Dean College partnered with enrollmentFUEL to enhance student recruitment efforts for the 2022-2023 cycle, focusing on performing arts prospects and increasing yield among accepted students. Through a multi-channel digital marketing approach—including targeted display and social media advertising, retargeting campaigns, direct mail, and influencer marketing—the campaigns significantly outperformed industry benchmarks.
Key outcomes included 645,603 impressions and a 0.21% click-through rate (CTR) for the Performing Arts campaign, 722,760 impressions and a 0.24% CTR for the Retargeting campaign, and 134,330 impressions with a 0.34% CTR for the Yield campaign—all exceeding education industry averages. Additionally, the Influencer campaign drove 13,253 views and impressions, further expanding brand awareness.
These efforts successfully increased engagement, generated qualified inquiries, and strengthened Dean College’s enrollment pipeline. Future recommendations include expanding video content, conducting an SEM effectiveness study, and extending matchBACK tracking for deeper recruitment insights.
CLIENT-PARTNER NEEDS
Dean College, a private institution in Franklin, Massachusetts, sought to enhance its student recruitment efforts amidst ongoing challenges in higher education, including declining enrollment and increasing competition. The college aimed to improve engagement with prospective students interested in performing arts and increase yield among accepted students for the fall 2024 class.
CAMPAIGN PROMISES
enrollmentFUEL partnered with Dean College for the 2022-2023 recruitment cycle, executing three core digital marketing campaigns:
Performing Arts Mini-Campaign
- 2 months of display and social media advertising targeting prospective performing arts students
- Personalized landing page for lead capture
- Two months of matchBACK tracking
Yield Campaign
- 60 days of display and social media advertising targeting accepted students
- Personalized direct mail campaigns for students and parents
- Four months of retargeting advertising and matchBACK tracking
Influencer Campaign
- Five micro-influencers posting on Instagram and TikTok
- Content amplification across social media to increase engagement and website traffic
Campaign Collateral
CAMPAIGN SUMMARY
enrollmentFUEL implemented a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, leveraging targeted display and social media ads, retargeting, and influencer engagement to drive student interest. The campaigns were structured to not only generate inquiries but also nurture accepted students toward enrollment.
CONCLUSION
enrollmentFUEL’s data-driven approach successfully increased engagement and interest in Dean College among prospective students and their families. The digital campaigns outperformed industry benchmarks, with high engagement rates across all channels. Moving forward, recommendations include expanding digital strategies with additional video content, SEM effectiveness studies, and extended matchBACK tracking to further optimize recruitment efforts.