We all know that colleges and universities are a business. You want to make money, and you want to attract good students. That’s why admissions officers spend so much time trying to figure out what high schoolers are looking for in a university or college—but also overlook asking why students wanted to attend the university or college upon their enrollment.
This article will examine why one key free market research detail is so important and how you can go about getting it to help with future marketing efforts. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Why You Need to Ask Future Students Why They Enrolled
I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying: “You can’t sell what you don’t know.”
This is why your school needs to ask about why students are enrolling. It’s free market research on proven conversions that show how you get people to go from prospective to actual students. The more you know about your students, the better you can customize your marketing efforts to ensure that you attract more of the same students in the future.
To remain competitive, you need to understand what people are looking for in a college. You also need to be able to show prospective students how they’ll benefit from enrolling at your school. By asking students in orientation why they chose to enroll in the school, you get insight straight from the source without any additional cost.
Best Practices for Gathering Market Research from New Students
One of the best ways to conduct market research is to ask students directly. You can do this in two main ways: either during an interview with the student or in a survey they fill out.
Individual Interviews
If you’re interviewing a student, ask them about their reasons for enrolling and any other relevant information that might help you understand them better. For example, if the school has done an outreach campaign, ask students how that influenced their decision to enroll.
Use Automated Surveys
The other option is to give students a survey when they submit their enrollment paperwork or pay tuition fees. This can allow them to provide feedback on the selling point for students for your school. This is the golden ticket to more enrolled students in the future.
Best Questions to Ask Students Upon Enrollment
When doing market research, you have to ask students why they chose your school. You want to know what they like about it and what they don’t like. Students are your customers and asking them why they chose your school will help you understand what makes your school attractive, and what your marketing message should be.
You should also ask them how long it took them to choose your school—this can give you insight into how competitive your school is. Finally, ask them what other schools they looked at and what made them choose yours instead. This shows your direct competitors, or potentially direct competitors for their demographic. This helps you get some good, juicy data by asking your students why they chose you.
Why Asking Upon Enrollment is Necessary
The biggest problem with asking students what they think of your school after starting is that their excitement might have worn off. They might not be as excited about your school anymore, and the responses you get might be less relevant to marketing for prospective students. That’s why you need to ask them when they enroll, not before or after.
Let’s face it—students aren’t going to remember all the little details about your school once they get there and start taking classes, but if you ask them when they’re still excited about attending your school, then you’ll have those answers on hand forever! More importantly, you will have relevant insights that can be used to market to prospective students.
If you want to know why people remain at your school, ask your students for mid-year reviews. That will produce similar—but different—results that you can use to your advantage. However, first impressions only last for a brief period, so asking at the right time is essential.
Don’t Let Free Market Research Slip Away from You
I’m only going to say this once: when it comes to free market research, you only get a few chances to get the insight you want. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you ask the right questions and take advantage of this opportunity. The timing of your marketing research is imperative as a higher education institution!
When it comes to figuring out how to reach students and get this key insight from your new customers, you might not have all the tools you need. That’s why many people turn to companies like ours to take control of your marketing campaign to ensure it’s done well the first time. Book a complimentary strategy session today to workshop your marketing ideas, assess your efficiency, and get your firm on track for maximum results.
