Email Marketing to College Students for Higher Education

Many people still think email marketing is only for sales team members and marketers. This is not the case! Email marketing is currently the cornerstone of all formal digital communication; email marketing to college students is no exception. 👨🏻‍🎓

• Why Email Marketing Matters for Higher Education?
• Building an Effective Email Strategy
• Key Elements of High-Performing Emails
• Automation and Technology in Email Marketing
• Tips for Effective Email Campaigns in Higher Education
• Wrap-Up
• FAQs
• All you need to know about Email Marketing on CUFinder

In this blog, I will discuss the importance of email marketing to college students and what to consider when using it.

Why Email Marketing Matters for Higher Education?

Email marketing has long been a tool for connecting students with universities and higher education institutions. Even with the advancement of technology and the market conquest of social media platforms, email is still the main and formal way of communication between these two. 📧

Using this channel, colleges can create personal and effective interactions that go beyond traditional methods. 

Let’s explore some of the reasons why email marketing is essential for students here. 👇🏼

🔹 Current Trends in Higher Education Marketing

Universities are becoming more transparent and trustworthy in a world dominated by digital technologies. Email marketing is a priority in their marketing strategies. 

Of course, it cannot be hidden from the fact that many of them integrate their email campaigns with social media and, of course, other channels to reach new generations.

🔹 Advantages of Email Marketing

Email marketing has the highest personalization potential among other marketing methods. It is also very cost-effective, with a $1 for $42 return on investment by 2024. Universities can engage with and strengthen their relationships with students through segmentation and appropriate messaging.

🔹 Enhancing Engagement and Communication

Email marketing can be the best way to inform higher education candidates about scholarships, programs, campuses, research opportunities, contact information for various professors, etc. 

From an organizational perspective, it simplifies access and allows universities to effectively promote new initiatives, such as academic programs or funding opportunities.

🔹 Data and Practical Benefits

Studies have shown that Gen Z, the majority of graduate school applicants, uses email regularly and considers it a reliable way to communicate with higher education institutes. Well-thought-out campaigns with engaging, interactive content and personalization create higher levels of engagement for the target student, precisely aligning with Gen Z’s preferences.

Building an Effective Email Strategy

But how can you build a well-performing email strategy for the students?

A carefully worked out scheme that integrates the three main factors, namely, planning, execution, and evaluation, respectively. In this section, we take you through the processes involved in doing so. 👇🏼

1. Clearly Define Your Goals

Clearly define the purpose of sending emails. The events that are to be held, course enrollments that need to be done, etc., having clear goals gives direction and allows for measuring success.

2. Know Your Audience

Research the demographic features, preferences, and behaviors of your target students. Segment students into future students, registered students, and alumni to understand the unique needs of each so that messaging can be directed appropriately.

3. Create the Messaging Framework

Build out a content calendar that matches your strategy. Create. Define email tempo: informational, promotional, or transactional – and map those emails against key milestones in the student journey, like admissions deadlines or exam schedules.

4. Design a Professional Template

Template designs are your email campaign’s brand representation in a visually appealing manner. Make sure that the emails are fully responsive on mobile since most students receive and read them on their phones. 

5. Personal and Automation

Personalization encourages engagement. Address the recipients by their names, mention their interests or activities, and use data-driven insights in your content to make it relevant. Automate timely emails to trigger when students take or complete an action.

6. Testing and Refinement

Test your emails readability, design, and cross-device performance. A/B test on the subject line, CTA, and layout to understand what’s useful to your audiences are some procedures you can do.

7. Measure and Repeat

Run analytics on your campaign performance based on open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Take this insight seriously to make sure that the next one will be much better.

8. Feedback

You could ask your students what they liked and didn’t like, and how they feel about your emails. Such feedback ensures that your strategy changes along with the expectations of the students.

Key Elements of High-Performing Emails

High-performing emails require a balance between engaging design, targeted content, and clear objectives. In this section, I will explore five essential elements that can help turn your email campaigns into powerful tools for engagement and conversion. They enable universities to communicate effectively and engage with prospective students for further education.

1. Personalization and Relevance

The first component and condition of successful email marketing, not just for students, but for everyone, is personalization. It’s crucial to first research the person you’re trying to reach. 

