Pay per click lets you create ads and bid on certain words and phrases. The higher the bid, the more likely your ads will show up at the top of the search, which is the perfect place for your school to be!
PPC is part of any healthy digital marketing strategy and can help your higher institution generate traffic quickly. In fact, with a Google AdWords account, you can start generating qualified traffic in just a few minutes!
You can’t rely on PPC alone because it’s so expensive, but you should have a place for it in your digital marketing strategy. Below are our top PPC advertising tips to take your efforts to the next level.
Improve Specific Campaigns
If you’re launching a short-term campaign, such as getting more students to attend an open house, PPC is a great way to generate buzz. It only takes 24-48 hours to create a pay per click campaign and you can adjust your ad based on the results you’re seeing. If you notice that only students within a 35 mile radius are responding to your open house, you can edit your messaging and targeting options to fit this audience.
Focus on Brand Awareness – Not Selling
PPC helps online businesses sell more products and services. However, a college education doesn’t work this way. It takes weeks, months, and sometimes even years for prospects to make a decision. In this case, pay per click can be used for brand awareness. Using PPC ads, you can introduce your school to prospects, increase visibility, and align your programs for better quality leads.
Dominate in Your Niche
What sets your school apart from others? If you have highly specific keywords that apply to your programs, you can use pay per click to dominate this niche. For example, “psychology courses” is a common phrase that many schools use. It’s an expensive keyword to bid on, and there’s no guarantee that you will rank for it. “Hybrid psychology courses” or “4-year hybrid psychology classes” are more specific and easier to rank for.
Remarket to Qualified Prospects
Remarketing is a powerful tool for higher institutions because it takes a long time for students to convert. A platform like AdWords lets you create audiences of the people who have visited your website. You can think of these people as soft leads. Remarketing lets you to target these individuals by showing them personalized ads, images, and videos that keep your school fresh.
Final Thoughts
Pay per click is not something to rely on entirely, but it should be a part of your digital marketing strategy. With PPC, you can create campaigns and start seeing results right away, which is different from the slower-growing organic traffic that comes from blogs and other forms of content. By following the tips above, you can make the most of PPC and set your higher institution up for success.
