This put up was co-authored with Vaughn Shinkus.
digital-advertising-in-higher-education-recruitment-2020-2024-trends-and-student-perspectives”>digital promoting in increased schooling recruitment: 2020–2024 traits and pupil views
digital promoting: Male pupil sitting on steps his telephone” class=”wp-image-61441″ type=”width:500px” srcset=”https://www.ruffalonl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/RBermejo_Digital-Clicks_600.jpg 600w, https://www.ruffalonl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/RBermejo_Digital-Clicks_600-300×158.jpg 300w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px”/>Right this moment’s school search often begins with a scroll. College students meet their future alma mater whereas nonetheless in pajamas, thumb hovering over TikTok dorm excursions, YouTube “day-in-the-life” movies, and Instagram tales exhibiting all the things from campus squirrels to membership gala’s.
Whereas most school entrepreneurs acknowledge the significance of assembly college students in digital areas, knowledge present that many establishments are nonetheless catching up to pupil conduct.
Practically two-thirds of scholars use Instagram each day, but solely about half report seeing school content material of their feeds, in response to the 2025 E-Expectations Trend Report. That hole, between the place college students spend their time and the place schools spend their {dollars}, tells the true story.
Listed here are a number of different vital locations the place pupil conduct and institutional methods don’t align:
- College students dwell on TikTok and YouTube, however establishments proceed to speculate extra closely in Fb and Instagram.
- Retargeting and program-specific adverts carry out finest as a result of they really feel related, but many schools default to broad model campaigns.
- Search and AI-driven summaries are actually main sources of inquiry visitors, however seo stays underfunded or outdated.
Right this moment, practically each establishment had allotted a price range to digital channels, together with search adverts, Instagram, Fb, show adverts, YouTube, and extra (in response to our 2025 survey of marketing and recruitment practices). However sending {dollars} into platforms and not using a data-backed technique is a recipe for low return.
Channel utilization and effectiveness
Step one towards a wiser technique is aligning digital investments with college students’ levels of faculty planning. Timing issues.
- ninth graders are dreamers; they’re simply starting to think about school. That is the second for creative, curiosity-driven content material on TikTok and different rising platforms.
- tenth graders begin exploring and evaluating. Snapchat, X (previously Twitter), and BeReal are gaining affect as they search genuine glimpses of campus life.
- eleventh and twelfth graders shift into resolution mode. They’re extra prone to have interaction with YouTube, Instagram, and even Fb, the locations the place establishments focus most on deadlines, monetary support, and occasion promotions.
Let’s look at how school and pupil views align, and the place they diverge. This desk reveals the utilization and effectiveness of recruitment practices by recruitment professionals (taken from the 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report). The final column reveals the scholar perspective as captured by the 2025 E-Expectations Report.
| Channel | Utilization by Schools | Effectiveness | Scholar Perspective |
| Personal: 93% Public: 87% Two-Yr: 86% |
Personal: 94% Public: 90% Two-Yr: 100% |
63% of customers use Instagram each day, however solely 53% view school content material. | |
| Fb | Personal: 81% Public: 89% Two-Yr: 85% |
Personal: 77% Public: 76% Two-Yr: 100% |
Nonetheless seen, however much less influential than Instagram or TikTok. |
| YouTube | Personal: 81% Public: 66% Two-Yr: 57% |
Personal: 79% Public: 86% Two-Yr: 100% |
Campus vlogs and movies assist college students image themselves there. |
| TikTok | Personal: 60% Public: 35% Two-Yr: 71% |
Personal: 82% Public: 74% Two-Yr: 80% |
One of the vital influential platforms for discovery and decision-making. |
| Show Adverts | Personal: 94% Public: 77% Two-Yr: 86% |
Personal: 90% Public: 97% Two-Yr: 100% |
College students usually click on Google adverts when researching applications. |
| Retargeting | Personal: 86% Public: 69% Two-Yr: 80% |
Personal: 98% Public: 86% Two-Yr: 94% |
Extremely efficient when personalised, reminders drive motion. |
Takeaway: To achieve college students the place they really dwell on-line, schools should rebalance their media combine towards video-rich, mobile-first channels and strengthen seo to attach organically inside search and AI summaries.
Messaging methods that transfer college students
Ask any college advertising and marketing group what they promote and you’ll hear acquainted solutions: model id, utility deadlines, campus occasions, pupil tales, program highlights. All essential, however not all equally efficient.
College students inform us that the adverts that stick are those that really feel genuine and actionable.
They click on after they see a serious they’re curious about. They re-engage when retargeted about unfinished purposes. They reply when the tone feels real, not company.
Breaking via the stream of memes, influencers, and viral movies requires messaging that’s private and particular, not simply polished.
| Messaging Technique | Utilization by Schools | Effectiveness | Scholar Perspective |
| Utility Deadlines | Personal: 98% Public: 92% Two-Yr: 85% |
Personal: 94% Public: 93% Two-Yr: 100% |
Clear calls-to-action work. Deadline adverts drive clicks and completions. |
| Model Messaging | Personal: 98% Public: 95% Two-Yr: 86% |
Personal: 94% Public: 94% Two-Yr: 100% |
Generic model adverts not often transfer the needle; authenticity wins. |
| Occasion Promotions | Personal: 94% Public: 86% Two-Yr: 86% |
Personal: 96% Public: 97% Two-Yr: 100% |
Digital excursions and admitted-student occasions generate sturdy engagement. |
| Scholar/Alumni Tales | Personal: 81% Public: 83% Two-Yr: 57% |
Personal: 95% Public: 93% Two-Yr: 100% |
“Present me actual individuals.” Genuine voices and outcomes persuade. |
| Program-Particular Adverts | Personal: 87% Public: 89% Two-Yr: 57% |
Personal: 95% Public: 100% Two-Yr: 75% |
College students need particulars about majors, careers, and outcomes. |
Backside line: Excessive-level model consciousness campaigns not often convert. The content material that wins is private, well timed, and anchored in actual tales and subsequent steps.
The large image
So what does this all imply in your digital technique? The brief model: adverts work finest after they meet college students the place they’re, of their social feeds, with content material that feels private, real, and video-forward.
Right here is tips on how to make that occur:
- Make investments the place college students spend time: TikTok, YouTube, and optimized search.
- Repair underperforming channels: Strengthen Instagram with higher creative and stage-specific concentrating on.
- Use personalization and retargeting: Transfer college students from “simply shopping” to “taking motion.”
- Inform actual tales: Spotlight genuine pupil voices and tangible outcomes, not simply taglines.
College students now analysis schools the identical means they handle the remainder of their digital lives; they uncover, examine, and resolve whereas scrolling. A TikTok video would possibly spark curiosity, a YouTube vlog would possibly assist them think about themselves on campus, and a retargeted advert would possibly push them to lastly hit “apply.”
They’re already making school choices mid-scroll. To earn their consideration and their belief, schools should meet them there, with relevance, immediacy, and authenticity.
In the end, it isn’t about clicks for the sake of clicks. It’s about connection, belonging, and the digital moments that flip curiosity into dedication.
Discuss with our advertising and marketing and recruitment specialists
RNL works with schools and universities throughout the nation to make sure their advertising and marketing and recruitment efforts are optimized and aligned with how pupil seek for schools. Reach out today for a complimentary consultation to debate:
- Scholar search methods
- Omnichannel communication campaigns
- Personalization and engagement at scale
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