Education open days aren’t a new thing. Universities and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) run them every year to sell students on the perks of choosing their program and facility, such as career outcomes, peer and professional networks and the overall campus lifestyle.
So why are open days important? They give universities and RTOs a chance to showcase their facilities and campus, let students get a feel for what studying there will be like, generate interest from prospective students and, most importantly, encourage course applications. So it will come as no surprise that a clearly defined marketing schedule needs to be in place to deliver an effective open day and maximise attendance. We’ve done the grunt work for you with a step-by-step guide, so you can get straight to setting up your next open day for success.
Audience types
To target open day attendees successfully, it’s important to understand the types of audience who attend. Once you understand them, you can create relevant content tailored to each group’s interests, which increases your chances of converting prospects into applicants.
School leavers
This audience usually enrols in the February or March semester of the year after they finish high school. They are most interested in a general course overview and the campus facilities, including practical facilities for skills-based courses. They prioritise the campus’s location and its surrounds, including daily conveniences, restaurants, bars and local hangouts. School leavers care about the day-to-day, and will make their choice on that basis.
Their parents are an important sub-market because of their significant influence. Parents have different priorities when choosing a university or RTO, so it’s critical to cover both student and parent interests when marketing to school leavers. Parents are most interested in career outcomes, pathways to jobs and further study. Course costs and student testimonials also rank highly in the long-term view parents take.
Mature-age students
The July or August intake is mostly mature-age students with established careers. They often need to keep working full-time while they study, so they are interested in virtual campus tours and flexible learning options, including virtual classes and intensive learning. This audience typically falls into three groups:
- Hobbyists: students with a side hustle they want to grow or improve through study alongside their regular job. Flexible study options are critical so they can balance full-time work and family commitments.
- Career changers: prospects looking to change industry or role type. Study often feels risky for people with established careers, so it’s critical to show a clear career path aligned to the course. A “day in the life” example can reduce that sense of risk and give greater clarity about their future career.
- Career advancers: students who take on further study to advance their current career, perhaps for a promotion or a move to another company. They also need flexibility around work commitments, and will want course outlines and subject details so they can relate the study to their existing career and see how it will benefit them.
Event lead-up schedule
Marketing for an open day should generally begin six months before the event. There are critical, time-sensitive steps in the lead-up that generate leads and serve the overarching goal: getting prospective students to submit course applications.
Six months
The goal at this point is organic lead generation. Your website should be easy to navigate, with up-to-date information and event dates and details, and your social media content should reflect the target markets’ interests and priorities.
Three months
This is a great time to reach school students by giving guidance counsellors detailed material, so they can share your courses and open day details in their conversations with students. It’s also a time to offer scholarships, which are a serious incentive for students to consider your university or RTO.
Two months
Begin your digital marketing campaign. Use targeted search and social display advertising to promote student-specific content about entry requirements, facilities and the campus location, with a call to action to RSVP for the open day. This is also the time to start targeting parents with social media advertising. Location and demographic targeting, and search advertising, are all useful at this stage.
One month
This is a great time to step up your efforts with parents. The approaching event is also a good trigger to encourage students to start planning their attendance.
One week
Distribute critical event information, including maps, schedules, activations, competitions and tours, to build buzz and give prospects everything they need to plan their day and make the most of it. This is a perfect opportunity to encourage last-minute RSVPs.
Event day
Bring the event to life with giveaways, tours and other ways to spark conversation and make a memorable impression. Make sure it’s properly staffed with employees and volunteers carrying tablets, who can encourage prospects to apply for courses and guide them through the application in person.
After the event
Send an email the day after the event to thank prospective students for attending, reiterate the key messages for each target market and remind prospects to submit their course applications. It’s also an opportunity to explain how your university or RTO recognises prior learning.
That’s a wrap
Once the open day campaign is complete, you will have generated a significant number of student leads. Marketing automation lets you nurture those leads and run new campaigns in the lead-up to application deadlines. With what you learnt on the day, you can target those campaigns more closely to each prospect’s needs and encourage them to apply.
The lessons from our earlier guide, Marketing automation 101: the ultimate guide for the education sector, can be applied to this schedule to get the most from your lead nurturing.