The Benefits of PPC Advertising for Educational Institutions (A Case Study Included)
Whenever you search on Google, or scroll through social media you get to see the Pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements. This form of paid digital marketing is very popular in the digital world.
PPC is a digital advertising model used by everyone- retailers, travel and hospitality, e-commerce, healthcare, education, technology and software, automotive, real estate and even governments. Its attractiveness lies in its unique feature of a low-cost model. The advertiser only has to pay if the ad gets a click.
As per HubSpot, Facebook and Google are the paid advertisement platforms with the highest reported ROI, and Google pay-per-click advertisements have the biggest ROI at 200%. Therefore, PPC is highly effective. In this blog, we will discuss how educational institutions can profit from it and also review a case study for a real-life understanding.
PPC Model – How Does It Work?
PPC is a digital advertising strategy where an advertiser (for example a university) pays the publisher (say Google or Facebook) every time someone clicks on the ad. It is primarily used by search engines and social media platforms. It is also called the cost-per-click (CPC) model.
A well-designed PPC ad campaign can bring substantial money to both the advertiser and the publisher.
For an advertiser, the value of each click from a potential customer (say students) exceeds the cost of the click paid to the publisher. For publishers, it is a major source of revenue. As per Hubspot, 96% of Google’s revenue comes from Google Ads.
Key Benefits of PPC for Schools and Universities
Using PPC, education institutions buy visits to their website. An effective PPC ensures your ads appear at the top of search engine result pages. It means increased visibility which results in more inquiries and higher enrolments.
Here are the benefits of PPC that educational institutions get out of PPC advertisements:
Catching Students Early
By using the early-stage search keywords (also called TOFU or top of the marketing funnel keywords) in your PPC campaigns you can increase your visibility early on. The prospective students get to see them before they start comparing schools. By creating a convincing impression you get a head start in creating a lasting impression.
Less Expensive Branding
PPC ad campaigns help you appear at the top of the search engine pages; and with enough repetitions, it helps in brand recall. That means, even if we consider a hypothetical situation of people not clicking on your ads, they still will get to see your brand and remember. All without spending anything! Because PPC cost only applies if someone actually clicks on your ad.
Immediate Impact
PPC, unlike some other marketing models that take time, brings fast results. Your ads show up in the search results almost immediately, driving traffic and also potential students to your website.
Reduced Cost Per Student
PPC is a highly targeted advertising which focuses on reaching the right people with the right interests that you are looking at, and allowing quick adjustments. It is an efficient use of funds that leads to reduced cost per student. Here are the ways how PPC does it:
- Targeted Advertising
Institutions can target different demographics. For example, a university can run various PPC campaigns for its graduate and postgraduate programs. Again, if they offer a distant or hybrid model of professional education such as diplomas in marketing or any specific programs for professionals seeking further education, they can run different PPC campaigns.
- Measurable Results
PPC allows you to track the performance of your ads in real time. This data helps you optimize campaigns to improve conversion rates. This way you can ensure more clicks leading to enrolments and lower your cost per student.
- Budget Control
PPC campaigns are entirely in your control because you can set your specific budget and pay only if an audience clicks on your ad. Over time, when you see the result and optimize your campaigns you reduce your cost per student even more.
- A/B Testing
You can run multiple versions of your ads (A/B testing) to see which one performs better. This helps you identify the most effective ad copy and design. It leads to higher conversion rates and a reduced cost per student.
- Seasonal Campaigns
Running campaigns during peak application periods (e.g., admission season) attracts more potential students seeking information. Therefore, it increases the efficiency of your ad expenses and lowers the cost per student.
Case Study: India’s Top Tier Management School Boosted Its MBA Applications by 30% With Strategic PPC Campaigns
Background
One of India’s premier management institutes, famous for its strong academic reputation and rigorous MBA program, wanted to increase applications for its MBA program. Also, the institute aimed to increase its online presence to attract prospective students. It went ahead with a targeted PPC model to achieve its goals.
PPC Strategy
The institute used a three-pronged PPC strategy.
- Targeted Ads
It used Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads. The target audience was prospective MBA students and working professionals with a possible interest in pursuing an MBA. This targeted approach ensured that the ads reached only those individuals who were more likely to be interested in the program.
- b) Keyword Focus
They used specific keywords like “top MBA programs in India”, “executive MBA programs”, “accredited MBA courses”, “Online MBA programs” and “part-time MBA options” to capture the attention of those searching for top-tier management education options.
- c) Custom Landing Pages
They crafted a dedicated landing page for the MBA program mentioning detailed information about the program, application deadlines, success stories, testimonials from alumni and a strong call to action. They created different versions of such landing pages for A/B testing by tweaking the headlines and visuals.
- d) Outcomes
Increased Applications
Within the first year of the PPC campaign, the institution saw a 30% increase in applications for its MBA program.
Higher Engagement
Their PPC campaign brought a higher click-through rate (CTR) and lower bounce rate on the landing pages. That is, more audiences clicked on their ads and also stayed on the landing pages longer; exploring the program details, and showing more interest and engagement.
Increased Return on Investment (ROI)
The institute observed a major return on investment from the PPC campaigns with a much lower cost per acquisition (CPA) compared to traditional marketing models and cost-effectively attracting more students.
This case study shows how a well-planned and properly strategized PPC campaign can help in increased applications and improved online presence for an educational institution.
Conclusion
PPC for education institutions is a powerful tool that can bring manifold advantages right from branding and reducing costs, to higher enrolment. By targeting the right audience, and planning and implementing key strategies they can cost-effectively achieve impressive results.
