Ep. 69: The Search Cliff is Rewriting the Rules of Recruitment Marketing

Jaime Hunt speaks with Jenny Petty about a pressing issue few are discussing: the “Search Cliff.” While the “Demographic Cliff” has been a hot topic for years, the Search Cliff highlights a significant shift in the availability of prospective student data, fundamentally altering how higher education institutions attract and enroll students. Tune in as Jenny breaks down this emerging challenge, its implications, and strategies institutions can adopt to stay ahead of the curve.

Key Takeaways

• The “Search Cliff” refers to the rapid decline in the availability of student data due to changing privacy laws and the shift to test-optional admissions policies.
• Name purchases, once a cornerstone of enrollment marketing, are yielding significantly fewer enrollments, dropping from 0.131% in 2019 to 0.043% in 2023.
• Institutions must pivot to focus on organic lead generation, content marketing, and paid media strategies to fill the funnel.
• Strong collaboration between MarCom and enrollment management teams is essential for addressing these challenges effectively.
• The future of higher education marketing will demand creative, technology-driven solutions, including leveraging AI and exploring new engagement strategies.

What is the Search Cliff, and How Does it Differ From the Demographic Cliff? 
The Search Cliff represents a dramatic reduction in the availability of prospective student names for purchase. This trend is driven by shifting privacy laws and the widespread adoption of test-optional policies during COVID-19. Unlike the well-documented Demographic Cliff, which focuses on population decline, the Search Cliff underscores the limitations of traditional name-buying practices. These changes threaten to disrupt enrollment marketing strategies reliant on purchased names to drive funnel growth.

Why is the Search Cliff Happening Now? 
Jenny explains that privacy laws in over 20 states are restricting access to student data, while the move to test-optional admissions has further limited name availability. Institutions that once relied on buying large lists of prospective student names to fuel enrollment pipelines are seeing diminishing returns. For example, the yield rate for purchased names has plummeted by 56%, making traditional tactics increasingly unsustainable.

How Can Higher Education Marketers Adapt? 
Jenny offers several solutions to address the Search Cliff:

• Invest in Inbound Marketing: Organic lead generation through blogs, white papers, and gated content can create a steady pipeline of interest over time.
• Shift to Paid Media and Social Advertising: Institutions must build robust paid advertising strategies to compete in an increasingly crowded digital space.
• Leverage AI Tools: AI-powered technologies, such as virtual recruiters and chatbots, can enhance student engagement and streamline the recruitment process.
• Rethink Organizational Structure: Jenny emphasizes the need to evaluate team roles, particularly as AI reshapes the workload and demands of MarCom teams.

What Role Should Leadership Play in Navigating This Shift? 
For institutions to succeed, leaders need to embrace marketing as a strategic driver of revenue and success. CMOs should foster partnerships with enrollment management teams and educate themselves about institutional budget models, financial aid strategies, and marketing ROI. Additionally, integrating marketing leaders into cabinet-level discussions ensures their voices are heard in key decisions about institutional priorities.

What Does Success Look Like in the Era of the Search Cliff? 
Jenny challenges institutions to rethink traditional measures of success, such as application volume, and instead focus on retention and lifelong student value. As higher education faces intense scrutiny and competition, institutions must align product offerings, pricing strategies, and marketing efforts with the evolving needs of today’s students.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC

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