I don’t just mean knowing their name and using it at the top of your email; you need to personalize your email content based on their preferences, interests, behavior patterns, and other characteristics, such as demographics. Using this data, you can create more engagement and make the customer feel unique and valuable to you.

There are several ways to get this data, such as using LinkedIn or, better yet, using platforms like CUFinder, which can help you personalize your email in less than a few minutes with 98% accuracy and a massive database covering over 419 million people and 269 million companies.

2. Creating Compelling Subject Lines and Preview Text

Subject lines and preview text are the first impressions of your email. A short, strong subject line can be very catchy and convey a sense of urgency or curiosity. 

Complete it with well-crafted preview text that reinforces the value offer of the email. These elements act as a gateway, encouraging recipients to explore the email further.

3. Mobile Responsive – First Approach and Accessibility

I mentioned above that the target demographic for colleges’ email marketing is Gen Z and soon Gen Alpha. Given that smartphones are an integral part of their lives, it’s essential to design your email campaigns to be displayed on the smaller LCDs of mobile devices. 

This includes responsive layouts, easy-to-read fonts, and interactive touch elements. Accessibility features like alt text for images, high-contrast color schemes, and readable text sizes ensure readability, cover different audiences’ needs and maximize accessibility.

4. Content Strategy- Balancing Informative and Engaging Elements

You need to balance informative elements with visual appeal to keep the recipient engaged. Remember to keep your email short, use bullet points, and as many headings as possible to make it easy to scan. 

Incorporate storytelling, descriptions, or interactive elements like surveys or quizzes to increase engagement. Informative content is the power of email, and attractive content is the element that keep your recipients engaged

5. Call-to-Action (CTA) Placement and Effectiveness

CTAs are the force behind conversions in any email campaign. They should be eye-catching, well-placed, visually distinctive, and use actionable language like “Get Started” or “Learn More.” 

But remember to avoid overusing them as it can backfire and cause decision fatigue and distraction. Also, make sure the CTA links directly to a relevant landing page for a seamless user experience.

Automation and Technology in Email Marketing

Well, yes, email marketing is the oldest marketing method after cold calling (that is still practical), and many even doubt its effectiveness. But who says you should use it like you did twenty years ago? 

For years, automation has changed how higher education institutions engage with future and current students. It improves email communication, streamlines the process, and delivers the most relevant emails to the right audience at the right time.

Let’s discuss its benefits a bit more. 👇🏼

Email automation makes higher education much more scalable and efficient. It allows you to target a large audience at once and save on resources. These systems nurture their relationships with leads through targeted, relevant messages sent during critical application deadlines, campus events, etc.
Automation continues to support retention efforts by keeping students up to date with reminders, updates, and relevant, personalized content that engages them.

Examples of Automated Workflows

1. Welcome emails: Introduce a student to the institution and available resources when they subscribe to your mailing list.
2. Event reminders: Open sessions, webinars, or any other date with a specific deadline.
3. Application follow-up: Automated responses based on incomplete applications or next steps after applying.
4. Student retention campaigns: Reminders about registration, academic success resources, or financial aid timelines. This type of workflow aims to improve the student experience with timely and regular correspondence.

CRM and Email Marketing Platforms

Success in automation depends heavily on choosing the right tool. CRMs like Salesforce Education Cloud and HubSpot integrate with email platforms to help manage data and execute campaigns.

Email marketing tools like Mailchimp and Element451 offer AI-powered segmentation, analytics, and personalization. It allows institutions to track engagement, refine their strategy, and optimize ROI.

Tips for Effective Email Campaigns in Higher Education

Email marketing can become a really strong tool in engaging students, faculty, and alumni, as well as applicants to an institution of higher education. A well-thought-through email campaign will drive enrollment, foster community, and reinforce an institution’s brand.

Here are some general tips that may be considered in executing effective email campaigns in higher education. 👇🏼

Wrap-Up

Email marketing to college students is a dynamic and powerful force for higher education institutions. By understanding some of the characteristics and preferences of this demographic, colleges and universities can send messages that resonate, engage, and inspire to reach their email marketing goals.

Customized content, engaging topics, and data-driven methods – the art of email marketing – are to elevate higher education marketing. Just as digital communications are constantly evolving, so will strategies and practices in the email marketing industry, and there are endless possibilities for ways to Engage and captivate your next-generation audience.

FAQs