After keeping a close eye on the performance of our partners schools’ paid media campaigns in the first quarter of this year, Spark451’s digital marketing team has identified some critical trends and insights to share. While we know that enrollment managers like you are fully immersed in one of the most stressful seasons of the enrollment cycle (decision packages, on-campus and online yield events, spring visits, open houses, that looming May 1 deadline, oh my!), it’s never too early (or too late) in the cycle to make sure you’re on top of the latest digital strategies. Plus, the time to start planning for the upcoming fiscal year is just around the corner, so making sure that your marketing strategies are in line with target audience behavior and trends is critical.

Here’s a quick rundown of the most important digital media trends that need to be on your radar right now:

1. Lean Into Video Assets

The marketing industry has long been predicting that video consumption will be the main form of creative by 2022 — and they were right! According to eMarketer, estimates show that this year, “social network video ad spending will grow by 20.1% year over year to $24.35 billion, making up over one-third of total U.S. social network ad spending.” In house at Spark451, we’ve seen major growth in video over the past year, with video creative showing higher click-through rates (CTR) than static content ads on social networks. In fact, we’ve seen several video ads, which we have run as recently as last month, exceeding our CTR benchmarks by 147%!

"We estimate that in 2022, U.S. social network video ad spending will grow by 20.1% year over year (YoY) to $24.35 billion, making up over one-third of total U.S. social network ad spending."

- eMarketer, 2022

2. Use User-generated Content

It’s a TikTok world, and we’re just living in it! TikTok really brought to life the concept of user-generated content, and almost every social platform has tried to follow suit since. Users want to be able to see the “real” deal; the “behind-the-scenes” view of whatever they’re exploring.

Are your student ambassadors running campus tours? Have them take a video snippet of a tour or a favorite location on campus. Get clips from sports events, open houses, or arts festivals — make sure you’re showing the campus in the most authentic way possible, because users often see through the polish of traditional ads. There’s still a use case for traditional ads, but 2022 is shaping up to see a turning point in increased user-generated content in the ad space.

3. Consider Connected TV

Connected TV (CTV), which allows you to stream your favorite shows and watch live TV on your smart device, became a household name at the height of the pandemic, and it remains just as popular as we attempt to transition into a post-pandemic world. CTV enables us to watch content on any device connected to the internet. With that comes the ability to advertise using video ads, in the same way commercials run on linear TV. The difference is that we can now run video ads across a variety of popular platforms and devices, such as Roku, AppleTV, Samsung, Fire Stick, XBox, and any smart TV. Additionally, we’re able to target more precisely by using data from Oracle, Nielsen, and other data sources which help us identify our very niche audiences. The biggest difference? It’s all measurable. You’ll be able to see impressions, eCPM, view-thru rates, and you’ll even have the ability to retarget users who have watched your video ad!

According to a recent Forbes article, which calls CTV the “fastest-growing video advertising platform,” “80% of TV households have at least one connected TV device (a penetration higher than cable TV).” Frankly, CTV is the most critical digital marketing tactic that higher education institutions are missing out on right now — and they need to start adding it to their marketing plans!

"CTV is the most critical digital marketing tactic that higher education institutions are missing out on right now — and they need to start adding it to their marketing plans!"

4. Bow Down: TikTok Ads are 👑

If you haven’t dabbled in TikTok Ads yet, you’re missing out on where your audience is reported to spend 25.6 hours per month (Hootsuite)! Spark451 has been running TikTok ads for our partner institutions since late 2020, and the platform keeps outperforming in engagement rates compared to Snapchat and Instagram. It’s a great tool for sophomore/junior brand outreach, brand and awareness campaigns, and event registration pushes. The secret to a successful ad? Well, you’ll have to reach out to us for that answer!

5. Access Live Insights

This last one is not a tactic or platform, but rather an absolute necessity to have in the world of digital marketing — a live dashboard to aggregate all platform data, such as ad campaign metrics and costs, on one screen that is always “on.” Constant access to this info will allow you to continually keep tabs on performance and easily identify opportunities for optimization. At Spark451, each of our paid media partners receives a live data dashboard with up-to-date analytics on all campaigns. Ad campaign performance fluctuates day by day; you should always be able to keep an eye on what’s going on!

To discuss specific ways to optimize your own institution’s digital marketing plans, please reach out. Our digital marketing specialists would be happy to discuss your current challenges and help you find budget-friendly solutions that will support your goals.