University Brand – Step-by-Step Guide to Launching a Successful Business Plan

Universities are critical in providing higher education to students, allowing them to specialize in a career of their choice. For-profit universities have been around since the 1980s, with the commercialization of education being part of the American economy for decades.

If you’re thinking about opening a for-profit university, or you’re trying to attract more students to your traditional college model, you need marketing.

This post unpacks everything you need to know about marketing and SEO for your university business. We’ll look at strategies you can use to grow your enrollment and your bottom line.

What is the Universities Business and What is a Universities Brand?

For-profit universities are slightly different from traditional colleges. These institutions run the campus like a business, focusing on the profit and fiscal health of the institution, just like any other profitable business.

Building a for-profit university brand requires you to focus on the market you’re trying to penetrate. Are you looking to open a school focusing on prestige and elite education? Or a college for teaching artisan skills?

Focus your branding strategy around your target market and what they expect from a leading university.

How Profitable University Businesses Are?

With student loans blasting through the $1.6-trillion mark, education in the United States is more expensive than ever and incredibly profitable for universities. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows for-profit university students represent around 4.4% of total university enrollments in 2017.

How to Start an University Brand Business?

If you’re starting a university from scratch or purchasing an institution, here’s what you need to know to get your business off the ground.

Step 1 – Create a Business Plan

Like any other business, your university needs a business plan. Hire a professional to complete your marketing and financial strategies – that’s where investors will focus their attention.

Step 2 – Seek Investment

Your investors will review your business plan, focusing on the internal rate of return (IRR) you can offer them for their investment. It would help if you had a financially attractive offer.

Step 3 – Break Ground

Start building your campus.

Step 4 – Begin Marketing

Start your marketing plan, focusing on social media as your primary marketing tool.

Step 5 – Start Enrollment

With everything in place, it’s time to start enrollment and get students into their first year at your university.

Universities Brand Promotion Strategies

Brand promotion for your university is critical to your success. Why should your prospective student choose your university over others in the area? What do you have to offer as your unique selling proposition (USP)?

Universities Brand Content Strategy

As a university, your content needs to be outstanding – it’s a sign of the quality of the education the prospective student can expect when joining your institution.

Your content should focus on what your university can do to give your students an edge in the jobs marketplace and what you can do to fast-track and enhance their career opportunities after they graduate.

Branding Development

Universities are brands, whether they like it or not. Think about how students and alumni proudly sport their Harvard jerseys. It’s the same for your university. What do you want students to associate with your institution?

Is it prestige? Tech-focused or sport-focused? Building your university brand requires getting your logo and mission statement in front of as many qualified prospects as possible. Use tactics like branded clothing and apparel, stationery, and other branding opportunities.

How University Business Adapts with Digitalization?

Education has become a significant part of the economy, and during the past year – we have noticed the sudden need for adaptation and digital tools not to mention, solutions to better equip universities and how they can best implement digitized strategies for universities all around the world.

 Web Design

Your university needs an online presence; without it, you’re missing out on registrations and leaving money on the table for your organization. Your website should be minimalist, image-heavy, with videos and an easy navigation experience for prospective students.

Ensure your website and pages load fast, and you have your CTAs in place on your landing pages to optimize conversion. Undeniably, the greatest approach to promote your brand is to use the internet. These days, it’s the most effective marketing tactic. Our web development team has your back to get you through today’s competitive business environment.

 Social Media Advertising

Social media is the primary marketing tool for universities. Since your target market is youth graduating from high school, social media is critical to your marketing plan. While Facebook ads are a great way to reach many prospects, other platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok are more popular with your demographic; focus your marketing strategy on these two platforms for the best results.

In today’s world, digital marketing is a critical component of any company’s success. If you want to keep up, you’ll need to adapt to the ever-changing world of online marketing strategy made possible by our team of experts.

Search Engine Optimization

SEO is a critical component of your marketing campaign. Off-page SEO strategies help you link with authority domains to gain credibility in search results. On-page SEO helps you retain and convert traffic when it arrives on your site.

The backbone of your SEO strategy encompasses keyword research, content planning, content briefs, content writing, optimization, and link building to promote your website effectively. SEO services can help you rank at the top of search engines, ensuring that your target market notices you and attracting more qualified search traffic to your website right away.

Paid Advertising

Social media is a great way for building organic traffic to your site, and the paid marketing tools also present excellent value for your marketing budget.

However, PPC (Pay-per-click) marketing tactics help your business get off the ground while you wait for your social campaigns to start delivering results. Research the costs of Google and Bings ads and other avenues of PPC marketing opportunities.

Nowadays, many people have become reliant on the internet. If you are looking for something you’ll probably start by looking for information on the internet. Everything now is just one click away. Inquivix experts are honed to provide you with the most effective method in sending your message to your target audience. We will work directly with you and your organization to ensure you get the best return on your investment. 

 Lead Generation

While social media marketing tactics and website SEO are critical for the success of your university, there are plenty of other avenues for promoting your university to graduates. Many prospective students will visit websites of their chosen schools, looking for information that they can use to decide the right school for them.

After collecting your prospect’s email address through your opt-in lead magnet, those details go to your sales funnel where they enter an email marketing campaign designed to convert them into a student.

Creating initial communications, building brand awareness, and maintaining customer interactions is vital in every business. Inquivix lead generation services oversee initiatives aimed at identifying and qualifying potential consumers for businesses. The service can help fill an organization’s sales pipeline with potential clients through lead nurturing, ensuring the highest conversion rate possible for your brand.

University Brand Names in the World and Their Slogans

Education has become a big trend and has adapted to many of the universities’ digital landscapes. As a matter of fact, here are some of the famous university brand names which are quite familiar.

Harvard University

Harvard University was established in 1636 by the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, who was also its first benefactor and named after him as well. The institution is the oldest in America as well as one of the most prestigious in the world.

Stanford University

Stanford University is the alma mater of one president of the United States, 74 living billionaires, and 17 astronauts. It has produced 68 Fulbright Scholars, 43 Marshall Scholars, 45 Rhodes Scholars, and 18 members of Congress

Oxford University

Oxford University is one of the oldest universities in the world located in the London United Kingdom, in 1096 they found evidence of teaching. Their education process is centralized on research as their main mission.

Fordham University

Fordham is considered a Jesuit university. An almost 500-year history of the Jesuits inspired us. It’s the spirit of total commitment to fundamental ideas, global communities, injustice, beauty, and the human experience.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded in 1861, has since played a key role in the development of modern technology and science. Today MIT is one of the most prestigious institutions in the world.

Conclusion

With the rise of universities, we have seen an increasing number of universities learn towards digital marketing to expand and cater to a wider global studentship. In fact, with the various digitized solutions available, you can simply grow your niche and expand the effective strategies which will work for your university.