Selling to universities can be quite a complicated process, especially if you are targeting big educational institutions, like Harvard.
The reason?
The heads of departments at these universities are usually incredibly busy, and probably have many people trying to sell them products and services.
So this means that if you want your lead generation strategy to work, you are going to have to think outside the box in order to cut through the noise.
Yes, there are various inbound marketing strategies (which do work), but if you would like a positive reply rate of 30% or higher, this lead generation strategy is ideal for targeting higher education institutions.
(Or you could also book a free 15-minute lead generation strategy session with the founder of SalesBread, Jack Reamer. See how we can help you find 1 qualified sales lead per day.)
Our Higher Education Lead Generation Strategy That Led to a 30% Positive Reply Rate
Case Study: UltraScope
Ultrascope offers personalized stethoscopes for medical students, vets, and doctors.
“The Ultrascope is a unique, single sided pressure sensitive acoustic stethoscope for complete and accurate assessment and diagnosis of heart and/or lung sounds in human and animal patients. Obtain superior sound quality in any situation, even noisy environments.”
Step 1: Build a list of the right target audience for high quality leads
This was quite a fun lead generation campaign, and not too complex, but we had to build a list of the right:
- Medical higher ed institutions
- And the right list of decision makers to reach out to
So, in order to do this, we looked at medical directories on the web to find the contact information that we needed.
For Ultrascope, in particular, we used the Association of Medical School Members directory.
We then scraped these directories with DataMiner.io.
This gave a great start for finding qualified leads, because we know that these are some of the best medical schools in America. We then grabbed all this data and found the appropriate people to reach out to at these institutions.
We were going after the following roles at schools to order custom stethoscopes:
- Marketing directors/ Managers/ Coordinators and VPs
- Promotions managers
- Events coordinators
- Hospital foundations
- Brand management coordinators
- Outreach managers
Once we had a list of all the right people to contact on LinkedIn, we ran two A/B tests to see which type of messaging would work the best.
Step 2: Plug the list into LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Once we had our list 100% refined, we plugged it into LinkedIn Sales Navigator and filtered it by the client’s second-degree network.
We also filtered the list by recently posted.
The reason for this, is if someone is already in your second degree network, they will be more inclined to reply to you. Also, if they have recently posted something on LinkedIn, it shows that they are active on the platform.
There is no point in wasting time and sending messages to prospects who don’t use LinkedIn, if this is the case, rather add them to an email marketing campaign if you have their email address.
Step 3: Write personalized messages
At SalesBread, we always personalize each and every message that we send out. In order to do this, you have to research the prospects on your list, and write a message specifically for them.
Use the following method below:
The first campaign received a 20.9% positive reply rate and the second received a 30% positive reply rate. A 10% increase in positive replies.
What changed? See below:
First outreach message stats
%
Connection Rate
%
Positive Reply Rate
As always, we research each prospect on our list and write a custom intro just for them.
This is an example of the messages we sent:
Connection request message :
“Michaela, I know of your work at Albany Medical College, through a few of our mutual Healthcare connections here. Mind if we connect?”
1st Follow Up message :
“Michaela, (custom intro.) Saw you’re in charge of marketing. Do you also handle promotional products (for brand visibility or onboarding gifts) at Albany College? Or am I way off? -(Your name)
P.S. {Explain end benefit and why this higher ed lead would want to engage}”
With the first campaign, some of the common responses we were getting from prospects were:
Hey, I don’t handle promotions, so I can’t help you. Sorry.”
Because of this response, we decided to change up the messaging and try something a little different in our follow up messages.
Second outreach message stats
%
Connection Rate
%
Positive Reply Rate
Connection Request Message Example
“Michaela, saw your post here and noticed we share a few connections in common already. (I’m also in the healthcare space.) Mind if we connect?”
Follow-Up Message Example
Michaela, {{custom intro.}} After re-visiting your profile and learning a bit more about what you’re working on for Albany College, I’d like to arrange a short chat.
Have a few questions about {TOPIC}. What does your calendar look like over the next few days to connect? P.S. {Explain end benefit and why this higher ed lead would want to engage without sounding salesy}
Notice the difference in the message?
