More Marketing Is Not Always the Answer
Working in marketing, I've heard some version of this many times:
“Can we post it again?”
“Can we push more ads?”
“Can we make another flyer?”
The assumption is usually that if we need more people to take action, we simply need to do more marketing.
But sometimes the problem isn't that we aren't doing enough.
Sometimes we need to be more intentional about the marketing we're already doing.
More Exposure Doesn't Automatically Mean Better Results
Working in education has made this especially clear to me.
One of the strengths of the community college where I work is its position as the only community college in the British Virgin Islands.
But being the only one locally doesn't mean there's no competition.
Students can apply to larger universities and leave the territory, which means we're also competing internationally for their attention and enrollment.
So we can advertise across multiple platforms, create beautiful flyers and continuously post on social media.
But there's still a bigger question:
Are we actually reaching the right people?
Start With a Clear Goal
Instead of saying:
“We need more exposure.”
Ask:
“What are we actually trying to accomplish?”
Are we trying to generate more inquiries?
Increase applications?
Increase registrations?
Promote one particular program?
Reach a new audience?
A clear goal gives the marketing something to work toward.
Different Audiences Need Different Marketing
A college doesn't have one audience.
For example, high school students and working professionals may both be prospective students, but they're not necessarily looking for the same thing.
A high school student may be interested in dual enrollment opportunities.
A working professional may be looking for professional development or certification programs.
That means the message, platform and even the call to action may need to change.
Choose the Right Strategy
Once you understand who you're trying to reach and what you want them to do, you can make better decisions about how to reach them.
That might include social media, email, events, public relations or other channels that fit the audience and their needs.
The goal isn't to use every marketing channel available.
It's to use the ones that make sense.
More marketing isn't always better marketing. Purpose gives marketing direction.
Measure What Actually Matters
This is where we have to move beyond simply looking at how many people saw the marketing.
The original article identifies registrations, inquiries and applications as meaningful outcomes to measure.
So instead of only reporting:
“The campaign reached 20,000 people.”
we should also be asking:
How many people inquired? How many started or completed an application?How many actually registered?
Set a Baseline Before You Start
This is also where a baseline and target become useful.
For example, if a program normally generates X applications and Y registrations during a comparable recruitment period, those numbers become the baseline.
Then the team can establish a specific target for the next campaign and measure whether the marketing actually helped move those numbers.
A Marketing Plan Doesn't Kill Creativity
I think this is important because planning can sometimes sound restrictive, especially to creatives.
But a marketing plan doesn't have to restrict creativity.
It can give creativity direction.
When a flyer, advertisement, social post or campaign has a purpose and connects to a larger goal, the creative work has something meaningful to accomplish.
The Takeaway
Before creating another flyer or pushing another advertisement, ask:
What are we trying to accomplish, who are we trying to reach, and how will we know if it worked?
Sometimes you absolutely need more marketing.
Other times, you need to make the marketing you're already doing work harder and smarter.
Before You Post Another Flyer, Look at the Bigger Picture.
Marketing starts with understanding your brand, audience, goals and what's actually working.
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