Paid Media
Driving Enrollment Growth Through Paid Media for a Higher Education Institution
A private health sciences university based in the Illinois Medical District near Chicago’s Loop, with degree and certification offerings spanning over 40 programs, partnered with Marcel Digital to leverage paid media channels to drive more registrations and applicants to specific programs while also lowering costs.
The Challenge
Marcel Digital identified an opportunity to boost the university’s traffic and conversions through paid search, but rising competition, especially within the College of Nursing, caused cost per conversion to climb sharply in 2018. At the same time, conversions were trending downward year over year, signaling that the existing strategy was no longer effective. Entering 2019, the challenge was clear: reverse declining performance, generate more high-quality inquiries, and reduce costs, all without increasing the budget.
Rising Costs Driven by Increased Competition
Higher competition in key program areas caused CPC and CPA to rise, making paid search less efficient than the previous year.
Declining Conversions Year Over Year
Sign-ups for program information continued to fall, indicating the need for a more strategic and impactful approach.
A Need to Improve Performance Without More Budget
The university needed more conversions at a lower cost, but without expanding spend, requiring smarter, more effective optimization.
The Analysis
Marcel Digital began by conducting a full audit of the previous year’s paid media performance. To reverse rising costs and declining conversions, we needed to evaluate every component of the campaign, from keyword targeting to ad messaging to landing page experience, and determine where alignment was breaking down.
Keyword Targeting Was Too Broad
A review of search terms revealed that many keywords were attracting unqualified users. Because targeting wasn’t precise enough, the ad copy and landing pages also lacked focus, resulting in fewer sign-ups and inefficient spend.
Messaging and Landing Pages Needed Clearer Alignment
The existing ad copy and landing pages were not tightly matched to user intent. Calls to action were not compelling enough, and key program pages did not effectively guide prospective students toward requesting information.
New Channels Were Needed to Support Conversion Growth
Beyond paid search, we evaluated other platforms where prospective students spent time. Research showed strong opportunities on Facebook and LinkedIn, presenting additional channels that could help increase conversions and lower CPC when integrated into the broader strategy.
The Solution
In 2019, Marcel Digital overhauled the university’s paid media program to reverse declining conversions and reduce costs. This required rebuilding campaign structure, refining messaging, and expanding into new channels to reach prospective students more effectively.
Revamping Google Ads With More Targeted Campaigns
We restructured the Google Ads account and expanded branded campaigns mid-year to capture high-intent searches. A new top-program campaign was launched to guide users to key colleges, emphasizing program benefits and relevance to increase engagement.
Strengthening Ad Group Focus and Messaging
Tightly themed ad groups, refreshed ad copy, and new formats such as responsive search ads improved relevance and performance. This allowed campaigns to better align with user intent, resulting in more qualified traffic and stronger click-through rates.
Expanding Into Facebook and LinkedIn for Lower-Cost Conversions
Recognizing that prospective students spent significant time on social platforms, we incorporated Facebook and LinkedIn into the strategy. These channels increased brand awareness, introduced new testing opportunities, and delivered additional conversions at a lower cost.
The Results
The revamped paid media strategy delivered dramatic improvements in both efficiency and lead generation. Without increasing budget, Marcel Digital significantly enhanced campaign performance across every major KPI.
80% Decrease in Cost per Conversion
From 2018 to 2019, cost per conversion dropped by 80%, driven by highly targeted ad groups, refined bidding, and continuous optimization. The College of Nursing saw the most impressive shift, with cost per conversion falling from $206.28 to $40.53.
468% Increase in Conversion Rate
Improved ad relevance, better landing page alignment, and new ad formats contributed to a 468% jump in conversion rate year over year.
49% Lift in Click-Through Rate & 10,619 New Users
More compelling ad copy and strategic audience targeting led to a 49% increase in CTR while driving 10,619 new users to the university’s key program pages. Facebook and LinkedIn audiences further expanded reach and contributed to additional low-cost conversions.
