Today’s students expect a seamless, digital-first experience when researching universities. Traditional brochures and generic email campaigns no longer hold their attention. Instead, they seek mobile-friendly, interactive content that aligns with their academic interests and career goals.
Dynamic outreach is key. Students respond better to tailored information about specific degree programs that they are interested in rather than broad, one-size-fits-all institutional content. Detailed program descriptions, video content, and virtual events now shape their decisions, providing an authentic look at campus life and academic programs. Quick, accessible program information is a must-have in today's competitive landscape. Universities that fail to offer engaging, immediate, and student-centered digital experiences risk losing prospective students to competitors who do.
Although the world has increasingly converted to digital; every enrollment marketing team still recognizes the impact of in-person events and community outreach. Investing all of your resources into online advertising and SEO (search engine optimization) is not an effective strategy. Choosing what college to attend is quite different from deciding which brand of sneakers to buy.
Deciding what school to attend and what career to pursue is a major life decision. One that takes into account both the tangible and intangible factors. Making real-world connections and speaking with actual people is something that purely digital methods can't replicate. Even for less impactful decisions such as buying a car, meeting in-person with a brand representative to talk through and explore your options remains a mainstay in our society.
This is why cephiED is designed to blend the strengths of both approaches; in-person & digital. Your event marketing materials now have the power of your digital engagement tools. We do a different kind of SEO, we call it "Student Engagement Optimization". Now you can focus on meeting new prospects and building valuable relationships; and leave the forms, fields, spreadsheets, and metrics to us.
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In an era where sustainability and efficiency are paramount, higher education institutions face mounting pressure to reduce their environmental footprint while maintaining effective communication with prospective students, current enrollees, and alumni. Traditional printed marketing materials—brochures, flyers, and mailers—remain pervasive but come at an increasingly steep cost.
Not only do these materials contribute to deforestation, air pollution, and excessive waste production, but they also strain institutional budgets with expenses tied to paper procurement, printing, storage, and disposal. The environmental toll is equally staggering; pulp and paper manufacturing is the third-largest energy consumer in U.S. manufacturing and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. But improvements can be made; for example, Regis University reduced its print volume by 40% and saved $166,000 in just one year by modernizing its printing operations and outreach channels.
With digital solutions like cephiED, which transform static printed materials into dynamic digital experiences via linked interactive dashboards, outcomes can be dramatically enhanced while also cutting costs and environmental impact. By leveraging such tools, institutions can not only eliminate the waste associated with traditional print but also enhance engagement through personalized and trackable content. Behavioral science insights underscore the power of digital platforms to drive sustainable habits—students exposed to paper-saving initiatives during their academic journey often carry these practices into their personal preferences and professional lives.
Moreover, these digital tools provide flexibility and resilience; for instance, the University of Washington made a simple transition to electronic application reviews, saving thousands of reams of paper annually while improving efficiency and admission rates.
The shift from print to digital is more than a trend—it’s a necessity for institutions who want to remain competitive while being committed to sustainability and innovation. With tools like cephiED, higher education can join the broader movement of adopting eco-friendly practices while delivering cutting-edge engagement strategies that resonate with modern audiences. Why rely solely on costly, wasteful print when the future is at your fingertips?
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Amidst all the "death of print" talk, there can be misconceptions about its value in marketing to higher education audiences. When budgets are tight, justifying print costs can be hard. Here’s why it's still important.
Predicting the imminent demise of print started in the 1990's. We all know that print newspapers and magazines have indeed seen declines. The majority of Americans, especially Millennials and Gen Zers, are assumed to be too busy staring at screens to care much for the oldfangled paper. But, like Mark Twain, who famously said upon seeing his obituary: "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,"-- much the same could be said about the death of print.
In higher education, some campus offices have moved aggressively away from print to digital; others have not. This article argues that print should still be part of the marketing mix. The ratio of paper to digits should be guided by goals and target audiences-- who they are, where they get information, and how to move them to further action. But first, we need to cast aside assumptions, because even in this Digital Age, the research on audiences can be surprising.
Yes, the young and hip still read print
Print is still very much alive with pretty much every age-demographic, even those under 30. As Sean Callahan, senior manager of content marketing at LinkedIn says, "— the signs say print isn't dead, nor is it even on life support."
According to Salesforce (via e-Marketer), 56% ages 18-36 still read print. For Gen Xers (40-54) and older, it's 64% and higher. According to Statista, there are 224.6 million print magazine readers in the U.S. That's about 67% of the U.S. population-- not a small number. Interestingly, one of the highest circulation print magazines in the U.S. last year was Game Informer, with an average age demo of 18-35.
Should print still be used in recruitment and fundraising?
In the higher education realm, brochures, cards, and flyers remain a staple at student recruitment fairs. According to a 2018 survey by Noel, Ruffalo, Levitz, print brochures still make the top five resources that high school students say are most influential in their college decisions. 89% of college admissions recruiters believe print is effective.
For alumni and donor prospects, it makes even more sense, since the number of print readers scales up with age.
Add to the above factors the fact that email inboxes are usually way more cluttered than mailboxes. Print pieces also tend to hang around longer than emails and texts. Parents and students are known to keep college brochures around, even after they've made a decision. Magazines can sit on coffee tables or office desks for a long time.
cephiED gives you the best of both worlds
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