From shiny digital to today’s marketing and sales trends
In 2010, digital was fresh. Around 23% of budgets went there, and simple retargeting felt futuristic.
Today, it’s ~90%. The result: a crowded feed where students are trained to ignore us.
What this means
More of the same is invisible.
You need creative and channel diversity just to be seen.
Authenticity beats polish: students trust students more than copy.
Three moves to cut through noise
Pilot new channels before you scale. Attention is fragmented: TikTok, Reels, streaming audio.
Use student-generated content. It’s the fastest way to credibility.
Adopt a video-first strategy. If it doesn’t move, it rarely moves people.
Go video-first
Students spend nearly half their digital time watching video. And they remember ~95% of what they see in a video vs. ~10% in static text.
Where to place it: TikTok, Reels, connected TV (CTV).
Mindset shift: video isn’t an add-on—it’s the campaign spine.
Practical tips
Audit your b-roll and campus clips—you have more than you think.
Commission lightweight, story-first edits. Distribution > perfection.
Every initiative gets a video centerpiece with short cutdowns around it.
Streaming + performance TV: credibility meets precision
Streaming has overtaken cable. TV’s magic—credibility and scale—remains. What’s new is how you buy it.
Performance TV basics
Unskippable placements in the living room, where families decide.
Natural second-screen behavior: see an ad → search → visit site.
Measurable lifts in direct traffic and branded search after spots air.
Why it matters for education
You reach both parents and prospects in “lean-back” moments.
You create intent you can capture—if your website is ready.
Your website: the make-or-break moment
Driving traffic is easy. Keeping it is hard.
73% of prospects leave when they hit friction.
84% say a poor site hurts their perception of the school.
Common issues
Navigation built for everyone → prospects get lost.
Content bloat → cognitive overload.
Core info (programs, cost, admissions) buried.
Quick prospect-first audit
Programs, Cost, Admissions reachable in 1–2 clicks?
Every page has a clear next step?
Mobile is truly first-class (usable in motion, not just “responsive”)?
Could you cut 4,000 pages to 400 without losing clarity?
Individualization > personalization (with ReshapeOS)
Personalization is a merge field. Individualization is the entire journey adapting in real time to the student’s context.
How ReshapeOS actually helps institutions
Instant lead follow-up: when a prospect requests info, an agent calls or sends a WhatsApp within minutes—even on weekends. This closes the gap where most schools lose intent.
Always-on agents: prospects get real answers on your site, via WhatsApp, SMS, or email, 24/7. Example: asking about tuition at 1:00 a.m. and getting a human-sounding response immediately.
Smart filtering: agents can qualify leads automatically, pushing only the right ones to admissions teams, while discarding irrelevant requests.
Persistent conversations: when a student returns, the system remembers where they left off—programs viewed, application stage, questions asked—and continues smoothly.
The effect: students feel guided instead of blocked, and your team spends time only where humans add value.
A practical example: fixing the “lost application” problem
One of the biggest leaks in education funnels happens when a student submits a form and has to wait days for a reply.
Without ReshapeOS
A student fills out the request form on Saturday night.
The school replies on Monday with a generic email.
By then, the student may have already spoken with another institution.
With ReshapeOS
The system detects the new form instantly, no matter the hour.
At 10:02 p.m. on Saturday, the student gets a WhatsApp reply:
“Hi Ana, thanks for your interest in our Marketing program. I can answer your first questions now and connect you with an advisor.”The agent resolves initial doubts (duration, admission basics, cost ranges).
Then it asks: “Would you like me to book you a call with an advisor on Monday?”
If Ana agrees, the slot is scheduled automatically in the advisor’s calendar.
Result
The student feels attended immediately, even outside office hours. By Monday, admissions staff already have a qualified lead with a confirmed appointment, instead of a cold contact waiting for a generic reply.
FAQs
Why is video-first so important now?
Because students spend nearly half their online time watching video. If your content isn’t moving, it’s invisible.
What is performance TV and how does it help schools?
It’s streaming TV bought with digital-style targeting. It combines credibility (TV) with precision (digital), reaching families where they make decisions.
How do I know if my website is leaking leads?
If Programs, Cost, and Admissions aren’t accessible in 1–2 clicks, or if students face dead ends without a next step, you’re losing them.
What makes ReshapeOS different from a chatbot?
ReshapeOS agents don’t just answer questions. They qualify leads, follow up instantly, send nudges, and persist conversations across channels. It’s closer to an admissions assistant than a script.