Strategic Digital Excellence: Walsh College’s Path to Increased Enrollment

Walsh College, a respected higher education institution, partnered with Media Genesis over a span of six years to develop and optimize their digital marketing strategies. The goal was to enhance student enrollment, improve audience targeting, and maximize the efficiency of advertising spend through innovative tracking, analytics, and conversion optimization.

Challenges

1. Fragmented Tracking Systems: Walsh College initially lacked a comprehensive tracking mechanism for campaigns, which limited insights into ROI and audience engagement.
2. Highly Competitive Market: The higher education sector’s reliance on Google Ads and other platforms resulted in significant cost-per-click (CPC) pressures.
3. Geographic Targeting Issues: Initial efforts needed refinement to optimize results across regional and national campaigns.

Solutions Implemented

Enhanced Tracking, Analytics, and Conversion Strategies

• Tracking Integration: Implemented GCLID tracking through Salesforce and Google Tag Manager (GTM) for end-to-end campaign tracking.
• Customized Dashboards: Created real-time dashboards showcasing KPIs such as ROAS, cost-per-lead (CPL), and conversion rates.
• Conversion Optimization: Shifted strategies to maximize conversion values rather than merely optimizing for conversions.
• Metrics Achieved:
  • Over 20% increase in conversion rates within the first 6 months.
  • Reduced CPL by 15% year-over-year.
  • ROAS consistently achieved a ratio of 5:1 across campaigns.

Audience Pool Development

• Established over 3,400 custom and first-party audience pools using platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, and Google.
• Expanded lookalike audiences and custom term-based audiences to increase engagement.
• Metrics Achieved:
  • First-party audience engagement increased by 30%.
  • 25% higher CTR on campaigns using enhanced audience pools.

Platform-Specific Strategies

• Google Ads: Conducted elaborate keyword audits, segmented campaigns, and implemented audience signals. Utilized structured snippets, sitelinks, and Google Business integration.
  • Metrics Achieved:
    • Reduced CPC by 18% through keyword optimizations.
    • Increased search impression share by 10% year-over-year.
• Meta Ads: Focused on interactive ad formats (e.g., 15-second videos and stories) to engage middle-of-funnel users and retarget effectively.
  • Metrics Achieved:
    • 40% increase in middle-of-funnel engagements.
    • 12% growth in retargeted lead conversions.
• Reddit Ads: Targeted niche communities and interests to build trust and credibility.
  • Metrics Achieved:
    • Achieved 8% CVR on subreddit-targeted campaigns.
• TikTok Ads: Developed 22-second or shorter video clips to emphasize originality and values, leveraging influencer collaborations for organic and paid growth.
  • Metrics Achieved:
    • 50% higher engagement on influencer-led campaigns.
    • Reduced video ad CPC by 20% compared to industry benchmarks.
• Microsoft Ads: Extended reach to Bing and Yahoo properties with lower CPCs and integrated LinkedIn data for additional insights.
  • Metrics Achieved:
    • 22% lower CPL on Microsoft campaigns compared to Google.

Geo-Targeting Refinement

• Shifted from broad targeting (statewide) to hyper-local strategies (zip codes, cities, and counties) for optimized results.
• Focused exclusively on physical location targeting to reduce media waste.
• Metrics Achieved:
  • Increased lead quality by 15% with hyper-local campaigns.
  • Achieved 25% higher conversion rates in geo-targeted regions.

Key Results

1. Improved ROI: Transitioned Walsh College to a ROAS-driven strategy, significantly enhancing tangible results from digital campaigns.
2. Enhanced Audience Reach: Developed and deployed advanced audience pools, driving engagement and enrollments.
3. Optimized Budgets: Reduced media waste through precise targeting and automated exclusion processes.
4. Forecasting: Integrated seasonality, competitor analysis, and audience insights to predict outcomes and allocate budgets effectively.
5. Increased Efficiency: Streamlined processes for ad creation, asset collection, and performance tracking, reducing campaign setup times.
6. Quantifiable Success:

• • Over 1,000 new student inquiries generated per month.
  • Year-over-year enrollment increases of 8% through digital campaigns.
    

The Walsh College partnership highlighted Media Genesis’ ability to navigate complex challenges in the higher education sector. By leveraging data-driven insights, innovative strategies, and seamless execution, Media Genesis delivered impactful results that continue to inform best practices for future clients. Contact us today to learn more about how we can elevate your institutions digital marketing!