Online recruitment of students from Spanish universities

During the last years the Spanish university space is becoming a sector with much greater competition and with a greater professionalization at the level of Marketing and online recruitment of future students.

Some data from the higher education Sector in Spain

As can be read in official documents of the Ministry of Education, the number of students enrolled, both in degrees and masters, has been growing over the last ten years. The number of undergraduate students enrolled in 2012-2013 reaches almost 1,050,000 students. On the other hand, the number of master’s students has been growing considerably, ranking almost 111,000 students enrolled in 2012-2013 (in 2006 they did not reach 16,000 students).

The competition is not only applicable to the private sector, which covers approximately 40% of university centres in Spain, although only less than 13% of the students have a cup. Public schools are increasingly offering more master programs that require an acceptable financial outlay from students and a piece of succulent cake.

Pillars of a successful online student recruitment strategy

Analyzing the data and the dynamics of the offer in Spain, both in the public and in the private sphere, it is ratified the need to have advanced strategies for the Online recruitment of future students. This phenomenon impacts both areas and, although the private sector is the most advanced in this aspect, also the public sector begins to move and try to monetize the academic resources destined to its new offer. Spain, at the level of Digital Marketing in the education industry, we can say that it is at an advanced average level, where as almost always, the Anglo-Saxon countries stand out with a somewhat different educational models, where the private sector tends to have More weight.

Faced with the need to do something different many universities are launching to execute actions in the digital world. However, many times they run without a clear strategic approach that allows them to advance and develop a successful online recruitment strategy for students in the medium and long term. This is where they can “skate”, since the need for shortsighted results can prevent university centers from separating the resources needed for their success.

And it seems that Digital Marketing is seen as the new mana of solutions to business problems. It may be the source of new solutions, but you have to know that behind every successful Digital Marketing strategy there is a lot of work and effort on the part of the perpetrators who execute them.

The strategic focus of a student recruitment strategy is like the lighthouse of a port for a boat, guiding us in our goal towards a successful destination, away from the jetties and rocks. In addition, it is necessary to be very clear, that like in a boat, it will be required (almost always) to adjust the course and to correct it as many times as it is needed, to arrive successful to port. Pivoting or slightly modifying the strategies makes us better suited to the environment and the problems that may arise, but always with a clear strategic focus.

A strategy with a high probability of success should take into account the following pillars:

1. Strategy -definition of strategy, where are we?, where do we want to go? And what are the steps to get there.
2. Brand Development – demand generation through actions whose objective is the effective range to our target demographic segment.
3. Performance (Results-oriented) – Online acquisition of the existing demand associated with our academic offer.
4. Design – design of digital Assets oriented and effective along with the ability to adapt them as many times as NECESSARY (AB Testing) to maximize the return on investment of our strategy.
5. Technology – Employ sales automation systems to generate the greatest possible impact, with a focus on people rather than on segments.
6. Web Analytics – Measurement of our digital actions to know the impact that generate and enhance those actions and strengthen those that do not have the desired impact.

In Digital Menta We specialize in the definition of Online recruitment strategies for future students. But our success depends on a more complete strategy where non-digital communication has a great weight. Without that strategic approach we are destined to fail and can reach the simplistic conclusion: “No, digital marketing does not work for the company X.” This conclusion is usually due to the lack of knowledge of digital marketing tools by the Enunciator, rather than to reality.

Currently we manage the strategies of several universities in Spain, Latam and US Hispanics.