How LinkedIn Conversation Ads Are Increasing Engagement in Higher Ed Digital Marketing
LinkedIn conversation ads serve as a powerful tool for higher education institutions to engage with prospective students in a personalized and interactive way. This direct communication allows universities to showcase their unique offerings in one place and establish a rapport, ultimately leading to more informed decisions and higher enrollment rates. Viv team Members Audra Delaney-Hall and Emily Yanchuck recently connected to discuss these important tools further, you can tune in here!
We’ve seen this work with our clients in the higher education space. Here’s an example of what a conversation ad might look like:
Better Understand Your Audience
Understanding your audience’s goals and intentions is a top priority. Infusing LinkedIn conversation ads into your higher education digital marketing plan can show you which CTAs your audience is clicking and how interested they are in specific topics. This helps you tailor your marketing strategies more effectively.
Beating Ad Fatigue
With other ad types, frequency is a concern due to a small pool and low engagement. Users get tired of seeing the same higher education ads served to them over and over again, which can cause ad fatigue for both users and the institutions creating the content. Unlike retargeting ads, LinkedIn conversation ads allow you to push an ad once while keeping it at a high level of awareness. Conversation ads sit at the top of a prospective student’s inbox, even if they haven’t engaged with the ad yet, serving as a great top-of-mind tool without building ad fatigue.
Additionally, within this single ad, you can share all resources. By offering multiple conversion options, you can help guide people at different mid-points of the funnel down by allowing them to download a brochure, chat with an advisor, etc. These ads stay at the top of the user’s inbox, so prospects can engage with the content multiple times when they’re ready. Overall, LinkedIn conversation ads create a more personalized and effective user experience for prospective students to learn more about your institution and are a great addition to your higher education digital marketing plan.
Best Practices
Be Intentional with CTAs
The most popular CTAs in conversation ads are brochure downloads and course delivery information. In general, CTAs should be kept to a minimum. There should be one ideal action you want a prospective student to take from the ad, and each message should have 1-2 button options.
Choose a Strategic Sender
Prospective students generally respond better when they receive a message from a verified university representative. Examples of senders include faculty, enrollment team members, or the LinkedIn company page of your institution.
Think About Messaging ‘Layers’
With conversation ads, each CTA path and message acts as a ‘layer’, including the introduction message. It’s essential to make sure all of your messaging layers include useful information for prospects. You also want to strategically think about how these layers work together as an overall conversation.
Steer Clear of These Mistakes
Overlooking Target Audience
Failure to understand your target audience can lead to incorrect messaging tactics. Make sure your messaging is concise and straightforward in reaching your target demographic.
Being Too Salesy
Conversation ads should prioritize engagement and interaction over direct sales pitches. Avoid being overly promotional, as it can deter prospective students.
Lack of Personalized Content
Generic messaging can disengage users. Tailor your conversation ads to individual preferences and behaviors whenever possible.
Best Practices Applied
Remember our example from the beginning? This is an example of a strong conversation ad that encompasses all of the qualities a prospective student is looking for.
Note the different paths prospective students can take with various CTAs, personalization within the messaging, and ideal message length. Incorporating these best practices is an easy, foolproof way to yield the best engagement for your LinkedIn conversation ads.
Need Help?
If you’re looking to dive into marketing your alternative credentials but aren’t sure where to begin, we’re here to help! Send us an email or schedule a call for more strategies to get the ball rolling.