Here’s a quick one for you.
When marketing online programs to adult prospective students, it’s important to keep in mind that there are ultimately four core questions students have when evaluating your institution.
This reality was first taught to me by Steve Hodownes during my time at SNHU (2011 - 2015) and after leaving the institution I packaged them up into a simple framework I call: The Four Ps of Post-Traditional.
Here it is:
The Four Ps of Post-Traditional
#1 Program - Do you have my program?
#2 Price - How much does it cost?
#3 Pace - How fast can I finish?
#4 Probability - Can I / Should I do it?
For as complicated as the decision to go back to college can be, essentially all questions roll up to these four core pillars.
So it’s worth asking…
How is our marketing addressing these cornerstones of conversion?
The first three questions are objective and answers should be clearly communicated.
The fourth question is subjective, and in many ways is the secret to great marketing for online programs. It’s why graduation campaigns work; real student and alumni photography outperforms stock, and is the reason the bus tour campaigns were such a hit for SNHU.
So if you’re looking for an early win in 2022, step back and ask yourself…
Is our marketing addressing the 4ps?
Because when we ignore the core questions prospective students have, we shouldn’t be surprised when they don’t think our offering is the answer.
So take another look. See if there’s not an opportunity to more clearly address what post-traditional prospective students are ultimately asking for.
Chances are you may just uncover a quick way to dramatically increase conversion.
About the Author
Seth is the founder and CEO of Kanahoma, a San Diego-based education marketing agency. Operating at the intersection of beautiful brand creative and effective direct response marketing, Kanahoma partners with colleges and universities, education technology and service providers, as well as K-12 organizations.
You can learn more about Kanahoma at www.Kanahoma.com.