Science in choosing a student recruitment agency.

Mitch Talenfeld

Go “Figure”: in marketing:

  • One plus one may not always equal two
  • Nothing is as simple as ABC
  • And what worked yesterday does not always work today

Algorithms and technology systems are continually changing. Data can be flawed. And numbers can be manipulated to reflect what the author of the report wants you to conclude.

Be wary of any marketing agency or “guru” who confidently claims to have all the answers. Listen intently to the team or person who asks the right questions and are willing to dig in and search for the answers.

And remember: It’s never the what. It’s always the who!

So, when you hire a marketing agency, look past the presentation and dig deeply into the people running and working at the agency. Particularly those who will be managing and working on your account. Do you trust them to do what is in your best interest?

You may be curious to the impetus behind our thoughts on choosing the right student recruitment agency. So, let us explain.

Prospective clients continually asked for an estimate on what the cost per student inquiry and the cost per student acquisition will be by campus location and by program or degree. Our answer, for the most part, is always the same.

We need to know more!

Understanding more about how you are presently managing the campaigns (getting access to search engine dashboards) and the historical metrics that have resulted from your efforts, gives us the information for a good basis to offer prospective clients future projections. Without your history and metrics, any marketing agency would only be guessing.

When a prospective client pushes for estimates, they are given forecasted estimates based on our experience with similar programs and locations. But anything guessed at is just that… a guess. And the fact is that the cost per inquiry and student acquisition in every geographical market and every program or degree will be different. Some of the variables include:

  • the institution’s reputation in each market
  • the programs they offer and job-demand by location
  • their competition near each campus
  • and more

So, when an agency confidently projects an ROI without any information about your institution’s marketing efforts, frankly, call bull$!##!

MDT Marketing offers a free mystery shop of your school’s student recruitment campaigns and will give you a complete breakdown of speed to lead (inquiry), messaging, channel breakdown, and effectiveness. Contact us today.