We mentioned the prospect’s exact role, and the “PS” backed up our offer and the reason we were reaching out.
Even if a prospect wasn’t responsible for promotions, they still requested the stethoscope.
Why?
Because we were being more transparent, and weren’t just assuming that this product was for them. This is a great approach if you’re not 100% sure who the decision maker is for your campaign.
Moral of the story
If you aren’t happy with the reply rates that you’re getting for your education sector lead generation, make some changes.
Either you need to refine your list even further, or make some tweaks to your messages. It’s important to try out different strategies to see what works.
But time and time again, we have seen that:
a.) In-depth list building brings in high converting leads (Read more about how we build lists here.)
b. ) Using personalized messaging captures the attention of prospects. (Notice how we mentioned the prospect’s exact role in the second message.)
c.) Have a clear call to action that lets the prospect know exactly what you do and what you expect from them. (For example, we asked for a meeting and mentioned how we would like to send them a ‘customized stethoscope’ with their logo and colors.)
d.) Don’t sell immediately in your messages. Talk about what you do just for context, and speak about the prospect 90% of the time.
Other ways to generate leads for higher education
If you aren’t ready to give LinkedIn lead generation a go, you could either reach out to us here.
We promise our clients 1 qualified sales lead per day.
Or try out some of the other lead generation strategies below. Remember, the strategies apply to those who are trying to sell to colleges and universities, or for universities trying to increase enrollment.
Social Media Marketing
Some companies who are targeting higher educational institutes make use of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X, and Tik Tok.
These leads might take some more time to generate, as you will need to develop a brand following, but it has proven effective. Especially if you are targeting student leads for your university.
Above is an example of how Harvard uses their Instagram account to attract students.
Below, Harvard also makes relevant posts for what’s happening in the world, and then directs students or viewers to read more info on their website.
SEO and Landing Page Optimization
Having a content marketer for your company can also bring in greater metrics. If you are a small business targeting universities, it’s important to have a website that utilizes SEO.
The reason is that over time, Google will start to rank your website, and if you target high intent keywords, the chances of the right prospects landing on your site will be greater.
Most people Google things nowadays, and if your site doesn’t have a proper content marketing strategy, you could lose out on many new, high-quality leads.
Just remember, though, content marketing (or digital marketing ) can take time. For example, at SalesBread, we make use of both inbound and outbound marketing.
Inbound has taken a year to start gaining traction, whereas with outbound, we see immediate results.
If you can use both forms of marketing to gain prospective students , or higher ed institutions, you will have a winning strategy.
Optimize Lead Ads for a better positive reply rate
Many universities rely on lead ads to get potential students to engage with their universities, but success depends on delivering the right message at the right time.
Here’s how to improve your lead ads:
- Use clear and engaging ad copy that speaks to applicants’ needs, such as financial aid, career outcomes, and campus life.
- Include beautiful visuals and testimonials from graduate students.
- Make sure that the inquiry form is easy to fill in—too many fields can discourage students from completing it.
Try Facebook Lead Ads to Reach More Potential Students
Facebook lead ads are also pretty helpful for student lead generation because they allow universities to capture information directly from social media. To maximize results:
- Target specific student personas based on age, location, and academic interests.
- Offer value, such as a downloadable brochure, scholarship information, or a direct chat with an advisor.
- Use retargeting to nurture leads who interacted with previous ads but haven’t applied yet. For example, if you have captured the student’s email address, you could also send them a helpful email asking if they have any questions or would like more information.
Work with a Lead Generation Service
Many universities partner with agencies specializing in education lead generation strategies to meet their enrollment goals.
For example, SalesBread has already worked with companies that are looking to help generate leads in the education sector. Reach out to use for a free 15 minute strategy session, or read this article on different lead generation companies to find the right fit.
Want 1 qualified lead per day?
If you would like immediate results, like UltraScope, reach out to us for a free 15 minute strategy session.
We promise our clients 1 qualified lead per day, and you can expect your first lead within 48 hours of launching the campaign. All of this, for less than hiring a full time SDR.
