Visits are a powerful tool — this is not breaking news. What can get lost in the spring shuffle, though, are those first-time visitors. As we can see from our surveys, that first impression can be very powerful. Students who have visited will move through the funnel at a higher rate, and ultimately, be more likely to enroll.

Students who are visiting your campus want to connect with your institution. Prioritization — choosing how and when to spend resources to have the most impact on the right students — can be a challenge. A tool like Spark451’s Predictive Model can help use data, including campus visit and engagement metrics, to help you prioritize. Our predictive model analyzes several data points and segments students into categories with likelihood to enroll. In addition, Spark451 will identify student clusters that share common attributes, which can lead to new recruitment opportunities and segmentation.

Here are four ways to help optimize campus events:

Using a visit call-to-action is vital at every stage of the funnel. Make it clear that you want students and their families to visit you anytime that they are ready. If you have events geared toward specific audiences, make sure to clearly define that in your communication plan, and be purposeful in your messaging. Developing parent communication plans specific to events is also a great idea and something Spark451 is well-versed in, should you need assistance.

Remember the audience you are catering to and what steps you want them to take when they leave campus. For a spring open house, that may be filling out an application five months later, so how will you make sure they are ready to do that via targeted communications after their visit?

The visit incentive is becoming more prevalent at colleges and universities. From keychains to laptops, we have seen it all. But it is important to remember what you are trying to accomplish with these incentives. Are you looking to improve attendance, or looking to help your yield? Clearly outlining your goals for the event can help you determine not only if an incentive is appropriate, but also, if it is the right one to help you accomplish those goals.

Remember to be flexible, think outside the box, and make sure you are providing sessions that will be important to students and families. For example, not offering financial aid appointments last year, but instead offering large-scale financial aid Q&A opportunities at an admitted student day, when you know families will have a lot of the same questions. Always be true to who you are as an institution, but remember to have fun and be open to trying something new!