the certificate program contact a potential student and share why the certificate program was valuable.
Whether you use any of the above strategies or have strategies of your own, to sell higher-dollar programming you need to put in place lead generation, lead nurturing and sale closing recruitment strategies.