Big Universities Are Spending Up On Advertising But There May Be A Better Way

Colleges and Universities have always spent money on advertising, but not many people realize exactly how much. It is hard to turn on a televised collegiate sporting event without seeing an ad for one of the schools involved in the contest. Similarly, you would be hard-pressed to google “four-year university” without then seeing ads for local colleges in your area. Advertising is a big deal for Universities, and recently, schools have been spending up. 

According to an article on The Hechinger Report, “colleges and universities spend between $429 and $623 per enrolled student, per year, on marketing.” Depending on the size of your university, the number of new students you are currently courting, and the wide net you are potentially trying to cast in the hopes of attracting new students, these costs can add up quickly.

But how much money does this cost per student really translate to? There are brand consulting companies that closely monitor how much universities are spending on things like advertising. One such company called Kantar estimates that schools spent a collective $2.2 Billion in 2019, a 20% increase from the $2 Billion spent in 2018. 

Why Are Universities Spending So Much On Advertising To Prospective Students

Believe it or not, college enrollment is actually declining, and it’s not just due to the recent Covid-19 pandemic. According to an article produced by the Center For American Progress, “annual undergraduate enrollment across all institutions of higher education fell by 1.25 million students, [between the 2014-15 and the 2018-19 academic year], a decline of 5 percentage points.”

Universities are now facing a catch-22. Do you overspend on advertising in the hopes that it attracts new students? Or, do you scale back and hope that students come to you organically? If neither of those choices seems like a good answer to the problem of how to advertise effectively, there is a third option. 

Will Spending Up On Advertising Really Help My School Target New Students?

Not all advertising is created equal. Especially in the modern age, simply creating and publishing an ad isn’t enough. The efficacy rate for targeted ads vs. non-targeted ads is drastically higher. In fact, a paper produced by the Network Advertising Initiative revealed that “the study found behaviorally-targeted advertising is more than twice as effective at converting users who click on ads into buyers.”

So how does this apply to Universities? It means that you need a team who understands how to achieve maximum yield for your budget spend, a team like the one you’ll find at Bible College Online.

How Will Working With Bible College Online Increase Visibility For My Christian University?

Teaming up with Bible College Online is the premier method for advertising as a Christian University. For one thing, signing up with Bible College Online is completely free, which means you’re already ahead of your budget!

Secondly, our team at Bible College Online generates high intent enrollment leads using organic search content to achieve your goal of exceeding your market spend. We do this by matching students with Universities that are aligned in their faith-based values and academic objectives. 

Very simply, working with Bible College Online is one of the best ways to get prospective students acquainted with your Christian University. Not only does Bible College Online feature schools in our yearly 100 Best Christian Colleges Ranking, but it also works as your partner to target prospective students using organic search leads that result in real connections with high-intent users. 

For more information about Bible College Online and all of the benefits, we can offer your Christian University learn about the unbeatable benefits of joining forces with our team here.

Advertising for your college doesn’t have to be all about the bottom line. Bible College Online allows you to focus on the important parts of your school, like academic advancement, student improvement, and while we handle growing your business. Team up with Bible College Online today and let us find you the best candidates who will bring new vibrance, provocative intelligence, and undeniable excellence in a way that will truly elevate every aspect of your Christian University.

Sources:

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-postsecondary/reports/2020/09/28/490838/time-worry-college-enrollment-declines-among-black-students/
https://hechingerreport.org/with-competition-up-enrollment-down-colleges-are-spending-billions-on-marketing-and-advertising/
https://www.networkadvertising.org/pdfs/NAI_Beales_Release.pdf